LR32: Using the LR32 hole drilling stops to set the rail for sawing.

[Ned]

If you have the LR32 hole drilling kit, you have a ready-made
equivalent to John Lucas' rules, at least for some widths.

There are two side stops included in the kit. The stop is also
available separately as SA-LR32 (485758). (I suggest you get the hole
drilling kit.) Normal use of these stops is to locate the
hole-drilling rail with reference to the edge of the work. They clamp
to the top of the rail (old style or /2) and overhang the cutting edge
side of the rail. Pins are clamped to the bar of the side stop and
contact the edge of the work. The stops are removed after the rail is
located and before the line of holes is drilled. The stops are
replaced on the rail to align it for the next row. The stops are
adjusted before the work begins, and maintain their setting as they
are repeatedly removed and replaced on the rail.

The stops can be clamped on to the rail reversed--that is, overhanging
the other side of the rail. Used in exactly the same way as above,
but to set the rail for the saw rather than for the hole-drilling router.

On old-style rails, the minimum width using the stops is ~7in or
~180mm, the maximum is ~15-1/2in or 390mm.

On the currently shipping /2-style rails, the minimum is ~8-1/4in or
~210mm, the max is ~17-1/4in or ~435mm.

The 14mm across-the-flats hex bar (approx 9/16in) on the stop could be
replaced by a longer bar to cut wider pieces. You could probably at
least double the length of the bar, about doubling the capacity,
before the disproportion would cause other problems.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

In addition to what Ned described, you can also easily adapt your side stops for wider repeat cuts (or precise routing or router drilling of holes) by substituting wooden rods for the hexagonal aluminum bars provided with the Side Stop, SA-LR32, Item # 485758.  Dowel rods can be used and will snugly fit into the V-shaped sides of the semi-hexagonal grooves in the black plastic bodies of the stops.  But doing this will mean you will have to recalibrate (zero out) your Side Stops before reusing them with the Festool supplied aluminum rods, part number 442 408.

If you don't have a pair of Festool's Side stops, SA-LR32, Item # 485758, you can use a pair of  Festool's Limit Stops (that are normally used to  provide front and rear stop position on guide rails, FS-FB  Item # 485827) to make a pair of adjustable side stops.  The black plastic bodies of the side stops that come with SA-LR32 Item # 485758 are the same part number as those used for FS-FB Item # 485827.  For each limit stop, a top clamp plate and a short screw and nut is needed to clamp.  This method allows you to create a pair of inexpensive yet precise side stops of extended range whenever needed while leaving undisturbed your previously calibrated Side Stops, SA-LR32.  For a complete Festool setup of the clamping mechanism, seehttp://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/463022_LR32_0102.pdf
and use part numbers 228 566 M 6 DIN 557 (Item 12 in the Drawing) (6mm square nut), 228 612 M 6 x 20 DIN 912  (Item 17 in the Drawing)(6mm screw) and  442 404 (Item 18 in the Drawing) (plate).  Plate 15 in the Drawing can also be used in place of plate 18.  The length of the screw is critical - if it is too long it will project through the nut and interfere with the raised rib on the guide rail, if too short, it won't engage the nut and grip the side extension rod and top plate.

And while you are ordering parts, consider purchasing a pair of the lever action screws and substituting them for part number 438 320 (Item 13 shown in the parts Drawing) for the rail gripping stop in the LR 32 Hole Drilling system.  The knobs 13 are awkward to use when the stop is positioned on the rail.  The lever system is much easier to use and to apply more force to secure the stop on the rail.  The levers are actually an assembly of a lever, a spring, and a specially shaped screw which enables the levers to be repostioned angularly relative to the screw without tightening or loosening the screw.  My PC is not Java enabled, so I cannot access the bowels of Festool's on-line parts catalogue to provide the exact part numbers, but these appear to be the same as the lever/screw assemblies supplied with the adjustable stop for repeat cutoff lengths that is supplied with the MFT.