Homemade guide rail connectors (not your typical ones)

[Mixxedupmedia]

Great ideas! I just joined the site ...should have done this before buying the stock connectors.

 

[mwest]

In the original picture/posting, there are some 80/20 brackets hanging on the side of the MFT side rails. Are these modified to hang on the Festool MFT "extrusion"? I want to hang some small boxes for clamps and dawgs, etc. Any recommendations?

 

[brentasmith]

I noticed Festool is extremely quiet on this thread...

I needed to join two rails and checked out connectors. Wow! $32 for a pair of metal bars with holes in them. You’ve got to be kidding. Profit margin must be over 90% on that thing .

I stopped by the hardware store to pick up a piece of metal about 12x6 mm. They didn’t carry that, but instead (as it turned out later fortunately) had one 12.7x3.2mm. I then realized I could do better than the stock part.

I often read complaints that joined rails don’t stay aligned together. Festool warns not to over tighten the screws, in fact, boasts flat heads to prevent just that. And the connectors are about only Festool item that has bad reviews on Amazon. No wonder they can’t be secured well; steel screws dig into soft aluminum rail.

My solution is to make the connector consisting of two thinner 3.2 mm parts (see picture). The top one has threaded holes with Allen screws (M6, 6mm long). The bottom one has non through (1/3 deep) cone shaped holes that align with the screws. These holes help to fully engage the threads and prevent lateral sliding of two parts. As you tighten the screws the two pieces are pushed apart and firmly press against inside of the slot distributing pressure over large area. You can tighten them very well.

While fitting the connectors I discovered that two t-slots of the guide rail have different width by about 0.3 mm and had to file the bars a bit :-(.

I tested the setup. After joining two rails I moved, rotated, flipped, lifted by one end, and kicked them around. Checked again with a straight edge – perfect.

P.S. Festool, if you like the idea e-mail me a thank you card attached to a banknote or a green tool of your choice   [poke]

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[Cheese]

I noticed Festool is extremely quiet on this thread...

And FWIW...I don’t think Festool will weigh in on this one. From a corporate standpoint, they have way bigger fish to fry (from a class action suit perspective) with the Kapex self immolation issues.
There was a great thread about manufacturing your own connectors by another FOG member Malte. I can’t remember his web name... [crying]

 

[peter halle]

Festool doesn't comment on many threads anymore.  I suspect that a thread that started 6 years ago and is about an accessory won't be noticed or rise to the top of the list.

Just my 2 cents.

Peter

 

[oberlin1]

Finally finished my set...no one will mistake me for a machinist but they work and they seem to stow okay in my shorter rail.  [wink]

 

[cubevandude]

https://www.mcmaster.com
Low carbon steel 4mm x 12mm x 3'  6775T43  $5.84
Low Carbon steel 2mm x 12mm x 3'  6775T23 $4.69

BTW, I used 10x32 1/4 setscrews and they work great.

Thanks for sharing this info.  I ordered 4pc @12" of each of the 4mm and 2mm and made 4 sets of connectors.  I also got a bag of 100 - 10-32 X 1/4" setscrews off ebay from Hong Kong.https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-32-x-1-...rew-100-Pcs-/391548169756?hash=item5b2a16ee1c

I put one setscrew in the middle of each, in from the back, so the head is flush to hold them together.  They work great and I was able to make 4 for the price of 1 Makita connector.  I'll post pictures when I get a chance.

 

[cubevandude]

Here are the pics.  My dollar store screwdriver (Felo Smart Clone).  I sanded some of the mill scale off with 220 grit sandpaper which made them nice and smooth.
Once I cut the ends of the Makita tracks square, things should line up really nice.

Update: Got around to cutting the ends of the Makita rails square.  The 55" rails weren't bad, but the 75" rail was really bad on both ends. 

 

[BarrySumpter]

DIY Festool Rail Connectors
18” = 457mm
3’ = 914mm

My Festool Battery Tracks Saw Systainer - 390mm wide
10-32 X 1/4" setscrews

In Melbourne, Victoria  Australia
George Archer Metals
4 * 500mm x 3mm x 12mm
1 * 4m length - Grade 316 - $9AU +$15 Couriers Plus Delivery +GST
Less than $30AU delivered
For 8 sets of two bars

Might make two at 390mm to fit systainer

 

[TSO_Products]

for those on this FOG thread who would rather do woodworking than make their own Guide Rail Connector you might consider this:https://tsoproducts.com/accessories/grc-12-self-aligning-guide-rail-connectors/

Nothing home made about this one. TSO has done the homework for you, including custom enngineered "set screws" that don't ding your guide rails [wink]

Read the reviews

Hans

 

[Bob D.]

for those on this FOG thread who would rather do woodworking than make their own Guide Rail Connector you might consider this:https://tsoproducts.com/accessories/grc-12-self-aligning-guide-rail-connectors/

Nothing home made about this one. TSO has done the homework for you, including custom enngineered "set screws" that don't ding your guide rails [wink]

Read the reviews

Hans

It's tough to beat the TSO guide rail connectors.

When I bought my TSC55 and rails I also bought the FT guide rail connectors, they work and at the time might have been the best solution out there but they are not the best today.

I also tried many of the other fixes that others came up with and told us about on the FOG. I bought a set of the Bosch connectors, didn't like them. I bought the parts for and made the DIY connectors. The finished product was fine but still not what I was looking for.

When TSO came out with their guide rail connectors I decided to take one more chance and bought a pair. I am so glad I did because none of the others come close. I only wish they had been around when I bought my rails, I could have saved myself a lot of aggravation and money.

 

[cubevandude]

for those on this FOG thread who would rather do woodworking than make their own Guide Rail Connector you might

Hans

Those are really nice!  At one time a man who worked as carpenter made almost everything he needed.  Nothing can beat a creative mind.

 

[Lydiahanke]

Just got the materials together for making me a set of rail connectors.

Quick question about he Drill/tapping.

Can I use a 4mm drill bit (have at home) for the m4 metric screws or do I need to use the correct 3,3mm (don't have at home) drill bit?

Is it a question of does/doesn't work or just a better/worse fitt?

 

[TSO_Products]

[member=75891]Lydiahanke[/member] - you would want to use a "Tap Drill" size to fit what thread size you will be using.

M4.0 x 0.70 tap
3.30mm Tap Drill

If you didn't see my earlier post, consider this:
https://tsoproducts.com/accessories/grc-12-self-aligning-guide-rail-connectors/

read the reviews and look closely at the different shpae of the Connector as well as the special screws . . . [wink]

Hans