Home made parallel guides?

[rmwarren]

I've been looking for the metric t-slot nuts to fit those tracks but haven't found them yet.  Anyone know which ones they are by chance?

Matt - I have a lifetime supply of M6 nuts, PM your address.

M6 ~12mm by 25mm:

[attachimg=1]

RMW

 

[JimD]

This sort of cut is why I have two track saw setting jigs.  I would use the one for cutting a piece ahead of the track so the track can be on the wide piece of plywood and the cut piece ahead of the track.  Works great.  Simple and cheap to make.  This is also a cut that Festool offers a special setup for.  It also allows you to keep the track on the wide piece of wood. 

My jig has a dado that goes over the rib that guides the saw and a movable block with a pointer and stick on scale.  For this jig, the distance accounts for the saw kerf and sets the track back the distance you want to cut plus the kerf.  The other jig goes the other direction working like your parallel guides.  I could have made two but since I clamp, I just use the same jig on both ends clamping as I go (and double checking the end I do first). 

I cut on narrow pieces of wood sometimes by supporting the track with scrap as has been suggested.  But I can't clamp under those circumstances and I like to clamp so I avoid it.

JimD - that sounds like a real solution. any chance of getting some pictures with explanation for both operations?
Hans

Here's more pictures.  I put a piece of solid oak planned to the thickness of the track to the underside of the jigs so it could lay flat but I think that was unnecessary.  The basic idea is you slip the jig over the rib of the track that guides the saw and you use a movable stop to position the track to make the cut you want.  I have a stick on scale on the jig and a hairline pointer.  So I can just set the stop with the scale and not have to measure.  The jig for making cuts where the piece you want is ahead of the track - the one I would use to cut 1.5 inch pieces off a sheet of plywood - accounts for the width of the blade.  If I change blades, I may have to move the pointer a little.  I only made one of each and move from end to end and clamp the track.  But you could make two and do both ends of the track at once.  But then you have to get them zero'd against each other. 

 

[woodman_412]

I just released a video on how to make and use the parallel guides that I had posted about a couple weeks back on this thread.  They are super quick to make and only cost me a couple of dollars but are very accurate.  Hope you guys find the video helpful.

 

[JimD]

Those look great Woodman.  For those of you with Festools, or Makitas or even Grizzlys that should work great for what I call the workpiece under the track cuts.  Since I have a DeWalt, I don't think they would work for me.  So I index off the guide rib of the track.  But same idea.  If you want to have a similar guide for cutting pieces ahead of the track, then you may need to index off the guide rib of the track too.

 

[demographic]

I just released a video on how to make and use the parallel guides that I had posted about a couple weeks back on this thread.  They are super quick to make and only cost me a couple of dollars but are very accurate.  Hope you guys find the video helpful.

I really like those, how about putting another scale on the underside of the setting jig for the cuts where the guide is on the waste side?  You could just flip the sliding piece over maybe?

Obviously it would need the blade thickness offset but that would avoid confusion about which scale you were using as well.
Mind as the two scale dimensions are knocking on nine inches different it can't be too hard working out thet.

 

[Scorpion]

I just released a video on how to make and use the parallel guides that I had posted about a couple weeks back on this thread.  They are super quick to make and only cost me a couple of dollars but are very accurate.  Hope you guys find the video helpful.

Creatively simple and effective.  I've been making ones like that at fixed length (meaning non-adjustable) to set offsets with my LR32 for some time now.  Never occurred to make them adjustable.  Thanks for the idea!

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

This is brilliant. Having one setting jig for both parallel guides is the real genius as it totally ensures exactly parallel cuts. I have the Festool parallel guides - which are very good but it only takes the calibration on one guide to be slightly out to get cuts that aren't parallel. I also think there's a greater chance of user error setting 2 guides so I always cut a piece of scrap to the required size on an MFT and use this piece to set both the parallel guides to be exactly the same. Your guides setting jig has inspired me to want to make something very similar so I can set my Festool parallel guides to, so I'll never have to bother having to cut a setting block again.

If I didn't already own the Festool parallel guides I would definitely make some like yours. It all looks like a brilliant method to make parallel cuts. Actually, the more I think about it the more I think this may have several advantages over the Festool parallel guide system. No dangling guides every time you move a 3 metre rail is one that immediately springs to mind. No connection to the guide rail makes for quick setting up too as assembly of the guides to the rail is a bit of a nuisance.

Thank you for posting, I love things like this...

 

[edozat1]

Hi all,

First post. Great website!

Love the parallel guides, but I don't understand why you would need three of them. You could just set the setting jig, flip it around to match it with just 1 of the other 2 and use both as parellel guides. Or am I missing something?

Rogier

 

[promark747]

[quote author=edozat1]

Love the parallel guides, but I don't understand why you would need three of them. You could just set the setting jig, flip it around to match it with just 1 of the other 2 and use both as parellel guides. Or am I missing something?

[/quote]

Yes, I was wondering the same thing...reminds me of the technique this guy uses to make sure the Festool guides are exactly the same length.

 

[woodman_412]

Glad you guys found the guides and the video helpful.  Like I said it's a pretty basic setup but it's very accurate and super inexpensive to make.  I still do a lot of my ripping for cabinet parts on my stationary table saw so I don't need anything too elaborate for parallel guides for my track saw.

 

[woodman_412]

I just released a video on how to make and use the parallel guides that I had posted about a couple weeks back on this thread.  They are super quick to make and only cost me a couple of dollars but are very accurate.  Hope you guys find the video helpful.

I really like those, how about putting another scale on the underside of the setting jig for the cuts where the guide is on the waste side?  You could just flip the sliding piece over maybe?

Obviously it would need the blade thickness offset but that would avoid confusion about which scale you were using as well.
Mind as the two scale dimensions are knocking on nine inches different it can't be too hard working out thet.

That's a good idea, there are definitely times when it would be nice to have the guide reference the other side of the blade without having to factor the blade width into the measurement.

Hi all,

First post. Great website!

Love the parallel guides, but I don't understand why you would need three of them. You could just set the setting jig, flip it around to match it with just 1 of the other 2 and use both as parellel guides. Or am I missing something?

Rogier

You're right and to be honest that never crossed my mind.  Since the setting jig has the same projection as the parallel guides there isn't any reason not to use the setting jig as a guide.  I guess if I ever lose one of my parallel guides I'll just use the setting jig in it's place.  Great thought!

 

[Scorpion]

Here's what I ended up doing.  Similar in concept to others that exist.

This ended up being the easiest design for the bottom/groove attachment for me to machine with the tooling I had.

They work great and I have a couple of pairs so I can have multiple setups to switch between.

 

[nclemmons]

Really nice work!  Looks very familiar to my Seneca guides.  Now you need to either powder coat or anodize them.

 

[Scorpion]

Really nice work!  Looks very familiar to my Seneca guides.  Now you need to either powder coat or anodize them.

Thank you.  I wish I had the capability to anodize but the caustic material doesn't need to be in my shop (don't get me wrong, I do want to).  I'll see how well this first set lasts and then if they need added protection , I'll find a local shop.

 

[JimD]

I don't think you need to anodize for protection, I think it would just be a cosmetic benefit.  I think there is one supplier whose similar bracket is plastic.  Aluminum should last essentially forever.

 

[Scorpion]

I don't think you need to anodize for protection, I think it would just be a cosmetic benefit.  I think there is one supplier whose similar bracket is plastic.  Aluminum should last essentially forever.

Agreed.  My domino offset setup is also bare aluminum and I've been using it fairly regularly for a few months now and, other than a few scratches (which I expect since its aluminum), it's perfect.  If I can't stand the finish over time I can refinish the surface with scotchbright and of they really go south, I'll make new ones.

Matt