Feedback on Parallel Guides

[Peter_C]

If I where to do it now, I would get the TSO version, as I have a rail square already .
The WP systainer is nice but TSO has one also.

Have you tried to find a way to mount the WP track to the TSO square? I would think you could rig something up fairly easily. Maybe just machine a couple slots in the WP track?

 

[pettyconstruction]

If I where to do it now, I would get the TSO version, as I have a rail square already .
The WP systainer is nice but TSO has one also.

Have you tried to find a way to mount the WP track to the TSO square? I would think you could rig something up fairly easily. Maybe just machine a couple slots in the WP track?

Good idea,
Although , I think I would rather keep it all original.
The WP guides work well once set up,worth the time it takes.
Thanks,
Charlie

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[jaguar36]

Are you trying to design an alternative or something?  If you already have them and like them, why so many questions?

 

[ThisVeteranVlog]

[member=12048]jaguar36[/member], I'm making a video this week on parallel guides, the use of - not a particular brand, and wanted to opine the group to share their thoughts on the reasons they have them. I have use mine quite often and wanted to see if the reasons I have them are similar to others before making content on the idea. The video is more or less a recommendation for the use of parallel guides for those that don't have them or have not used any before. It's obvious the usefulness of them, however I wouldn't want someone purchasing them if they really didn't need to, especially since most are rather pricey.

 

[Jeff Zanin]

I have the Festool parallel guides with the extensions, I use them mainly for cutting sheet goods which I do outside on a piece of foam on my front porch  [scared].

I do have a Bosch 4000 table saw but it is not set up with infeed and outfeed tables, and by iteself it is too small to handle 4x8 sheets.  Getting full size sheets through the door & stairs to the table saw, or bringing the table saw up and outside, are much more awkward than doing the cutting with the track saw and the parallel guides.

I also have the Woodpecker parallel guides, I use the Festool much more often and the Woodpecker is mainly for ease of transport which has not been needed very often.

 

[ThisVeteranVlog]

[member=5568]Jeff Zanin[/member], I do the same but at the lumber dealer for sheet goods. I have a foam board, cut into 4 equal parts for easy storage, and dimension rip to project width and then load it up into my car (Prius). I also don't own a tablesaw, so it's currently my only way of getting those repeatable cuts with a track saw. Thanks for your input and I appreciate you explaining your process!

 

[Roachmill]

I use mine (Seneca) mostly (~60% of the time) for ripping narrow stock as I don't have a table saw due to space constraints. Setting the width of cut with a stop on a ruler is my preferred method and gives great results.

I had the RIP guides previously and they worked brilliantly. But they used Incra track sliding under the rail for narrow rips which meant the rail would be raised 18(?)mm off the table and that caused problems with thinner stock. The Seneca ones have a thin sliding piece that's only about 6mm thick and alleviates that problem. The TSO and possibly the WP ones have a thin bar and would work just as well I'm sure.

I'm not a fan of using a rail square (or 2) for narrow rips as they have to go on the ends of stock that may flex in the middle and, often times, you don't have much to register off when working with narrow materials. Having the guides movable on the rail accessory slot means you can position them to provide the best support as and where you want it.

Were money no object, I'd likely go for the TSO set with 2 rail adaptors. But the Seneca ones work well enough... at a fraction of the price.

 

[TSO_Products]

FOG friends - our SYSTEM Design approach has created the (misleading) impression that our TSO Parallel Guide System is so expensive that another well known brand "can be bought for a fraction?"

Fact is many, many owners of our GRS-16 Guide Rail Square have added "Parallel Guide" capability to their woodshop for $ 149.95 outlay. And they have a tool is neither "good enough" nor "fidgety".

We can hardly wait to clarify this for everyone next month by more clearly offering and describing the choices for customers who do not have a GRS-16 Guide Rail Square.

Hans and Eric

 

[Mike Goetzke]

If I where to do it now, I would get the TSO version, as I have a rail square already .
The WP systainer is nice but TSO has one also.

Have you tried to find a way to mount the WP track to the TSO square? I would think you could rig something up fairly easily. Maybe just machine a couple slots in the WP track?

Good idea,
Although , I think I would rather keep it all original.
The WP guides work well once set up,worth the time it takes.
Thanks,
Charlie

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I did something in post #69 : https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/...-tso-pg30-parallel-guide/msg568661/#msg568661

But, I eventually purchased the whole TSO TPG system. I'm a hobbyist that has a garage/shop. Works out well but convenience and speed taking my tools out and putting them away is a necessity. Two examples: 1) I have a 4'x8' MFT slab work table that I store on a ceiling lift and can setup or breakdown in 5 minutes. 2) My 4 track saw rails and my TSO squares and TPG system are stored on my garage door. In seconds I can get the rail and accessories I need. Working this way I use my track saw with TSO square/TPG for probably 90% of my cuts and the other 10% on my TS or SCMS.

 

[Roachmill]

FOG friends - our SYSTEM Design approach has created the (misleading) impression that our TSO Parallel Guide System is so expensive that another well known brand "can be bought for a fraction?"

Hans and Eric

Sorry, but my Seneca guides cost me £190 . 2 TSO rail adaptors would me £120 and the left and right extensions with narrow rip depth stops are another £400. With all due respect (I have 2 of your rail squares, 2 sets of track connectors, a Bigfoot, a square and love them all) the cost difference to achieve narrow ripping in a flexible manner is a Thing. If you good folks have something up your sleeves to make that more affordable, I'm all ears!

 

[Getmaverick]

FOG friends - our SYSTEM Design approach has created the (misleading) impression that our TSO Parallel Guide System is so expensive that another well known brand "can be bought for a fraction?"

Fact is many, many owners of our GRS-16 Guide Rail Square have added "Parallel Guide" capability to their woodshop for $ 149.95 outlay. And they have a tool is neither "good enough" nor "fidgety".

We can hardly wait to clarify this for everyone next month by more clearly offering and describing the choices for customers who do not have a GRS-16 Guide Rail Square.

Hans and Eric

[member=10397]Hans[/member]
Hopefully you will have stock before then.

 

[ThisVeteranVlog]

I use mine (Seneca) mostly (~60% of the time) for ripping narrow stock as I don't have a table saw due to space constraints. Setting the width of cut with a stop on a ruler is my preferred method and gives great results.

I had the RIP guides previously and they worked brilliantly. But they used Incra track sliding under the rail for narrow rips which meant the rail would be raised 18(?)mm off the table and that caused problems with thinner stock. The Seneca ones have a thin sliding piece that's only about 6mm thick and alleviates that problem. The TSO and possibly the WP ones have a thin bar and would work just as well I'm sure.

I'm not a fan of using a rail square (or 2) for narrow rips as they have to go on the ends of stock that may flex in the middle and, often times, you don't have much to register off when working with narrow materials. Having the guides movable on the rail accessory slot means you can position them to provide the best support as and where you want it.

Were money no object, I'd likely go for the TSO set with 2 rail adaptors. But the Seneca ones work well enough... at a fraction of the price.

Yep, we're in the same boat as far as having to table saw and limited on space. Depending on the size of the stock, ripping thin stock can be dicey if it's a short and narrow board/sheet. I've had the festool parallel guides for a few months and am happy with the results they give me. Thanks for the input!

 

[ThisVeteranVlog]

To the OP:

I have looked at most of the available parallel guides for the Festool rails and bought a few to try. The one factor that I keep coming up against is that these tools need to be attached to the guide rail.

I think I would like to try a parallel guide that quickly attaches to the wood panel and serves as a stop for the guide rail to slide up against. The closest solution like this that I have found is a Woodworking Ruler and Rule Stop from Woodpeckers. These are not very useful though since the ruler markings are not calibrated.

As for thin rips using a track saw, there is an excellent solution posted elsewhere on the FOG, but I don't know where it is now.

For a guide rail square, I like the design from Taiga Tools since they have one for the Mafell rail too.

Interesting concept. I think it would introduce more chances of error if the guide rail and parallel guides were not attached. The biggest factor to parallel guides is to get repeatable, consistent cuts every time - kind of a "set it and forget it" approach. If I'm only ripping one or two goods, I won't bother with the parallel guides. However, if I'm batch/gang ripping, I'm reaching for those parallel guides.

Whats your reasoning behind wanting the guides and guide rail to be separate?

 

[Stan Tillinghast]

I finally got the chance to take my Woodpeckers parallel guides out for a drive last night, ripping plywood for a cabinet for the bathroom to hold toilet paper (hey, you have to start somewhere).
I quickly became a big fan of these parallel guides; for the foreseeable future I will use them frequently for repeatable rip cuts in sheet goods.

I do like that the guides can go anywhere on the rail, not just at the end of the sheet.
I got the metric version, and like the accuracy of the markings and the precision of the stop.