New Festool Guide Rail. This is what Festool should do.

[Svar]

Connection strength and self-alignment of guide rails is a well known feature of Mafell/Bosch rail system. Something that Festool needs to improve upon. Overall thickness of the rails is similar ~ 5 mm.
There is no reason Festool can't do the same while preserving backward compatibility. Here is how:
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]

 

[live4ever]

Makes sense, but Mafell/Bosch may have a patent for that type of guide rail connection. 

 

[LooseSox]

So being new to the FOG and festool in general and having recently bought a ts55 and now looking to buy another guide rail, are you telling me that with what is pretty much the most expensive rails on the market, I'm going to have to jiggle them around to get them to line up when joining them together?

 

[Svar]

So being new to the FOG and festool in general and having recently bought a ts55 and now looking to buy another guide rail, are you telling me that with what is pretty much the most expensive rails on the market, I'm going to have to jiggle them around to get them to line up when joining them together?

Yes. It's not too bad, though. Search this forum, there was plenty of topics on this.
Among others:http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-jigs-tool-enhancements/homemade-guide-rail-connectors-(not-your-typical-ones)/msg222492/#msg222492

 

[antss]

[member=64076]LooseSox[/member] -

depends on what you consider jiggling. 

I've been using festool rails near on twenty years now and I haven't once needed an alignment guide, nor do I spend lots of time futzing about with them. My bread and butter and why I went to a track saw in the first place is fitting panels to very expensive imported kitchens.  Mostly veneer and lacquer. 

Now, my sentiment/experience is in the minority round here , very accurate cuts can be achieved with joined rails and with out xtras and my process takes less that two minutes at the start of the operation including removing the rails from their case.

I'm not arguing that a 3000mm / 8' rail doesn't have its place; but when portability and expense are factored in you may find a little jiggling isn't so bad like Svar says.

[member=15585]Svar[/member] - nice drawing.  They might as well incorporate the superior splinter strip too, while they're at it.

 

[LooseSox]

[member=727]antss[/member]

Not that I've done it yet as I'm still yet to buy a second rail, but with how good everything else festool is that I've used and the cost of the rails, I'd expect to drop in the joiners and have two rails joined together in perfect alignment without doing anything else. I could never understand  (looking at the prices) why any sane person would pay near double the cost for a single large rail vs two smaller ones joined together but if its a pain to do then that would explain it I guess.

 

[antss]

Sox, welcome to the club.

Hate to be a crumudgeon , but you'd better get used to some shortcomings with this line.  They are like everyone else in that regard though.  Overall it's a solid lineup, but there are idiosyncrasies , annoyances , and sometimes stinkers with the offerings. Comes with the territory.

When the rails first appeared they connected with only one bar and that led to twisting of the assembly - shoulda been around for those days.  Then an improvement was made to have two spines and connectors which eliminated that issue.  There was still no other system available at the time to compare with .    But, when they changed designs they didn't bother alter their hose/cord guide and still have t to this day.  It's not as wide as the rail anymore and cords can get caught in the slot that's exposed.

FT keeps their head in the sand about it and the fanboys will come round and tell you all kinds of solutions to alieviate the issue that shouldn't exist in the first place. 

This is the kind of thing I'm talking about. It's a solid saw and track but still has some issues.

 

[DB10]

[member=727]antss[/member]

Not that I've done it yet as I'm still yet to buy a second rail, but with how good everything else festool is that I've used and the cost of the rails, I'd expect to drop in the joiners and have two rails joined together in perfect alignment without doing anything else. I could never understand  (looking at the prices) why any sane person would pay near double the cost for a single large rail vs two smaller ones joined together but if its a pain to do then that would explain it I guess.

[member=64076]LooseSox[/member]  I got by with two 1400 rails connected together for quite a while, connecting two rails together isn't too bad, moving the connected rails on your own can be a pain though, if its speed your looking for you can't beat one long rail.
I was lucky as I happened to come across a second hand 2.7 rail on Gum Tree for a fraction of the new price. Guide rails are the only second hand thing I've bought from Festool, most jokers want almost new prices for beat up Festool crap on Gum Tree but with the guide rails I was lucky, Keep an eye on Gum tree and you may get lucky to.

 

[Holmz]

...
Guide rails are the only second hand thing I've bought from Festool, most jokers want almost new prices for beat up Festool crap on Gum Tree but with the guide rails I was lucky, Keep an eye on Gum tree and you may get lucky to.

"Clowns to the left me and jokers to the right"

 

[McNally Family]

So being new to the FOG and festool in general and having recently bought a ts55 and now looking to buy another guide rail, are you telling me that with what is pretty much the most expensive rails on the market, I'm going to have to jiggle them around to get them to line up when joining them together?

[member=64076]LooseSox[/member]

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/long-guide-rails-worth-it/msg497366/#msg497366

 

[Holmz]

There are 2-rail systems (Festool/Makita and the newer Bosch/Mafell), and the Bosch ones are easier to attach... but the green saw doesn't work in it!
Search Bosch/Mafell and you can work through it all.

 

[Paul G]

[member=15585]Svar[/member] great thinking. If they do it I hope they send you a fat check.

[member=64076]LooseSox[/member] IMO the connectors are the Achilles Heel of the rail system. To make matters worse you can't assume the rail ends are square. If they were then we could butt them together and be good but that would make too much sense so you end up with a tiny gap between rails that makes the whole thing more prone to slip. But don't over tighten those screws so you don't dimple the rails...seriously lacking.

 

[Jaybolishes]

Funny you mentioned the dimpled rails.  I had two 1400 rails at the site last week and again forgot to grab my 3000 rail. I had to join two rails and I tried carefully not to dimple the dang rails. I tightened them not even as tight as I thought would be satisfactory, flipped them over and major dimples. I never want to  join rails again but it will surely need to be done at some point..  I think I may try to grind the ends so when tight they make a straight rail. I swear festool makes them unsquare on purposes. I mean what gives here, it wouldn't be asking too much to make the ends square.

 

[antss]

[member=19439]Paul G[/member]  - my rails definitely have square ends but,  I have always left a very slight gap between them when connecting two together. 

It was suggested to do this for better alignment back in the Festo days, and I think that tidbit may have even found it's way into a supplemental manual or official training video too.  I know I've seen or read it somewhere in the last 5 years.

There's always a compromise, the single long rail's is price and greater possibility that it's not entirely straight along the entire 3000mm.  Or that it get bent.  So it boils down to what trade offs you're willing to live with for your specific needs.  I'm guessing FT would prefer you simply purchase both the long rail and several short ones + connectors so that all your bases are covered.

1st pic is of a 1080 rail that is 12-14 years old and has lot of battle wounds.

2nd pic is a 1400 holey rail that is 2 months old  - both square as referenced with a Starrett no.4

[member=15585]Svar[/member] - the only incompatibility issue that would arise with adopting your mafell like connector would be that it would interfere with the LR32 system in the middle of a holey rail connected setup.  It could be worked around fairly easily but it'd be one of those idiosyncrasies I mentioned earlier. 

 

[pettyconstruction]

I have had to join rails,and have found it to be easy.
My only criticism /complaint is the slotted screws on the connector , i changed the out to t-15 ( I think that's the size). Oh and I don't care if it dimples the rail, it's a tool after all, not a museum piece. Ymmv.
Btw that Mafell connector is pretty nice tho.
Charlie

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[chrisrosenb]

After making this simple jig, joining & aligning guide rails is very easy.

 

[semenza]

FT keeps their head in the sand about it and the fanboys will come round and tell you all kinds of solutions to alieviate the issue that shouldn't exist in the first place. 

  Regardless of a problem existing with the rails the owners of them come to this forum for information , advice, and help.

  Are you saying it is a bad thing for members of the forum to take the time , make the effort, and help people improve and maximize the use of their tools? To me the use of the term "fanboys" suggests that meaning.

Seth

 

[semenza]

[member=15585]Svar[/member] Nice idea!

[member=1903]JD2720[/member]  Cool jig!

Seth

 

[semenza]

I have had to join rails,and have found it to be easy.
My only criticism /complaint is the slotted screws on the connector , i changed the out to t-15 ( I think that's the size). Oh and I don't care if it dimples the rail, it's a tool after all, not a museum piece. Ymmv.
Btw that Mafell connector is pretty nice tho.
Charlie

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I agree it isn't like joining the rails is an insurmountable problem. There are some issues as is well documented on this forum.

[member=64076]LooseSox[/member]  When you factor the cost of the rails you need to factor the cost of the Mafell saw that works on the Mafell rails.

    Plus don't fret too much about things that can get somewhat blown out of proportion and spend some time enjoying the use of your new tools.  [smile]

Seth

 

[Cheese]

Just purchase a Betterley connector, it's simple and quick.
http://www.festoolproducts.com/bett...e-rails.html?gclid=CNyFoOfmmNICFUe4wAod7g8O_g