modifying standard ts rail into a lr32 rail?

hayaku

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
20
hi everyone. new member here.

i have 2 fs 1400 rails (55") that i've been using with my ts55 and of1010.  i've been eyeing the hole drilling kit and was wondering if i really need to get the lr32 rails as well? has anyone cut the proper holes in their regular rails?  can you use a real lr32 rail and drill the holes exactly on a regular solid rail to give it the 32mm index holes?

or is this something that should not be done for whatever reason? i've been trying to search for this but have not been able to find any posts on this subject.

thanks
adam
 
the holes in the lr32 rail are elongated to allow for taking the play from the sled.
id reconmend buying the a 3rd rail so that you can leave the other 2 together for ripping.
 
hayaku said:
hi everyone. new member here.

i have 2 fs 1400 rails (55") that i've been using with my ts55 and of1010.  i've been eyeing the hole drilling kit and was wondering if i really need to get the lr32 rails as well? has anyone cut the proper holes in their regular rails?  can you use a real lr32 rail and drill the holes exactly on a regular solid rail to give it the 32mm index holes?

or is this something that should not be done for whatever reason? i've been trying to search for this but have not been able to find any posts on this subject.

thanks
adam

for 110 bucks for the LR 32, I would sell a reg 55" guide rail say for 50 bucks then buy the LR 32.  Modifying a regular guide to a LR 32 wouldnt be worth the effort to me,

if ya jacked up the holes then you could never get the $$ if ya decide to sell it.

Plus the holes on the LR32 are set at exactly 32mm. If ya drill them off the system wouldnt really be as effective as it should be

Doesnt make sense to me.

But thats just me.
 
If you had free access to a water jet or laser mill, it might make sense to modify the rail. Doing it manually could be tricky.

Tom

EDIT: I said "free" access because you pay a lot for the set up so it's rarely worth running just a few pieces, certainly not just two.
 
thanks for the info guys. 

so the holes must be 6mm x 7mm and spaced every 32mm on center.  i'll check with the local machine shops around here to see how much they would charge to do something like that.  because of the oval holes, this is beyond my tool set now.
 
hayaku said:
hi everyone. new member here.

i have 2 fs 1400 rails (55") that i've been using with my ts55 and of1010.  i've been eyeing the hole drilling kit and was wondering if i really need to get the lr32 rails as well? has anyone cut the proper holes in their regular rails?  can you use a real lr32 rail and drill the holes exactly on a regular solid rail to give it the 32mm index holes?

or is this something that should not be done for whatever reason? i've been trying to search for this but have not been able to find any posts on this subject.

thanks
adam

I go back to this.... why even have the normal 1400 rail?  The TS 55 should come with the FS 1400/2-LR 32.... I'm not aware that it has any limitations when compared to the normal rail. It does have much more ability and would get me and others into the 32mm system faster if I/we had the FS 1400/2-LR 32 from the start.  Dealers should be up selling everyone to the FS 1400/2-LR 32.... for what $12 more.... NO Brainer! I would have thanked the dealer for pointing this option.

Maybe that is just me.

Cheers,
Steve
 
hayaku said:
thanks for the info guys. 

so the holes must be 6mm x 7mm and spaced every 32mm on center.  i'll check with the local machine shops around here to see how much they would charge to do something like that.  because of the oval holes, this is beyond my tool set now.

Just for clarification, the holes in the LR32 guide rails are oblong, not oval.  Don't mean to nit-pick -- just saying.
 
Steve R said:
hayaku said:
hi everyone. new member here.

i have 2 fs 1400 rails (55") that i've been using with my ts55 and of1010.  i've been eyeing the hole drilling kit and was wondering if i really need to get the lr32 rails as well? has anyone cut the proper holes in their regular rails?  can you use a real lr32 rail and drill the holes exactly on a regular solid rail to give it the 32mm index holes?

or is this something that should not be done for whatever reason? i've been trying to search for this but have not been able to find any posts on this subject.

thanks
adam

I go back to this.... why even have the normal 1400 rail?  The TS 55 should come with the FS 1400/2-LR 32.... I'm not aware that it has any limitations when compared to the normal rail. It does have much more ability and would get me and others into the 32mm system faster if I/we had the FS 1400/2-LR 32 from the start.  Dealers should be up selling everyone to the FS 1400/2-LR 32.... for what $12 more.... NO Brainer! I would have thanked the dealer for pointing this option.

Maybe that is just me.

Cheers,
Steve

I point it out every time I am consulted about a TS 55 purchase. You would be surprised how often people don't want to upgrade...

Tom
 
Steve R said:
I go back to this.... why even have the normal 1400 rail?  The TS 55 should come with the FS 1400/2-LR 32.... I'm not aware that it has any limitations when compared to the normal rail. It does have much more ability and would get me and others into the 32mm system faster if I/we had the FS 1400/2-LR 32 from the start.  Dealers should be up selling everyone to the FS 1400/2-LR 32.... for what $12 more.... NO Brainer! I would have thanked the dealer for pointing this option.

Maybe that is just me.

Cheers,
Steve

I appreciate your point, and this has been discussed here a few times in the past.  IIRC, the answer is that the cost of manufacturing the LR32 rails is more than just the few dollars difference between the standard and LR32 rails.  So, if ALL the guide rails were shipped with the LR32 system holes, they would likely all come at a higher price tag than we have now.  I agree that they may get more customers to purchase the LR32 products if they already had the LR32 rails, but keep in mind that not all users will ever use the LR32 system.
 
I must have been lucky.

When I bought my TS55 the 1400/2 LR32 Rails were only a 50 cent upgrade  [cool].

Dave
 
whitesys said:
I must have been lucky.

When I bought my TS55 the 1400/2 LR32 Rails were only a 50 cent upgrade   [cool].

Dave

Okay...  But that rail has probably depreciated $12 since then.  [tongue]
 
whitesys said:
I must have been lucky.

When I bought my TS55 the 1400/2 LR32 Rails were only a 50 cent upgrade   [cool].

Dave

Now your are just ticking me off [mad]    [eek] how long ago was that?

Cheers,
Steve
 
whitesys said:
Back when the 1400/2 LS32 were first introduced
I purchased the saw and rails in May 2010.

What was even better, was that there was a 10% off promotion on the saw and rails
http://www.festoolusa.com/media/pdf/Festool-mini-catalog-spring-2010.pdf

Reading it, it appears that it was a 90 cent upgrade and not a 50 cent upgrade  [wink]

Good timing on your part!  When I got my first LR32 rail, the FS 1080/2LR32, it was a $3 more than the standard FS 1080/2.  And a couple of years later, your FS 1400/2LR32 was only $1 (or $0.90 during the 10% off sale) more than the FS 1400/2.  So, now they're $12 difference in price.  Curious.   [blink]
 
Tom Bellemare said:
I point it out every time I am consulted about a TS 55 purchase. You would be surprised how often people don't want to upgrade...
Tom

One of the things that I have learned over the years working in corporations and consulting is that business and people don't understand how common designs and systems benefit them.

I have worked in Advertising and Marketing and people are easily manipulated with limited exposure...and don't get me started on how easy it is to do that politically.... but they are easily sold on how a slightly different system should make their life so much better.

The Festool system might be easier to understand for the person just starting out that needs or may need to do many things down the road.  If they already have a pile of cheap tools that do an okay job... (framing) Festool looks like a waste of money.  If they could only see on the job site the speed that Festool allows they would understand. To see the total system work will make you wonder why you would buy anything else.

But if I just need a circular saw... and hear about this track saw thing.... and Festool and look at the prices...  Well let me be bold the Festool dealer has to be able to over come years of ads and also the last 20 years the Walmart business model that is destructive to quality and America by saying that low price best. Well it is best for Walmart, but for America they have moved more jobs off shore than any other American corporation. I dare you to walk around a Walmart find more than 5% American made.

Sorry... will shut up now

Cheers,
Steve  

 
Steve R said:
Tom Bellemare said:
I point it out every time I am consulted about a TS 55 purchase. You would be surprised how often people don't want to upgrade...
Tom

One of the things that I have learned over the years working in corporations and consulting is that business and people don't understand how common designs and systems benefit them.

I have worked in Advertising and Marketing and people are easily manipulated with limited exposure...and don't get me started on how easy it is to do that politically.... but they are easily sold on how a slightly different system should make their life so much better.

The Festool system might be easier to understand for the person just starting out that needs or may need to do many things down the road.  If they already have a pile of cheap tools that do an okay job... (framing) Festool looks like a waste of money.  If they could only see on the job site the speed that Festool allows they would understand. To see the total system work will make you wonder why you would buy anything else.

But if I just need a circular saw... and hear about this track saw thing.... and Festool and look at the prices...  Well let me be bold the Festool dealer has to be able to over come years of ads and also the last 20 years the Walmart business model that is destructive to quality and America by saying that low price best. Well it is best for Walmart, but for America they have moved more jobs off shore than any other American corporation. I dare you to walk around a Walmart find more than 5% American made.

Sorry... will shut up now

Cheers,
Steve  

Don't be sorry ... say it more and be louder!!!

The greedy corporate pig model is destroying the world we love. People want to sit on a corporate investment and bleed some "shareholder value". There's nothing good for people or planet in that sort of thinking long term ... it just "feeds the lazy greed".

I'm not a anti-anything crazy kind of guy - I just feel that it should be an "effort in, benefits out" model.

I go out of my way and go to great expense to buy high quality, long life things ... sad that I think we're only a few years away from disposable underwear for adults (remember I said this).

Kev.
 
Kev said:
The greedy corporate pig model is destroying the world we love. People want to sit on a corporate investment and bleed some "shareholder value". There's nothing good for people or planet in that sort of thinking long term ... it just "feeds the lazy greed".

I'm not a anti-anything crazy kind of guy - I just feel that it should be an "effort in, benefits out" model.

Uh, what do these ramblings have to do with this discussion?  [blink]
 
Corwin said:
Kev said:
The greedy corporate pig model is destroying the world we love. People want to sit on a corporate investment and bleed some "shareholder value". There's nothing good for people or planet in that sort of thinking long term ... it just "feeds the lazy greed".

I'm not a anti-anything crazy kind of guy - I just feel that it should be an "effort in, benefits out" model.

Uh, what do these ramblings have to do with this discussion?   [blink]

Slippery slopes come in colours other than green although in this case it could be considered fitting.. [wink]
 
Would have done the trade myself, but in Finland they would not let me do it. Now I have a 1400mm unused 2nd rail in a box (unopened)...    [mad]
 
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