El cheapo DIY LR32

[vajper]

Hi there!

I'm about to build a couple of cabinets and started looking at the Festool LR32 system. I have recently invested in a TS55 and an OF1010 and feel that I have stretched my budget a bit. Actually I think the LR32 pricing is reeeeaally high considering that you only get a hole drilling jig on speed.

So I decided to build my own el cheapo LR32. My system consists of a base plate on witch the OF1010 is mounted, a standard FS 1400 guide rail, a separate hole strip and a pin (as seen in the picture below). The picture also shows a jig to align the hole strip to the sheet edge.

The base plate from below. Note the small M3 nylon screws at the bottom. These can be adjusted to get a really nice fit on the guide rail. Te two small strips of hardwood are added as a support so that I don't need the small support "shoe" on the OF1010 to get good support when sliding the base plate on the rail.

To drill a row of holes I do as follows. I place the guide rail on the sheet material where I want my row of holes. The center of the OF1010 is placed at a exact 25mm offset from the _aluminum_ part of the guide rail (just as the LR32). I then mount the separate hole strip on the guide rail. The hole strip is cut exactly 16mm from the center of the outmost hole at both ends. On the picture below I use the jig to align the hole strip so that the first hole is placed 16mm from the sheet edge. The hole strip is then tightened to the guide rail with two screws. The base plate is placed on the rail and fixated at the first hole position using the pin. Then the first hole is drilled. Because of the nifty design of the OF1010 handles, only one hand is needed to operate the router and the other can be used to lift the pin, move the base plate and insert the pin.

Final picture (wrong focus point, sorry...) of the setup.

If I need to drill a long row of holes, I combine two FS 1400 rails. When the last hole of the hole strip is drilled, I just turn off the router and lock the drill bit in the drilled hole. I then remove the pin, loosen the hole strip, move it and insert the pin again.

I used a wall shelf console rail common in Europe (see picture below) to drill the holes in the hole strip. These console rails have a lot of cutouts with cc 32mm. For the holes in the sheet material, I use the Festool 5mm router bit from the LR32 system.

 

[nickao]

All I can say is SWEEEET!

Two great benefits over the LR 32 is your jig appears to allow making holes on larger pieces simpler without alignment hassles and of course the cost! It seems you used the KISS method and that is always great.

Nice work and a great FOG post!

 

[Daniel_n]

Nice to see you at FOG vajper And, as I have told you before, this jig looks really nice!

 

[cymro]

That's fabulous!

Any chance of a parts list and perhaps seom scanned templates? (would save us all some time as we .....err.....copy your idea!)
You have some nice screws to hold your hole jig into the track - would be nice to have source and parts numbers

thanks again for a great contribution
E

 

[Daviddubya]

Great idea - thanks.  I have considered the LR32 a couple of times, and get put off by the price.  This looks like a great alternative, especially for a specific project or a home-based shop.  And welcome to the FOG.

 

[sw1211]

A few days earlier you could've won the Fine Woodworking DVD collection, very nice.

 

[Peterm]

I used a wall shelf console rail common in Europe (see picture below) to drill the holes in the hole strip. These console rails have a lot of cutouts with cc 32mm.

Hey, great first post - and nice job! Brilliant idea to use a shelf upright as a template for the 32mm-centre hole strip; I'll be using that myself before too long!

Thanks for sharing this.

Best, Peter.

 

[fshanno]

Forget cheap, yours is better because it doesn't require special guide and just about as fast.  You've made my day.  I've always felt like I blew it by not buying LR32 guides, and now who cares?  Who would want goofy useless holes in their guides to trap sawdust anyway?

I can't tell from the photos, do you have a spring on the alignment pin?  Have you tried a spring?  You could just use your palm and it would pop right up for the next hole.

This method sort of depends on a Festool 1010 or 1400 for speed and ease because they are the smoothest plunging routers on the planet.  But I was just thinking, who needs a guide rail?  Just drill the holes in a simple aluminum extrusion.  It would be a one piece solution, no need to attach anything to anything and just as easy to build.  In fact, a piece of hardwood might do as long as it was wide enough to be fairly ridged.  It would just mean a wider channel in the base.The whole thing could be a little more compact as well.  Just a thought.

 

[vajper]

I haven't tried putting as spring on the alignment pin. My first thought was to somehow imitate the alignment pin on the LR32. I thought it would be a bit time consuming lifting and putting down the pin but after a couple of rows of holes you get the idea and the drilling is really fast. I think of one improvement though -- at stop on the pin so that it can't be removed from the base plate. Then you can just pull it till the stop, now you can pull it out of the base plate if you pull too hard. I guess you loose a second or two if that happens 

 

[BarryL]

Now that was just ingenious!  What a simple and cost effective solution for a costly item.  One thing I like about it is that you can make it to any length...no need to buy another guide rail with holes.  It is cool to see ideas like these that crop up and make you say..."Why didn't I think of that?" 

Great Job!!

 

[fshanno]

Now that was just ingenious!  What a simple and cost effective solution for a costly item.  One thing I like about it is that you can make it to any length...no need to buy another guide rail with holes.  It is cool to see ideas like these that crop up and make you say..."Why didn't I think of that?" 

Great Job!!

It makes me say, "Why didn't Festool think of that?"  They're getting paid to think of that.

 

[vajper]

Some forum members have emailed me about how I did the initial hole strip. I took some more pictures to clarify how it was done.

I used the white shelf upright as shown in the pictures below:

The screws used to mount the hole row is standard metric M8 counter sinked screws and M8 nuts. Standard M8 nuts are 13mm wide, the T-track in the guide rails are 12mm so I used trimmed the nuts a bit.

The router base plate is made from 25mm MDF. The "hole" for the router in the base plate was done by measuring the OF1010 base and then using the very same router to get a tight fitting "hole" for the route base. The "hole" is 10mm deep.

 

[James17]

I've just discovered this post : it's great !
I think I'll build almost the same within a few days
Thanks
Frederic

 

[mishle]

I've just discovered this post : it's gréat !
I think I'll build almost the same within à few days
Thanks
Frederic

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

 

[Eden1415]

I loved this idea. It only too me three try to get it correct.  This is what I have learned.  Using a purchased jig for 32 mm holes did not work.  There is just enough play as you move it up each time, to get you off after about 3 - 4 moves. 

The vertical support -  In most of the Big Box stores are 1 & 1/4 " between top of slot and the next top of slot.  This makes them just a tad bit longer then 32mm.  For true 32mm you need to use Elfa shelving verticals.  Look it up on the internet. 

The space between the base and the track insert needs to be minimal, else you end up with a bit of a wobble between the rail and the MDF base as you move the pin.    I fixed that by getting a 32mm nylon washer that was about 3/4"  long .  I inserted the washer end into the bottom of the base,  and cut off the excess where it came out the top of the MDF base.  This closed the gap between the rail and my base to remove the wobble.  Now I'm very happy that I can us my PC router with the my other Festool stuff.  Brilliant Idea.

 

[wow]

Very clever! And certainly cheaper than the 'green-branded' one.

How much time did it take you (total) to build? I suspect you didn't get paid very well by the hour for this job...

[wink]

 

[grawil]

I cannot justify a festoon router when my 20yr old ELU routers are still working perfectly. This is a great idea for track mounting them. Thanks for the tip.

 

[flagre]

Okey. I'm looking to make something like this. Looks good and having the possibility to run different routers is a big plus. Thanks for sharing.

Does anyone have specific data on how the LR32 system is supposed to work? The inter hole spacing is fine at 32 mm. This post mentions 25 mm from center of router bit to the edge of the rail. Is this correct? The edge of the rail is the aluminium and not the cutting strip I suppose? Other known measures?

Also, how far inn on the short side to the center of the first hole on the LR32 guide rail? Symmetric on both sides? Is the router bit center aligned with the hole in the guide rail?

Thanks!

 

[9Fingers]

I have seen a number of people looking for a way to make repetitive domino holes using the LR32 system. This looks like a pretty plausible solution to that problem. Thanks for sharing your simple and ingenious idea!

 

[TheSergeant]

I'm not sure why this is going over my head but I'm not completely seeing how the shelf bracket with the pins is used to space the holes.  Can someone elaborate on the process?  Great work OP!