LR32 Work Bench Ideas

[weeman5790]

Hello.

I'm not sure if this has been discussed before so apologies in advance if it has been.

I recently bought the LR32 system and I find the whole setup process and clamping each gable/board down very time time consuming ao I am considering designing my own permanent work bench dedicated to the LR32 system. I was thinking of using it similar to the MFT3 bench where I would attach a 2.4m LR rail to a 2.4m bench and that way I can slide gables underneath and the router them out quickly and on to the next one.

Has anyone made anything like this before? Looking for some inspiration or any photos of your set up as I've only used it a few times this last couple of weeks and I am looking to make the most out of it.

 

[savsuds]

I would advise this thread as a place to start.
LR32 thread

I opted for the Scmitt32.

If you happen to have maybe 2+ extra guide rail dogs laying around, you could very well make your desired jig with some careful layout.

I used 2 guide rail dogs on my MFT and placed the rail lengthwise. I placed small off cuts near the dog holes to support the track. I had both stops set close to the edges of the top, so I could slide a panel to that end. I used the LR32 guides and a TSO stop to make sure following panels would be spaced the same. I did the 58mm row of holes, then set it all up to do the 282mm row of holes for my SYS-AZ cabinets. I used a Metric T-square from WoodPeckers to draw the 282mm row. I aligned the guides off the back end of the panel to use the LR32 guides, before locking down my TSO Stops again.

Sorry I did not take pictures.

 

[weeman5790]

Something like this is what I'm thinking.

 

[DynaGlide]

Something like this is what I'm thinking.

[member=69183]weeman5790[/member] https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/home-improvement-other-projects/home-office-remodel/msg612293/#msg612293

I built a vac sys cart and I use vacuum guide rail clamps. It's the fastest setup for the lr32 possible.

 

[weeman5790]

Nice idea, thanks.

 

[afish]

I like my LR32 system but it does have some issues.  First I hate those setback bars or whatever they are called.  They are a pain putting on/off all the time.  So I came up with a different method.  I have a 4x8 mft style bench I made with the parf guide system.  Then I made a a couple adjustable plywood stops (very similar to the TSO TDS-10) Now I just use the Festool setback bars to set set the first row and use a set of tall bench dogs to bump the LR32 rail upto and set the plywood stops to the side of the cabinet gable. Now you can batch them out twice as fast. Most of my stuff is custom depth so the adjustable plywood stops allows any width. 

 

[waho6o9]

I like my LR32 system but it does have some issues.  First I hate those setback bars or whatever they are called.  They are a pain putting on/off all the time.  So I came up with a different method.  I have a 4x8 mft style bench I made with the parf guide system.  Then I made a a couple adjustable plywood stops (very similar to the TSO TDS-10) Now I just use the Festool setback bars to set set the first row and use a set of tall bench dogs to bump the LR32 rail upto and set the plywood stops to the side of the cabinet gable. Now you can batch them out twice as fast. Most of my stuff is custom depth so the adjustable plywood stops allows any width.

Pictures please and welcome to the FOG

 

[Jeff Zanin]

I am darned if I can find it now but I think I have seen a video by Brice Burrell where he created a jig with a rail and some stops that allowed sliding the work in and out of it for repetitive operations.  If somebody can find it this might suggest something to the OP.

 

[waho6o9]

From Bruce Burrell ^

This one Jeff Zanin?

 

[sancho57]

Something like this is what I'm thinking.

[member=69183]weeman5790[/member] https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/home-improvement-other-projects/home-office-remodel/msg612293/#msg612293

I built a vac sys cart and I use vacuum guide rail clamps. It's the fastest setup for the lr32 possible.

+1

[member=69183]weeman5790[/member]

this will make your LR32 life easier
https://www.festoolproducts.com/fes...amp-and-fixed-jaws-for-guide-rail-system.html

 

[afish]

I like my LR32 system but it does have some issues.  First I hate those setback bars or whatever they are called.  They are a pain putting on/off all the time.  So I came up with a different method.  I have a 4x8 mft style bench I made with the parf guide system.  Then I made a a couple adjustable plywood stops (very similar to the TSO TDS-10) Now I just use the Festool setback bars to set set the first row and use a set of tall bench dogs to bump the LR32 rail upto and set the plywood stops to the side of the cabinet gable. Now you can batch them out twice as fast. Most of my stuff is custom depth so the adjustable plywood stops allows any width.

Pictures please and welcome to the FOG

Thanks, unfortunately I tried posting pics before but I couldn't get it to work for some reason. Im also neck deep in other unrelated projects so it will be awhile before I could get some pics and the bench is buried at this point. I will try to explain better.

1. First use the Festool setback bars as usual to get your LR32 rail onto your gable panel in the correct location (Dont clamp the rail to the work piece) and dont remove the bars yet.
2. Position the the workpiece and rail onto the mft or mft style workbench in a comfortable position for routing the holes. Typically you will be standing facing the long edge of the table and long edge of the gable panel with the rubber edge of the rail closest to you.
3. You will then insert a TALL (the bench dogs need to be taller than the gable since the rail will be butting up to them) bench dog in the closest 20mm holes on the left and right side of the gable and to the BACK side of the LR32 rail which typically would be the short sides or the top and bottom of the gable.  It wont matter if there is some play side to side but you dont want to leave extra empty holes. 
4. now carfully slide the gable and LR32 rail so the ends of the rail that over hang the panel touch the tall bench dogs being careful not to bump the rail off the correct setback.  Your Festool setback rods should still be on.
5. Now you just need to put some type of stops (you need two near the rear corners of the gable) against the back edge of the gable.  I made a plywood version of the TSO TDS-10 but used the parf anchor dogs so I could simply route a slot instead of mortising out for the top of the dog and bought some cheap 8mm knobs from amazon.  You could even use scraps of wood and just some clamps that fit in the 20mm holes.  You just need a way to create a stop for the gable panel so it cant move back or away from you. 
6. so at this point you should have your gable panel with 2 stops along the back edge that prevent the panel from being moved back but the gable panel still has some movement left to right between the tall bench dogs but that doesnt matter since the Festool end stops in the LR32 rail will lock that in place and the hard edge (non rubber edge) of the LR32 rail should be touching the tall bench dogs where the LR32 rail overhangs the gable on the left and right. 
7. now you can remove the setback rails and route the holes.  Note that there is nothing preventing the Gable or rail from sliding toward you the stops for both the gable and rail only prevent rearward movement.  So I just apply slight pressure back as I move the router along the rail.  I have never had any problems with either moving between the rearward pressure and the anti slip rubber on the rails keeps everything in place.  You can throw a clamp on the gable through a 20mm hole of your choosing for a little extra insurance but I dont even bother with that anymore. 
8.  The only slop you need to watch for is the left to right movement since everything can still slide left to right (but remember the end stops lock the rail to the panel.  If you route left to right then make sure you start with the gable touching the tall dog on the right.

I know it sounds harder than it is it only takes 30 seconds once you have the system down.  The best part is you can batch out all gables that have the same depth without using the setback rails and there is no complicated setup and the gable panels can be swapped out in seconds. A pic would be much better and I will try but it will be awhile before I can do it since my bench is buried at the moment. 

 

[afish]

OK, so I did a quick sketch up drawing showing what I was talking about, since a pic wasnt an option at this time.  The benefit of this way is nothing is locked in its easy to adjust the setback of the 5mm holes using the festool setback rails on the first panel to adjust the tall dogs and the adjustable stops after that its super easy to batch all panels.  The LR32 rail is held in place left to right on the panel using the end stops (not shown) As mentioned earlier you can add a quick clamp to hold the gable and some parf dog rail clips if you are unsure at first but I dont use any of those anymore and never had any issues of movement.  Its simple works well and since I already had the MFT bench it was cheap.  I dont think there is a faster way. 

 

[Jeff Zanin]

From Bruce Burrell ^

This one Jeff Zanin?

I was thinking of a different one, done at what looked like a Festool training site.  It was a bit longer and easier to see what he was doing.  But the same basic idea. 

Here it is:

I described something similar here.

 

[savsuds]

I started adding a row of 20 mm dog holes spaced 32 mm apart at each end of my 4'x8' MFT (I have 60+ mm spacing from the edges of the top due to the 4080 extrusions acting as the top's framework). I have plenty of guide rail dogs to play around with the idea. I would need a 5 mm spacer to make the first row 37 mm off the front.

EDIT: Added two rows of 32mm spaced dog holes in the middle so I can use my 1400mm LR32 rail. When I receive the 7mmx7mm flat bars I will update again.

 

[blaszcsj]

I use my parallel guides for the lr 32. I find taking the bars off really annoying.

[attachimg=1]

 

[Stan Tillinghast]

OK, StanB, this is StanT. I was just looking at that drawing, had just gone to the TSO site and looked at the TSD-10, and thought—hey! Why not just use my WP parallel guide system to accomplish the same thing??
I come back, scroll down another screen, and their you are, Bob’s your uncle!
I can’t wait to give it a try—next cabinet.

Edited to add: with long panels as in your photo, StanB, do you have any tricks for marking the location of the key holes for the LR32 guide rail? Just use a big WP square perhaps?

 

[tsmi243]

I started adding a row of 20 mm dog holes spaced 32 mm apart at each end of my 4'x8' MFT (I have 60+ mm spacing from the edges of the top due to the 4080 extrusions acting as the top's framework). I have plenty of guide rail dogs to play around with the idea. I would need a 5 mm spacer to make the first row 37 mm off the front.

EDIT: Added two rows of 32mm spaced dog holes in the middle so I can use my 1400mm LR32 rail. When I receive the 7mmx7mm flat bars I will update again.

Definitely keep us posted on this.  Great idea.

 

[afish]

I finally unburied my MFT top and took some pics of the system I use to batch process the gable panels.  I had done a drawing earlier but someone asked for pics so here they are.  The setback rails are shown but they are only used to adjust the adjustable wooden stops along the back side.  Once those are adjusted you wont need those setback guides until you switch panel sizes or move to boring the 35mm holes for the hinges.  I typically drill my holes right to left so I slide the entire assembly to the left so the panel and rail are butted to the tall dog on the left side since all the pressure while drilling and moving the router will be pushing from right to left.  If you go from left to right you just slide the entire assembly over to butt up to the tall dog on the right side instead. If you dont have your panels cut using true 32 then you would need to flip your end stop to the other side but you dont really need to ever drill left-right and then right-left its just a comfort thing and probably more to do with if your right or left handed if you are using true 32mm .  Nothing else needs to change or be adjusted.  You could add a 3rd adjustable stop to the side or just throw a quick clamp on but I have never had any issues with anything moving so any other clamp would just slow down the swapping of panels.  I have found no other way that is faster or easier.  The rail simply lifts off with no extra attachments or parallel guides in the way.  The wooden stops are just simple homemade stops made from scraps with a 8mm slot for a star knob that goes into a anchor dog (I think that's what they are called) You can buy a TSO version if you like instead but they are easy to make. I got the star knobs off amazon and they were also inexpensive.  Any questions let me know.

The piece of MDF is just some scrap I had that was approx the same size as a typical base cabinet gable so I just used it as reference for the photos.  I dont make my gables out of MDF in case anyone was wondering. 

Yep, anchor dogs I had bought these prior to the LR32 and at the time didnt know what to use them for but wow they come in handy. https://www.axminstertools.com/us/ujk-technology-parf-anchor-dogs-106323 

 

[savsuds]

I started adding a row of 20 mm dog holes spaced 32 mm apart at each end of my 4'x8' MFT (I have 60+ mm spacing from the edges of the top due to the 4080 extrusions acting as the top's framework). I have plenty of guide rail dogs to play around with the idea. I would need a 5 mm spacer to make the first row 37 mm off the front.

EDIT: Added two rows of 32mm spaced dog holes in the middle so I can use my 1400mm LR32 rail. When I receive the 7mmx7mm flat bars I will update again.

Definitely keep us posted on this.  Great idea.

It turned out much simpler than I thought. I only need a 7mm spacer or 22mm spacer depending on what I am using as a reference stop. I need a 7mm spacer when I use my TSO TDS-10 to set the panel 37mm away. I use guide rail dogs and put the LR32 1400 rail into the 7th 32mm dog hole. If I use a UJK Guide Pup, I need a 22mm spacer the set the panel. Shift the rail how ever number of dog holes for your next row. since they are 32mm apart.

I am looking to get a local CNC shop to chop half of the top off a couple dogs to move the rail to the 6th row to get the first row 37mm.

 

[sancho57]

I got 2 1400 holy rails and bought a extra set of end stops. So now I can do 2 at a time. plus using the  sys vac makes it even easier.

Also the rapid clamps make it easier to