Guiderail Question

[KevinW]

I want to get a guiderail that I can use to rip sheets of plywood.  Such sheets are typically 8 feet or 96 inches.  Festool sells the 2400 which is 95 inches or the 2700 which 106 inches.  I am a little surprised they don't have one that is 98 inches, but given these choices I was thinking I should get the 2400 since I will likely want to put a clean edge on the two short ends and will get it under 95 inches.  I have the guide which comes with the TS 55.

I am not enthusiatic about having to spend $225 for a guide, so if I can avoid spending $245 that would be nice. 

Also, is there any problem shipping these things?  I live in NJ so I could find a dealer but I would have to pay sales tax.

Thanks

 

[Per Swenson]

Hi Kevin,

And Welcome.

I know how you feel about sales tax, see I live in NJ also.

So does Bob Marino.

You want the 106 Gude rail so your saw has a on and off ramp.

Or you could just buy another 55 guide rail and link them together.

My 106 doesn't leave the shop, but I take a pair of 55's and a 32 everywhere,

and just about everyday.

 

[johne]

A 98 inch rail wouldn't do you much good on a 96inch piece of plywood since you need overlap to start and finish the cut.
What you could do is to get 2 1400 rails (55 inch) and join em together. this would cost about $ 180 and some for the connectors
then once you cut the long plywood you can disassemble em and have a more manageable size rail to work with

 

[joraft]

Also, is there any problem shipping these things?  I live in NJ so I could find a dealer but I would have to pay sales tax.

Kevin, the longer rails ship in a box made of wood and hardboard. But even those boxes are a little fragile, so if it looks like it's been damaged at all open it and check the rail carefully before accepting it.

I have the 3000 for using with my TS 75, and it's perfect for ripping 8' panels (I work only in a shop). For the TS 55 you'll want the 2700, or if you travel, a couple of 1400s would be better. Like Per said, for good cuts you want room for the base of the saw both before and after the cut.

John

 

[Ned]

Welcome aboard, Kevin.

A single rail's ideal, but some find it hard to store.  Per's right, the 2700 would be the one with your TS55.

Have a look at this thread before you decide:

Never buy the same size rail.

Ned

 

[KevinW]

Thanks for all your thoughtful replies.

I really don't want to get into the assembaly game with 2 short rails. I was hoping I could get away with the 2400 by doing some pretrim but it sounds like the best choice is the 2700.  The 55 is a great saw, but the guards are a bit pricy and I am not sure how often I would need to trim an entire panel.  This just a hobby for me as I am building some book cases and cabnits for my home - as such I don't have to travel.

 

[Woodenfish]

I own two rails, the 1400 that came with the TS 55 saw and a 1900. The two rails connected together handle my 8 foot rips while the 1400 takes on my crosscuts. I like the 1900 though for cutting those 60 inch Baltic Birch panels, couldn't do it as easy without it. I thought about getting the 2700 to not have the hassle of connecting rails but the more I use the saw I think I'll continue to take a pass and put the savings toward a MFT/3 that has a shorter rail yet. Connecting rails is not that big a hassle with practice. That shorter rail would have a lot more use than the longer one in my usage.

 

[KevinW]

For me, I am not sure that the 1900 by itself would have much use.  I think I am probably better off spending the extra $90 to get something that can rip 8 feet without having to connect two rails. 

Would the 2700 be to big for anything which the 1400 was too small for?

 

[Woodenfish]

Yes, 5 foot sheets of Baltic Birch LOL!

 

[Per Swenson]

Kevin,

It is really no hassle whatsoever to connect guide rails.

Here is a picture of 30 foot of guide rail connected.[attachimg=#]

I'm not pullin yer leg when I say I take em apart daily.

Per

 

[danrush]

Hey Per,

I've only run about 12' or so of rail.  Did you have any problems with deflection in the middle of the run? 

Dan

 

[Per Swenson]

Nope, Dan, no deflection.

See what happened was I had glued up 5 foot sections of mahogany

strip, to finish up the back bar before the drink rail attachment,

then neglected to finish it for a week or so.

The perfectly straight line we  had hoped for became

a very subtle wavy one.

Hooked those rails together, straight bit in the router, 5 minutes back to

super straight.  In essence what you see is mistake fixin.

Per

 

[joraft]

I think I am probably better off spending the extra $90 to get something that can rip 8 feet without having to connect two rails. 

That's what I'd do. And like with most Festool products, the pleasure of using it is sure to last long after you've forgotten the price.

John

 

[KevinW]

Per,

That is pretty impressive.  Looks like you are doing some very high end work there.  I represent some builders who do work at that level.  Amazing what the ultra rich can afford.

How do you get two sections straight and true?  Do you need a long straight edge or something else to check them against?  Oviously you have no choice but to put sections together.  You think its worth saving the money to get a shorter section.

Kevin

 

[semenza]

Hi KevinW , Welcome to the forum

The long rails are nice. I have the 55" , 75", and 118".
    You can reliably join two rails for the long cuts. But having the 118" rail will save you a bunch of time. If you use two joined rails you will either have to make all long or short cuts first, thus handling the material twice. Or keep joining and seperating the rails to switch between cut lengths. Unless you have three short rails, but then you might as well get one long and one short.  The 55" rail is long enough for a 48" cut, just. I like using the 75" for crosscutting plywood because it is easier with a little extra at each end. The 106" will do 8' cuts but the 118" gives a little extra there also.

    Like others have said, if you go with two short- get the 75" . Much more versatile that way.

      Here is another good thread on this http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=2643.0

Seth