Festool OF1400 Edge Guide Idea

[peter halle]

The primary reasons I bought my OF1400 was the fact that I could get excellent dust collection and that I could use it in conjunction with the guide rails.  I have loved it since day one.

Many router usages do not allow themselves to be easily accomplished using a guide rail for accuracy.  One of the most common is routing a groove, etc. a set distance from an edge.  Festool sells this accessory:

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This is a pretty pricy accessary as mentioned here often.  Festool posted an idea brought forth by a member that used two of these edge guides that would allow for the same result, but would not be self centering - but would be less expensive:

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I don't have the Plexi Guide and I only have one of the edge guides.  Using an edge guide is pretty straight forward, but when you are using it on an 18" long piece and shuffling thru the shop and bumping into things or getting a hose caught on things ... well I needed more control.

Sorry for the poor images ( [ban]) but here is an idea for you who have one edge guide and also the accessory that allows you to use your router on a guide rail.

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Please note that you will have to block your work off of tables, etc to allow for the clamps.

Just offering this as food for thought and experimentation..  It worked greart for me.

Peter

 

[sgryd]

Argh.. I feel stupid when I see this simple solution. I recently clamped my MFS on the edge of a door in a complicated way. Sometimes you just don't see the simple solutions.
Thank you for sharing.

 

[Sparktrician]

What do the clams have to do with it?  Clam chowder? 

[poke]

 

[Jay Evans]

The plexiglass guide is NOT self centering.  You have to set and adjust it by hand.
Just Saying
Jay

 

[peter halle]

Thanks Guys!  Corrections made.

Peter

 

[rmwarren]

Peter,

Sorry for being so obtuse, but it took me a while to (I think) understand what you are doing here. Am I correct that you are basically using this as an inverted router table, and sliding the materiel thru?

RMW

 

[peter halle]

Peter,

Sorry for being so obtuse, but it took me a while to (I think) understand what you are doing here. Am I correct that you are basically using this as an inverted router table, and sliding the materiel thru?

RMW

The material is stationary and I am routing a groove at a set distance from the edge.  You could just use the edge guide, but adding what I did will ensure that the groove will be straight.

Peter

 

[tbellemare]

Does the clamped board need to be so long?

Tom

 

[peter halle]

No.  I just grabbed a piece of scrap maple.

 

[Alan m]

great idea peter.
i am sure you could screw own the rail adapter to the scrap if you wanted to. you could also get a piece of extrusion and put the clamp into the t slot and have no clamps sticking down

 

[peter halle]

Alan,

Thanks.  For those Festool users who have clamps, you could do something similar to this on the wood "fence" or even easier, drill two holes that would allow your clamps to slide in:

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Peter

 

[rmwarren]

Peter,

Sorry for being so obtuse, but it took me a while to (I think) understand what you are doing here. Am I correct that you are basically using this as an inverted router table, and sliding the materiel thru?

RMW

The material is stationary and I am routing a groove at a set distance from the edge.  You could just use the edge guide, but adding what I did will ensure that the groove will be straight.

Peter

Thanks - I had thought the guide rail adapter was clamped to the bench while sitting on the maple.

 

[heiko-rech]

Hi,

I use a second Edge Guide very often. I've built a very comfortable and very cheap one.

Here you can find a view pics:
http://heiko-rech.de/vorrichtungen/fraesen.php?seite=3

And here is a drawing with all measurements:
http://heiko-rech.de/download/pdf/anschlag_of1400.zip

Heiko

 

[jmbfestool]

Peter,

Sorry for being so obtuse, but it took me a while to (I think) understand what you are doing here. Am I correct that you are basically using this as an inverted router table, and sliding the materiel thru?

RMW

The material is stationary and I am routing a groove at a set distance from the edge.  You could just use the edge guide, but adding what I did will ensure that the groove will be straight.

Peter

Thanks - I had thought the guide rail adapter was clamped to the bench while sitting on the maple.

Your not alone when I first looked the images I also thought thats what Peter had done  because of the very long timber used as a guide fence and the two clamps and it would get caught on the bench etc.   Then read what Peter wrote and found it was just a over sized guide fence lol  then noticed your post and thought good I wasnt being stupid lol

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

Peter seen as your packing your work of the bench any way instead of clamping a timber to the guide rail accessory just simply rotate it upside down and you can just use that.   I know you have the large knob facing down but like you said you packed your work piece up any way to give your self clearance it just saves clamping timber and making the router more bulky or just screw a timber on.

I dont see the need to have the second self made guide bigger than the main guide or even if it was smaller like the guide rail accesorry is would affect anything really.

Just saying

JMB

 

[rmwarren]

Peter seen as your packing your work of the bench any way instead of clamping a timber to the guide rail accessory just simply rotate it upside down and you can just use that.   I know you have the large knob facing down but like you said you packed your work piece up any way to give your self clearance it just saves clamping timber and making the router more bulky.

I dont see the need to have the second self made guide bigger than the main guide or even if it was smaller like the guide rail accesorry is would affect anything really.

Just saying

JMB

JMB, you gave me an idea: 2 holes, 2 screws, and 5 minutes later...

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Peter - great idea using the guide rail adapter, I never would have thought of it but I can see it being used a bunch!

RMW

 

[Steve R]

Hmmm Peter.... when did Festool start making DC Hoses with red bands.... [bite tongue] [jawdrop] [poke]

Cheers,
Steve

 

[kfitzsimons]

Heiko-Rech - thanks for the idea and diagrams. Much appreciated.