Idea for ripping narrow-stock

[jmbfestool]

As long as these other methods of adjusting the jig up do NOT require another tool like an allen key or screw driver to adjust I hate tools where you need to get a tool to use the tool. Unless you some how have it so the tool is attached to the tool than I think its acceptable.   Want it to be easy altered and quickly.  This is a kinda tool I would like to use on site and the less you need to carry and have the better. Thats why I dont like the Festool Parallel guide.  Its something else you need to carry.

Atleast with this tool you can have it stored inside your TS55/75 systainer and if you have longer bars you can have them in your Guide rail bag so your not carrying any more stuff.

JMB

 

[lumbajac]

Taking into consideration Scott Rollins' wedge idea and JMB's desire for not having to deal with screwdrivers or allen wrenches - could you have a wedge on  each side of the flat stock piece (that lies below the FS guide rail)?  Could this wedge system be able to slide along the flat stock for adjustability and then be affixed to the side by a lever action screw that tightens down onto the piece of flat stock, thus securing the system in place?  Pushing the wedge forward would drive its front leading edge below the FS guide rail thus adjusting the height of the guide rail to match the height of the stock being cut while at the same time supporting the outside edge of the guide rail.  I think this would be sufficient support for when the saw rides over the rail.  Better yet, have the two wedges on each side of the flat stock be attached to one another from below by a piece of thin flat stock as well - this would help keep all stable and provide a nice and large flat surface to support the whole works. 

Hope this makes sense without sketches.

Corey

 

[RONWEN]

All good ideas, when I get back in the shop I am going to play with an eccentric mounted to the side of the jig. Probably a circle with a center hole drilled off-center or possibly a rectangle that, of course, would allow 4 settings.

That is along the line of what I'm also thinking.

 

[jmbfestool]

Taking into consideration Scott Rollins' wedge idea and JMB's desire for not having to deal with screwdrivers or allen wrenches - could you have a wedge on  each side of the flat stock piece (that lies below the FS guide rail)?  Could this wedge system be able to slide along the flat stock for adjustability and then be affixed to the side by a lever action screw that tightens down onto the piece of flat stock, thus securing the system in place?  Pushing the wedge forward would drive its front leading edge below the FS guide rail thus adjusting the height of the guide rail to match the height of the stock being cut while at the same time supporting the outside edge of the guide rail.  I think this would be sufficient support for when the saw rides over the rail.  Better yet, have the two wedges on each side of the flat stock be attached to one another from below by a piece of thin flat stock as well - this would help keep all stable and provide a nice and large flat surface to support the whole works. 

Hope this makes sense without sketches.

Corey

Sketch please

 

[Scott Rollins]

I use a wedge with stairtread tape on my planer sled kept in place finger tight with a drywall screw-not my idea I got the idea from finewoodworking article.  It has never moved under the planer loads.

 

[John2532]

I finally had a chance to play in the shop and work on what I thought was a good idea for height adjustment. Instead of using an eccentric, I was planning to use a drilled cube that slid over a side-mounted rod. Here is a simplified rough sketch.

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Since there could be 1 - 5 holes spaced differently on each side and having three sides to work with, there would have been plenty of spacing/height possibilities.

One of my concerns was about the stress on the rail where the jig mounted, it turned out that that wasn't a problem. A problem that did occur was that the rail flexed undesirably across it's width without support from underneath. Not a big problem, it just means the the height adjustment will have to be mounted on the bottom slider. I have a few ideas and will post them as they are proved successful or not.

When I first thought of this idea, my plan was to just use strips of the appropriate thickness material under the rail for support. While it seems low-tech, it might just prove to be the most foolproof.

John

 

[jmbfestool]

I like the idea nice!!!  Not thought of that!      One thing though!  This jig will only do narrow stock if I just wanted to cut wide stock so the guide would just sit flat on the material the rulers/Bar would keeping the rail lifted by the thickness or the ruler/bar.  If you did the bar flush then it would not go under the rail for narrow stock.    You need it so you can have it go under the rail and flush with the rail.

JMB

 

[RONWEN]

John. why did you move away from the "cam" mounted on an eccentric?  The drilled cube on a dowel in the slot is going to require a considerable amount more machining.  Although thinking about it, infinite adjustment isn't required because there are just a few (3-4) material thicknesses that have to be accommodated.

 

[John2532]

John. why did you move away from the "cam" mounted on an eccentric?  The drilled cube on a dowel in the slot is going to require a considerable amount more machining.  Although thinking about it, infinite adjustment isn't required because there are just a few (3-4) material thicknesses that have to be accommodated.

Ron,

I think using a cam had some merit, I liked the possibility of infinite adjustment. I was tossing different ideas around on how to lock the cam in place, a simple thumbscrew could have worked. I was also thinking of a ball-plunger that fit into detents on the cam. It would  have been easy to adjust but may have had the potential to slip.

I started leaning towards using a square or rectangle plate, mainly because it could offer tool-free changes and have a larger footprint. Then it then dawned on me that a cube would allow 2 additional surfaces to place different offset holes. Another plus was that it would be easy to make additional spacer blocks out of a 1" piece of MDF for the occasional odd job.

I think it would have worked well if the rail would have cooperated. All part of the fun, right?

 

[John2532]

I like the idea nice!!!  Not thought of that!      One thing though!  This jig will only do narrow stock if I just wanted to cut wide stock so the guide would just sit flat on the material the rulers/Bar would keeping the rail lifted by the thickness or the ruler/bar.  If you did the bar flush then it would not go under the rail for narrow stock.    You need it so you can have it go under the rail and flush with the rail.

JMB

JMB,

This was just a quick and dirty drawing. It will still need a spacer to get the slider under the Festool rail and will look something like this:

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John

 

[richard.selwyn]

JMB
I'm totally blown away by your 3 d renderings -.I just did my first pitiful drawing in sketch up for a client last week.  But at the risk of everyone jumping on me, what's wrong with the narrow stock attachment for the parallel guides - I use it regularly and have even cut 3mm strips with it?
Is it just price or is it that I am missing something? Please don't come down on me like a ton of bricks if I've totally missed the point - I'm an Englishman trying to earn a living as a wood butcher in France and I haven't done much for the last couple of weeks (other than put a compressor in a systainer) as my xxxxx elbow is killing me.
Richard

 

[jmbfestool]

Price is not my reason as price is not really something I think about

My reasons are

1. you can not use them on the bench as they have a large curve under the rail

2. They are large and require a second trip which means 2 trips to and from job.

With this jig you can have it stored with you TS saw and if you have large bars you can have them with your guide rails which you will be carrying with you any way.

JMB

 

[richard.selwyn]

Thanks JMB that makes sense
Richard

 

[John2532]

I've finally decided how to mount the support spacers under the jig. The keyhole slots will accept #8 wood screws which can be screwed into the appropriate sized support spacer.  I tried out a demo version and it seemed to work great. The screws can be adjusted to a slight friction fit which will make for tool-free changes and any thickness spacer can be easily made out of scraps. If the screws are offset on the length of the spacer, the spacer can be end-for-ended and 2 effective lengths can be utilized under the rail.

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John

 

[AdamM]

Very clever and simple solution.  I like it.

 

[RONWEN]

A good idea however I've always thought the solution should allow for completely incremental widths for cutting the narrow stock.  Still, it's a very creative idea.

 

[John2532]

A good idea however I've always thought the solution should allow for completely incremental widths for cutting the narrow stock.  Still, it's a very creative idea.

Ron,

The jig will still have a slider that adjusts the width of cut. The spacer that mounts in the keyholes will be used only to support the left side of the Festool rail. The spacer will not be needed when working with 6mm material as that is the thickness of the slider. For thicker material a spacer will be used.

I liked mounting the spacer under the jig rather than the slider as there is no math involved determining the height of the spacer. If I'm working with 18mm stock, I need a 18mm spacer which will be easily found in the scrap box. Once spacers are made for common materials they can be stored in the systainer. Actually, if the spacer cross-section is a rectangle, 12mm x 18mm comes to mind, screws could be placed on adjoining sides and that one spacer should cover the most common situations.

 

[RONWEN]

John,
I get it.  I mistook "the spacer can be end-for-ended and 2 effective lengths can be utilized under the rail" to be what determines the width of the work piece.

 

[josephgewing]

Ron-

I got my domiplate today and managed to find out what additional items I will need to use it but I could not find any pictures and or instructions about how to use it.  Will you please email that information to me ?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[fshanno]

What a great thread!  How about a gizmo that uses the workpiece itself to set the depth?  Something can you set on top, slide down a foot and lock it.