My Rail splinterguard graveyard

[lambeater]

Kinda sad looking at this wall, also a pity that Festool doesn't see this as a problem. Note the one rail splinterguard with black tape not falling off. Anyone got idea for best double sided tape to use.

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thx
Lambeater

 

[toolhardy]

Sorry about the failing splinter guards.  May they rest in peace.  Would you mind telling us how old your rails and splinter guards are? As a new Festool product owner it would be helpful to know if others who hang their rails vertically experience the same failure over time.  3M VHB Tape 5952 might work but is 1.1 mm thick.  Amazon review authors rate the product very high.

 

[ccmviking]

Store them upside down and/or use replacement Makita strips.

 

[Peter_C]

So far this has been working well for me, as I flipped my edges around instead of buying new ones.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002N8T6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I would question how much heat those rails are subjected too. Also gravity is a powerful force, and putting them upside down might be a simple solution, which is how I store mine.

 

[kixnbux]

I store mine horizontally and yes the strips fail quickly. (Less than 3 months). I flipped them upside down to store. They still have issues but it's definitely better

 

[stvrowe]

Yes, this is a problem that has existed for years that Festool has failed to address.  The previous splinterguard is far superior to the newer style.  My oldest rail with the black splinter strip is over 10 years old and has never come off.  All of my rails with the clear splinterguard begin peeling away at the rail ends within several months and I store them vertically.  I use the Fastcap speedtape to repair.  It is much superior to the original Festool adhesive but still doesn't completely resolve the issue. 

 

[Tayler_mann]

I've had my rails for a year and a half in 100 degree cars, job sites, my shop and in heavy use daily and I'm still on my first replacement strips.

 

[ear3]

Could it be a difference in humidity levels?  I've sometimes had the splinterguard come loose on the ends of the rail, but I've never had the catastrophic failure shown here, and I store mine the same way.  I also use them outdoors in direct sunlight.

 

[Tayler_mann]

When you replace the splinter guard do you clean off all of the adhesive the old one left behind. Adhesive does not stick to adhesive. The best cleaning solution is a degreaser and than to clean with 100% isopropyl alcohol (not rubbing alcohol from Walmart). This is true with all tapes and adhesives.

 

[semenza]

    Many years ago with the old black strips and old type adhesive there were lots of people complaining that they couldn't get them off when replacement was needed.  Now with the newer clear strip and newer adhesive it is the opposite. I think something in between is needed.

 

Seth

 

[jtwood]

I live in the desert in SoCal, and store my rails, and use them, in an unheated/uncooled garage.  Temperature during the year ranges from 40°F to 110°F during the year in the garage, colder and hotter outside.  They are hung on the wall.  Changing the splinterguard strips is an annual rite of spring.  They want to peel off as soon as I take them off the wall after a summer and winter.

Steve

 

[lambeater]

yes pretty much desert here, very dry and shop air conditioned, really just an adhesive tape issue i think. Maybe time for festool to come up with an edge clip on system.

Lambeater

 

[Nat X]

VHB is too thick. ATG is the secret weapon of every custom picture framing shop and it's a shame more people don't know it exists, but the stuff that's made to bond plastics is almost impossible to get off without solvents.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#7628a118/=13mk5ti

The gun applicators are criminally overpriced, but well worth it for all the time they save tacking down tiny things I can't clamp any other way.

 

[Michael Kellough]

This adhesive transfer gun is not too costly. Can't tell if it takes 3/4" tape though.

There are several types of tape available as you'd expect from 3M. As Nat says, too thick is not good.

 

[Stephen B]

Is [member=8309]lambeater[/member] 's shop A/c? As some here have suggested is the problem due to a range of humidities? The Untidy Shop is a Zincalume Shed with no A/C, but some heating. My rails are hung vertically on hooks and I have not had this problem. Outside temperatures in summer are often C40 plus [F104] and in winter from C0 to 15 degrees.

However the fact that it is not a problem for some here is not the real point. This is not the first time this issue has been raised. If Festool want to play in a world wide market, these strips should have a glue of sufficient quality to withstand a wide range of climatic conditions.

 

[Bohdan]

The gun applicators are criminally overpriced, but well worth it for all the time they save tacking down tiny things I can't clamp any other way.

The guns are great for leaving a strip of glue on a surface but it is possible to use ATG tape without buying an applicator gun. You unroll the tape and stick it to one surface. You then peel off the backing tape which leaves a strip of glue behind and you attach the other surface. The tape comes in different widths and adhesives including a repositionable one.

You still need to clean the surfaces with solvent or even ATG glue will fail.

 

[john5mt]

Use th makitas. I switched all of mine to them. No more of this problem.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

The splinter guard on a few of my guide rails has peeled off but strangely only on the ends that overhang the work piece - the bits that don't actually get used. I tried the Makita splinter guard and over 4 months later it's still stuck firm. I prefer the colour as well, being black it's a huge colour contrast to what I normally cut. Makita make better guide rail connectors as well.

 

[Brent Taylor]

I also use the Makita's  and just off the shelf double sided carpet tape with a good alcohol cleaning on both. I also use the guards until they are about 12 mm wide ( cheap old yank ) and for me the black is easier for me to see ( old eyes ).

 

[Michael Kellough]

The splinter guard on a few of my guide rails has peeled off but strangely only on the ends that overhang the work piece - the bits that don't actually get used. I tried the Makita splinter guard and over 4 months later it's still stuck firm. I prefer the colour as well, being black it's a huge colour contrast to what I normally cut. Makita make better guide rail connectors as well.

So, the strip comes loose at the place that never has any pressure. The strip is stuck to the rail with psa, pressure sensitive adhesive.

I'm still using the old black strips on my rails. Just keep moving them over.

I leave the old adhesive in place and use a heat gun to re-activate it and move a little of the strip over at a time. When it is all moved over it gets some more heat and then a strip of wood is clamped to the strip/rail with a bunch of spring clamps, higher population at the ends. 15 minutes at least, longer is better.

I expect that the loose ends mentioned above would respond well to heat and pressure too. If they've been dangling for a while might have to rub some grit off the strip. Hopefully there isn't much debris on the adhesive.