first use of my FS-PA

[Frank-Jan]

I finally used my FS-PA last week to cut up some 18mm wbp ply boards into fascia.
I started with putting together a sort of cutting table, with stuff I had at hand (I would have taken something lighter if I was to do it again, but these were left from a temporary division wall at a remodeling job)

I put some 6 mm dominos in the ends of the crossmembers, to attach supports for the ends of the FS-PA. (I did the first few cuts without them, allthough the 3000 rail didn't tilt that much, I felt they needed support (and at 22 cm, the rips were a bit narrow))

I think I might overtightened the "squaring nuts" a bit on one of them, because when I was done I couldn't get it off again without loosening the nuts.

In the manual/flyer that came with it, they make it appear you can use a fs-clamp in combination with the fs-pa, but that didn't work (because of the nut at the other end of the green lever on the bottom) (the same nut came off inside the rail when I first attached them to the rail, while the other nuts have the plastic lock stuff on them, these do not; I might put some blue locktite on them); The nut looked like it couldn't be overtightened when I put it back on, because the rod it went onto was only partially threaded, but the levers weren't exactly flush with the jig anymore:

Next use for them will be cutting the soffits (i'm not sure if this is the correct term, but I mean the "ceiling" of the roof overhang), which might pose another problem, because the boards used for that are thinner than the fs-pa's profile.

 

[nickao]

Does this thing look like a PITA to use or am I missing something?

 

[Mike_Chrest]

I don't know Nick, looks like it would be really fast to cut those strips once you have it set up.

Looks like Frank-Jan came up with a creative solution to balancing the arms of the FS-PA.

That's the trade off. I have been clamping story poles to each end of sheet stock when I cut up big panels. It is faster than measuring but looks slower than this.

Frank- Jan,

Nice review.   

the "ceiling" of the roof overhang

Yup, sounds like a soffit to me.

Is it difficult to reach around the FS-PA when cutting the material?

 

[Frank-Jan]

Nick, no like Mike set, once it's set up, it works nicely.
The setting it up by the manual part was the pain. I tried following the steps, but it turned out, the scales were dead on out of the box. So I didn't need to go through the zeroing part. The "manual" also showed something with a railclamp, but I couldn't figure out what they meant. (I'll try borrowing a scan Mettes posted :

At first I went to the middle of the rail to get the rail of the ofcut, but I set it up with a bit too little play, and due to the rail bending it would sometimes clamp the piece; so from then on I just lifted one end first.

I really like the cutting table thing, I should have taken the effort of making one a lot sooner; I usually just use whatever's at hand, and just a few pieces of scrap across, what sometimes enables boards to sag. I am going to make a few modifications; making the mortices in the crossmembers a bit shallower, by inserting pieces of a cut domino in first, then I can make the mortices in the "supports" all the way through, so they are less likely to come off easily. (those mortices are made on the wider setting, for easy assembly); I'll also make extra mortices for keeping the Fs-Pa level when cutting boards that are thinner; and I'll screw a few straps on one of the long parts, so the whole thing can be easily transported when dissassembled.

BTW, at first I tried to make the cuts for the half-lap joints on the kapex, but the depth setting couldn't be adjusted high enough, so I did them on the CS70, and allthough it's a bit harder to sight the line, it works a lot nicer than the kapex for those sort of cuts (the blade stays at exactly the same height, and you don't need to put something in between as an auxiliary fence).
Another thing I noticed is, that the sidecover, which I ordered together with the new rail and the fs-pa, REALLY improves dustcollection.

Mike, as for reaching around, I don't remember it being hard, but I do have fairly long arms, and allthough I don't really remember, but I think I started the cut standing in between them already.

 

[richard.selwyn]

I've been using the FS-PA thingies a lot lately and just bought the narrow stock attachments which I haven't tried yet.  Just a thought for any one else using them - I always cut on a piece of sacrificial insulation board - I have several pieces in use at any one time and position them so that they will support the PA arms wherever they end up.  This can cause a bit of a stretch sometimes when cutting very big sheets - MDF seems to come in bigger and bigger sheets here (not really I think I'm just getting old - I can barely drag a 16mm sheet on my own and 22mm sheets are a nightmare.

 

[Frank-Jan]

Richard, I deliberately didn't order those things because I really like the parallel guide that attaches to the saw itself (and the fact that it stores easily in the systainer, and you don't need to move it to get to the ts55).
But when I first attached the jigs to the 3m rail, I thought they would be usefull after all, to balance out the slight tilt so the fs-pa things wouldn't need extra support, then again, the added weight might cause the rail to bend a bit, and not lie down nicely. (For me, the support strips turned out to work fine)

Please let us know how you like the things when you get a chance to use them.

Almost forgot to ask: How did you adjust the setscrews near the green turn knob? I just tightened them both untill the little nut they go through didn't appear to be loose anymore, but when I then tried to remove the jig, I had to unscrew them to be able to get it off of the rail.

 

[fshanno]

How thin can you rip with just the FS-PA?  It looks like the stops will slide under the guide. 

If you have the VL part can you just leave it on all the time?  Would it help counter balance the other end?

 

[Frank-Jan]

I can't go and check right now, because the things are in my van, that is in for repair. (We're renovating our mechanic's roof, so my tools are already at the jobsite ) But if you look at the pictures in this thread you'll see that the numbers on the scale go to about 9 cm, and the groove in  the side runs all along the profile. So I guess it's only limited by practicality (supporting the guiderail)

 

[richard.selwyn]

I adjusted the nuts by trial an error - the things slide but only just.  I cut some strips as a test with the thin stock add ons (cut strip, break in half, compare two halves) I calibrated them first using a guage pushed up against the blade.  I'm not in the shop now so can't remember how thin you can cut but I think my test strip was 10mm.  I haven't used them for a job yet - I've been fitting a floor this week.

PS  Just used them this afternoon to cut a piece of melamine for a client.  He was standing over me and seemed impressed.  When I tested with a caliper the piece was 0.5mm wider at one end, which on inspection was down to the alignment of the one stop - not much you can do about that I guess. (Although maybe if I could add a magnifier like on some table saws...)

 

[jakiiski]

the piece was 0.5mm wider at one end, which on inspection was down to the alignment of the one stop - not much you can do about that I guess. (Although maybe if I could add a magnifier like on some table saws...)

No magnifier, but rather take one measurement and then copy it to a story stick and use that instead for setting the 2nd as well. Then it will be exactly the same.

 

[richard.selwyn]

the piece was 0.5mm wider at one end, which on inspection was down to the alignment of the one stop - not much you can do about that I guess. (Although maybe if I could add a magnifier like on some table saws...)

No magnifier, but rather take one measurement and then copy it to a story stick and use that instead for setting the 2nd as well. Then it will be exactly the same.

So you suggest cutting a story stick to length?  That might be OK if cutting lots of pieces to the same length, but a bit of a bore for a one off cut.  The whole appeal to me of the guides was as a time saver.  I like the idea tho'.  When I've got lots of standard size strips to cut off big sheets of MDF I could create a stock of standard story sticks I suppose.

 

[jakiiski]

Something like this is very, very quick for one-offs, too:

Lee Valley Ruler stophttp://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=53825&cat=1,43513

 

[Dixon Peer]

I haven't read through the whole thread, so may be missing some good uses for this new expensive gizmo from Festool.  It seems that it is trying to do the job one would normally use a table saw for, and most carpenters doing trim work now have small, portable table saws on the job.  It seems if you want repeatability in rips or crosscuts, the table saw is much easier; set the fence to the desired size of cut and away you go.  With this tool from Festool, you have to adjust the stops for every cut as your stock changes size.

 

[butzla]

Good solution to supporting the brackets!  Curious though,  are you cutting 8' long sheet with a 2700 rail?  Just wondering if this is another reason to get the 3000 rail.  Especially with a TS-75 saw

 

[Frank-Jan]

Most sheets here are 250 cm, and I use the 300cm rail, I had to buy another one of those, because the one I already had was of the older type. I would have preferred a rail that was a bit longer, because I sometimes use 3m sheets of mdf. But the only rail that's longer is the 5m one, and it's priced disproportianately high.

 

[russ_1380]

I bought this guide rail system and sent it right back!

I found it really fiddly, it certainly wasn't for me.  The most annoying thing I found with it, was that you need to raise your workpiece off the bench, in order to allow the guide system to sit flush on your piece. 

Sorry for highjacking this thread, but I would strongly recommend against this Festool piece to anyone.  Shame really as I adore my other Festool tools.