New Guide Rail Tighter Than Old One...

[darita]

Just got a guide rail to join with an old, longer guide rail, for long cuts.  Problem is, the saw glides nicely in the old track, but as soon as it transitions to new, it's almost impossible to move.  If I adjust the saw to the new guide rail, the old will feel loose and sloppy.  Can I sand the edges of the new rail to match the old or is there a better way to handle this?

 

[semenza]

I don't have a good solution, but I have had this problem. In my case I was able to find a happy medium ..... snug on one rail slightly loose on the other. On the loose rail it feels like a lot of play but the cut comes out fine.  Have you tried a cut with it very slightly loose?

Seth

 

[tjbnwi]

Spray some Pledge on the new rail see if it helps.

Tom

 

[ccarrolladams]

Spray some Pledge on the new rail see if it helps.

Tom

With all due respect, we need to be very cautious using waxes and lubricants on tools which come in contact with wood before it is finished. Residue which we might not see can and often does prevent stains from full coverage.

As for the tight fit on one guide rail, that is a function of the guide rails being extruded. For this reason Festool saws and other products which slide on guide rails have adjustments so that they will slide snugly.

The complication comes in when one guide rail has a slightly wider or looser reference 'hat' than others you own. No amount of lubrication will cause one hat to swell or shrink. In the unfortunately case of owning different widths of 'hat' all you can do is compromise the snugness adjustment on the tool.

Personally I always buy my guide rails in person at my primary brick and mortar dealer, with a reference 1400mm rail and TS55 in my hands. I couple all offered rails to one end of my reference rail, to which that TS55 is adjusted. If the transition from my reference to the proposed new rail is smooth, I accept the new rail. If not my dealer and I keep on auditioning guide rails until we find one which is smooth with my reference rail.

 

[Claimdude]

Just got a guide rail to join with an old, longer guide rail, for long cuts.  Problem is, the saw glides nicely in the old track, but as soon as it transitions to new, it's almost impossible to move.  If I adjust the saw to the new guide rail, the old will feel loose and sloppy.  Can I sand the edges of the new rail to match the old or is there a better way to handle this?

Darita,

I had similar situation when I bought the long guide rail for ripping ply. I have two 55's that are about 4 years apart in age and my 55 saw fits them perfectly. The new long rail was so tight the saw wouldn't move. I contacted the dealer and he shipped me a new one that worked perfectly. Frankly, for the money I don't believe you should have to readjust the gibs on your saw every time you change rails. The adjustment should be there simply to compensate for wear on the parts that come into contact with the rail and wear down and now to allow the manufacturer great tolerance in manufacture. Premium tool and premium price should always result in premium satisfaction. Festool delivers that or they wouldn't be so popular. Just my two cents.

Jack

 

[monte]

Spray some Pledge on the new rail see if it helps.

Tom

With all due respect, we need to be very cautious using waxes and lubricants on tools which come in contact with wood before it is finished. Residue which we might not see can and often does prevent stains from full coverage.

As for the tight fit on one guide rail, that is a function of the guide rails being extruded. For this reason Festool saws and other products which slide on guide rails have adjustments so that they will slide snugly.

The complication comes in when one guide rail has a slightly wider or looser reference 'hat' than others you own. No amount of lubrication will cause one hat to swell or shrink. In the unfortunately case of owning different widths of 'hat' all you can do is compromise the snugness adjustment on the tool.

Personally I always buy my guide rails in person at my primary brick and mortar dealer, with a reference 1400mm rail and TS55 in my hands. I couple all offered rails to one end of my reference rail, to which that TS55 is adjusted. If the transition from my reference to the proposed new rail is smooth, I accept the new rail. If not my dealer and I keep on auditioning guide rails until we find one which is smooth with my reference rail.

I would second a caution of using Pledge on a rail, Pledge contains silicone which could really contaminate virgin wood.

As far as a treatment for a polish for wood I would not recommend as well.
One thing that Pledge is good for is to buff up acrylic, (with a soft cotton t-shirt rag.)

.

 

[panelchat]

The rail system seems to have this weakness. Extrusion is a surprisingly sloppy process (I've seen the whole process in person, stuff comes out of the die bent all around like fresh pasta, then gets "straightened" like a guitar string tightening very quickly), and variation in straightness, as well as width/thickness of various aspects of the profile, tend to happen.

One solution would be to machine new straight reference surfaces for the hat part of the profile that the saw registers to.
This would cost a bit. I'm surprised they don't do it though. As a production method, extrusion is -extremely- cheap, so it seems they could afford a post extrusion machining operation without a huge upcharge... I'm certain that my new 118" rail costs them 8 bucks before anodizing and applying the various tapes top and bottom.

This problem presents a great opportunity for an aftermarket rail catering to those who don't want to buy a panel saw. Super straight rails, and heavier for reducing flex. For in-shop cabinetmaking where weight is not so important.

I wonder if the rail patent has gone to public domain yet...?

 

[darita]

For convenience sake, I purchased from Amazon, so I've ordered another Guide Rail for a test.  If that doesn't work out, I guess I'll have to return what I have and drive to the Woodcraft store with my 55 and start testing.  Do you think it matters that my present guide rail is older... would make a difference?  I mean, could the extrusion have changed over the years?  It's close to 8 years old.

 

[DKurzweil]

Extrusion dies wear out and get replaced from time to time.  It would not be surprising to see a difference of a couple thousandths.  

If you have the chance to test in person with your saw and current rail, definitely try it out.

Daniel

 

[darita]

Just measured the difference and it comes out to .006"...which doesn't sound like much, but it sure makes a difference in the feel of the adjustment.  When I adjust to the new guide, the saw feels sloppy in the old guide.  I measured my other two old guide rails and they are within .002" of the third old rail, which is fine.  Wonder what Festool's tolerance is for the Guide Rails?

 

[panelchat]

Wow, .006 is all? Seeing how a hair is around .003 though, I can see how that would be an annoying shift.
I'd love to know the Festool tolerances too, I assume they are whatever the extrusion plant offers.
I'm curious as a recent rail I got was quite bent and had to be replaced. 1/16" out over the 55" length.
Was surprised it shipped out from the manufacturer in the first place.
Took half a day to sort it all out...

 

[darita]

Yeah...that .006" really makes a difference.  I just watched the video on how to adjust the gibs on the saw to fit the guide rail.  That's exactly what I did.  As in the video, I tighten the screws until there is no slop, but the saw still slides freely over the guide rail. 

 

[darita]

I spoke with the NorCal rep for Festool...he's looking into the matter for a solution.  He said that at Festool, they are aware that there are variances and in fact, they actually "marry" saws to guide rails for that reason.