LR32 drilling / template help

[Holzhacker]

So I went by my dealer yesterday and picked up my new RO90 and a few other things. One of them being an LR32 rail. I'm finally getting around to making bookshelves to go under the windows in the enclosed/heated backporch/plant room. Wife is thrilled, wouldn't be if she knew I dropped 7 bills.
Anyway instead of playing with the RO, I figured I'd get a jump on drilling holes. 7 cabinets. 27" high x 40 long, carcasses are all cut to size and ready to assemble. Just need to drill shelf pin holes.
Here's the problem, it took me forever to drill out the holes for one carcass. I just couldn't figure out a good way to line up the LR on both vertical sides to efficiently and accurately have the holes match up. I'm not getting the alignment solution when one turns the board around. I did a FOG search, the old posts I looked at didn't help me. Should I just end butt the rail and board. Something I didn't do on the first one, don't ask, dumb mistake.
I am currently drilling the holes with my C12 and 5mm centering bit. I have no LR accessories or festool router at this point. Getting a 1010 and LR accessories is going to have to wait a bit. Should I just make a plywood clamping jig or is there an easier solution? What am I missing?
Thanks for the help. Markus

 

[Pdevore]

Markus,
I cannot help you with this, but I did read your signature and wish that ALL builders/contractors understood what you state.

Pete

 

[Guy Ashley]

Markus

You may have already been there but there are a few video demonstrating how the LR32 set up works on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=festool+lr32&aq=0

Follow this link and you find lots, including one by some guy called Brice Burrell, name is sort of familiar [tongue]

 

[peter halle]

Markus,

If I remember from class correctly, first you need to have you cabinet sides sized in an even multiple of 32 mm so that the end spacer will position correctly referenced off both the top and the bottom.  Then it is easy from what we did.

I don't have the set yet - next on the list.

Peter

 

[Brice Burrell]

Markus, it's a system so everything works together very well, but....you do have to follow some rules, like buying all the parts and use it as intended. [tongue]  If I understand what you're doing is trying to use the LR32 rail only with you C12 drill in the holes on the rail.  The problem is getting everything to line up without the stops included in the LR32 set.  Manually lining up the rail is doable, if you like to torture yourself.  It's cool if you're into self inflected pain, you might want to just throw yourself down a flight a stairs to save some time though.... [big grin]  All joking aside, this would be fairly hard to pull off in a efficient manner.  Butting the rail to end of the panel and carefully measuring in from the edge and aligning the splinter guard on each series of hole is what I'd try.  You'll want to measure the offset from the end of the rail to the first hole on both ends, they should be the same but I'd double check that before you begin drilling any more holes. 

 

[Sparktrician]

There are a number of good resources on the web that deal with the 32mm system.  

• http://davelers.com/32mm/Basics/157.html
• http://benchmark.20m.com/tools/Festool/32mm/festool_32mmholes.html
• http://www.festoolusa.com/media/pdf/32mm_system_and_the_festool_hole_guide.pdf
• http://fixmycabinet.com/2009/02/23/what-is-the-32-mm-millimeter-cabinet-system/
• http://www.cabsystems.com/KISSII/KIIrivDe-mail.pdf

If this doesn't answer your questions, just do a search on "32mm system".  Good luck!  

[smile]

 

[Alan m]

if i am right in what i am thinking , you are useing the rail as a template and one of those self cetering bits(like the ones for hindgepilot holes) trend make a special one for this.
the problem i see is
the holes arent circular they are eliptical.
you have no reference to aligne the template with
.
i would buy the stops for the end of the rails from the lr 32 set sepeatly and use those.
if you want it done now , i would put a dowel pin or bolt etc in one of the holes and use it as a reference. all that matters is that you are up the same distance from the bottom(or top) on all 4 sets of holes

 

[Holzhacker]

Ok so I am clearly still a neanderthal. It never even dawned on me to check out YouTube.
I checked out some videos and what you guys have said. I was able to do the next 3 boxes in less time than the 1st. Brice is right about how I am trying to do it. Don't worry Brice with a Japanese dad and German mom, I'm well accustomed to pain. Your LR32 jig video really got the ball rolling for me.
I ended up using the Qwas dogs, clamps and blocks to make everything line up repeatedly.  Real PIA but it worked for now. I also took the splinter guard strip off of the LR rail. I don't plan on using it for cutting anytime really, have 3 other rails. The Festool self-centering bit seems to fit the elongated LR holes pretty darn good. I tried it on scraps first and did a bunch of measuring, holes lined up well.
Thanks for the additional links Sparky, I'll check those out.
Pdevore, I came up with that slogan myself and use it on my reports and website. Builders and realtors really hate to hear that. Tomorrow will have to be RO90 day.
Thanks, Markus

 

[Brice Burrell]

Markus, I'm glad you got it sorted out.  Be sure to post your thoughts on the RO90.  I've had mine for almost a week now and still haven't really put it through its paces. [embarassed]

 

[Sparktrician]

The Festool self-centering bit seems to fit the elongated LR holes pretty darn good. I tried it on scraps first and did a bunch of measuring, holes lined up well.

Markus, I strongly recommend that you NOT hand-drill the holes using the Festool self-centering bit.  It does a good job for its intended purpose, but when you are using the 32mm system, the stability of the shelving supported depends on absolute accuracy of hole placement, and the absolute perpendicularity of the holes relative to the surface drilled.  (I hope that makes sense.)  The only really good way to do the hole-boring is to use either a line-boring machine or use a plunge router such as the OF1400 with a 5mm brad-point bit in concert with the LR32 guide.  I've been using an older P-C plunge router with a line-boring jig from MEG Products (http://megproducts.com/econo-bore32.html) for a number of years, well before I got serious about using Festool goodies.  This combination helps me to stay dead nuts on the money both in hole position as well as in perpendicularity.  The same accurate results can be had using the LR32 system and the OF1400.  Good luck as you learn your way through the 32mm system. 

[smile]

 

[jonny round boy]

The Festool self-centering bit seems to fit the elongated LR holes pretty darn good. I tried it on scraps first and did a bunch of measuring, holes lined up well.

Markus, I strongly recommend that you NOT hand-drill the holes using the Festool self-centering bit.  It does a good job for its intended purpose, but when you are using the 32mm system, the stability of the shelving supported depends on absolute accuracy of hole placement, and the absolute perpendicularity of the holes relative to the surface drilled.  (I hope that makes sense.)  The only really good way to do the hole-boring is to use either a line-boring machine or use a plunge router such as the OF1400 with a 5mm brad-point bit in concert with the LR32 guide.  I've been using an older P-C plunge router with a line-boring jig from MEG Products (http://megproducts.com/econo-bore32.html) for a number of years, well before I got serious about using Festool goodies.  This combination helps me to stay dead nuts on the money both in hole position as well as in perpendicularity.  The same accurate results can be had using the LR32 system and the OF1400.  Good luck as you learn your way through the 32mm system. 

[smile]

Also, you don't want to run the risk of damaging/enlarging the holes with a wandering drill bit, as it will then introduce slop when you do upgrade to the proper LR32 system.