My Custom Built Guide Rail Deflector

squarecut

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Dec 2, 2013
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Some images were lost so I did a reposting of this old thread!

Thought I would share this with the FOG community

Finally got tired of dealing with the poorly designed Festool Guide Rail Deflector. I decided to try my hand at making  my own. I wanted several must have features which were missing from Festool's version, namely -

  1) - Extend the entire width of the guide rail
2) - Eliminate the hump caused by the attachment thumb screw
3) - Provide higher & longer end walls to prevent hose ride-over
4) - Have end walls flare outward to more easily guide hose coming in from sides
5) - Allow access to the clamping slot while deflector is attached to rail (indispensable when clamping the rail to material for rip cuts)

To accomplish these goals the deflector would have to be considerably larger, but I wanted to keep the amount of additional track loss to a minimum. The original deflector takes up 1-1/4" of track, my version increased that to 1-1/2".

I produced this out of MDF and used the feather key from the original deflector with a M4 x 12mm button head machine screw recessed in a 3/8" counter bore to lock the deflector to the track. It requires a 2.5mm hex key to tighten.
See photo # 10 for painted version.

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EDIT> remove marketing
 

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[thumbs up]m
Nice design. I have also cursed the festool design. Especially not getting a clamp in or out.
If I ever get time I will make one.
 
Excellent!  Been wanting to make something like that for years. Just never got around to it.  [thumbs up]

Seth
 
Awesome.

I also like the sliced inner-tube method for attaching power cord to hose (or is that Velcro?).
 
Now that you have it all figured out, how much are you going to charge for them?

;D
 
Festool should really redesign their deflector for the newer rails. They have been on the market for a long time now and the deflector is still made with the older rails in mind. Your version would be a great template for them. Very nice.
 
Run the hose and cord over your guide arm and deflectors are necessary.
 
Earth to Festool...come in Festool... Pay squarecut a nice fee and use this far improved design for a next gen deflector. Dang that's sooo much better, well done!!!
 
This is a great design!  The best part is the ability to use the clamps without removing.
 
I too really like the design and have also been frustrated with the Festool product.  As I was looking at the images, especially 5.jpg, it struck me that you could take advantage of the rail hanging hole to secure it even better than the clip on the right side does now just by drilling another countersunk hole.  It wouldn't just slide on and off like yours does now but I find I don't need to do that often myself YMMV.  But it is wonderful as it is and I for one am going to copy it first chance I get.

Thanks for sharing.

Dick
 
Good Idea.

Make it a detent pin sort of like the LR 32.  Completely screwless. 

I don't know if it would hold sufficient to help stop kick backs.  Could always put two.

And nice job, Squarecut. 

I have never wanted to buy another Festool Guide rail deflector because of all the deficiencies you noted.  If they made one to get rid of the deficiencies you noted, I would buy one for each rail.

May just decide to hand the  vacuum and cord, but the deflector is still handy to account for sag.
 
Nice design squarecut.

FWIW - I talked to the the Festool engineers at IWF right after the new rail design came out 8-9 years ago voicing my concerns about the now wimpy and too narrow guide on the new wider rails.  My cord were getting chewed up in the feather key slot.

At first,  I was met with that glazed and incredulous look that you get from German engineers when you question their ability or design.  You know - the one that comes with the silent , but implied "vee could never be vwrong".  Then I showed them on their booth floor and the glazed look went away, and said they'd look into it. 

The song of crickets ensued shortly thereafter.  I even stopped in their Calif. Headquarters during a job I was doing in Santa Barbara and talked to the suits.  Still nothing.

This is my big problem with Festool since the family spun off the power tool division and the U.S. market finally got some traction and saw some real sales - they have become a bit unresponsive to the guys in the field that really use the capabilities of the tools.  I think their vision has become clouded with #####'s and $$$$ or the marketing guys are getting too much of a say. 

I mean, this year we get a colored knockoff apron, and next year its a spiffy level, then they are gone to be replaced by ?.  Other times things like the systainer attic would appear, but you couldn't order the top to retro fit without buying an entire new drill kit.  And, how long did it take them to really ramp up the systainer offerings - like ten years ? 

I also talked to them about this and they told me demand wasn't there.  What ?  All of a sudden everyone else collectively saw the light on very expensive plastic tool boxes - even in this robust economy  ???
 
antss said:
Nice design squarecut.

FWIW - I talked to the the Festool engineers at IWF right after the new rail design came out 8-9 years ago voicing my concerns about the now wimpy and too narrow guide on the new wider rails.   My cord were getting chewed up in the feather key slot.

At first,  I was met with that glazed and incredulous look that you get from German engineers when you question their ability or design.  You know - the one that comes with the silent , but implied "vee could never be vwrong".  Then I showed them on their booth floor and the glazed look went away, and said they'd look into it. 

The song of crickets ensued shortly thereafter.   I even stopped in their Calif. Headquarters during a job I was doing in Santa Barbara and talked to the suits.  Still nothing.

This is my big problem with Festool since the family spun off the power tool division and the U.S. market finally got some traction and saw some real sales - they have become a bit unresponsive to the guys in the field that really use the capabilities of the tools.  I think their vision has become clouded with #####'s and $$$$ or the marketing guys are getting too much of a say. 

I mean, this year we get a colored knockoff apron, and next year its a spiffy level, then they are gone to be replaced by ?.  Other times things like the systainer attic would appear, but you couldn't order the top to retro fit without buying an entire new drill kit.   And, how long did it take them to really ramp up the systainer offerings - like ten years ? 

I also talked to them about this and they told me demand wasn't there.  What ?   All of a sudden everyone else collectively saw the light on very expensive plastic tool boxes - even in this robust economy  ???
  I worked at a BMW dealership for 9 years. The old joke among long term employees in any dept. was that the Germans never make mistakes, only improvements....    [wink]
so, could be a business culture thing that you can't take personal.
This isn't the first time someone has made your observations... [cool]
 
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