Options for using a non-Festool router on Festool rails

[Pnw painter]

I'm about to start building some cabinets for my shop and I'd like to connect a router to my Festool rails to use for Dado's.

Obviously, my Bosch 1617 router doesn't have a guide rail adapter that will work with Festool rails. Micro Fence sells something called the "Interface Essentials Package" that allows you to mount just about any router to the Festool rails. At $250 its not cheap, but it would work.

Another option I'm considering, is buying a Makita or Triton router using their guide rail adapters to mount them my Festool track. Since I've heard the Festool, Makita and Triton tracks are virtually identical, I'm curious if anybody has had luck using Makita or Triton routers with a Festool track.

Any advice would be appreciated. In a perfect world I'd buy an OF1400, but since I don't think I'll use this setup very much, I'm having a tough time justifying the purchase of an OF1400.

 

[Pnw painter]

BNA, thanks for the advice and the links. For certain application I think a Dado jig would be very practical. There are a ton of different Dado jigs, but are there any that you think work particularly well?

I thought that attaching the router to the guide rail would be the most practical approach for making 8' Dado's in sheets of ply.

 

[Dick Mahany]

You could also do something like this with threaded rod, a home made adapter plate and Festool guides.  Works great.
[attachimg=1][attachimg=2]

 

[android]

You are overthinking this. Just clamp a straight edge and run the router, (any router with a straight bit) against the edge and poof you have a dado.

You have to be careful doing this. I used this method to put some grooves on my work top and when the router ran across some harder grain, it pulled away from the track.

Luckily, it was just a piece of plywood and not something expensive. If I were routing a long slot on a production part, I'd want something that keeps the router on course no matter what.

 

[Dongar]

I showed how I made a adapter for a Bosch router in this thread. Donhttp://festoolownersgroup.com/festo...-track-which-miter-which-clamps-which-system/

 

[Bohdan]

You have to be careful doing this. I used this method to put some grooves on my work top and when the router ran across some harder grain, it pulled away from the track.

If the router pulls away from the rail it means that you are cutting in the wrong direction. You have to always have the cutter cutting so that it pushes against the rail as it cuts.

 

[Mark Katz]

[member=978]Dongar[/member]  The post you linked to was posted in 2007 and thus the photos are no longer visible (except in postage stamp sized previews). Would you mind reposting the photos from that post again? I'm assuming you have the jpgs on your computer so you won't need to actually retake the photos.

Thanks in advance,

 

[Master Carpenter]

Obviously, my Bosch 1617 router doesn't have a guide rail adapter that will work with Festool rails. Micro Fence sells something called the "Interface Essentials Package" that allows you to mount just about any router to the Festool rails. At $250 its not cheap, but it would work.

There is a reason the microfence isn't cheap. It's extremely precise, you want to make a dado 1/100 of an inch wider than your material, it will do it. I have a systainer with my microfence "kit", it doesn't come out often, but when I need maximum accuracy, it's what I reach for.

The microfence edge guide made the bevel radius below a piece of cake
[attachimg=2]

 

[vinay]

Reviving an old thread...

I'm thinking about purchasing Bosch GMF 1600 vs. Festool 1400.
The main benefit I see for the Festool is that it can be used with the Festool rail that I already own as I have the TS-55.
I found the following Video that shows "Makita 194579-2 Router Guide Rail Adapter" connecting GOF 1400 to Festool rail, and saw elsewhere that GOF 1400 and 1600 appear to use the same Bosch fence, meaning they should be compatible.

Does anyone know if that Makita adapter would allow using the GMF 1600 with the Festool rail? I wonder why I couldn't find any discussion raising that as an option, maybe it doesn't work after all?

 

[cubevandude]

This should work.https://www.axminstertools.com/bosch-router-guide-rail-adaptor-gof-gmf-te-600-for-gkf-600-506685
https://www.bosch-professional.com/...-plunge-guides-festo-t-rails/12579327-t#/main

 

[Imemiter]

Does anyone know if that Makita adapter would allow using the GMF 1600 with the Festool rail? I wonder why I couldn't find any discussion raising that as an option, maybe it doesn't work after all?

I've been able to use the Makita adaptor with a Bosch 1617. IIRC, you can either use the Makita rods or slightly widen the rod sockets in the rail guide.

 

[woodferret]

This should work.https://www.axminstertools.com/bosch-router-guide-rail-adaptor-gof-gmf-te-600-for-gkf-600-506685
https://www.bosch-professional.com/...-plunge-guides-festo-t-rails/12579327-t#/main

Thanks for the link to the FSN OFA.  I had purchased the Makita guide rail adapter a long while ago but never got around to using it because it lacked the incremental adjustment.  This looks promising.

 

[cubevandude]

Here's a picture of it on the Makita Rail.

https://img.ricardostatic.ch/t_1800x1350/pl/1070605494/3/6/

 

[mkasdin]

I ended up getting the domino so I wouldn’t have to mess with dados for workshop cabinets and quick and easy kitchen builds. I have yet to use the domino... I initially purchased the of1010 then I was thinking of getting the of1400 for the larger collet size... I’ll probably get the of1010 in the future... I was looking to save money by retrofitting a Dewalt,Bosch, Makita etc to a FT guide rail and after getting a cheaper router adaptor, dust port etc. I was close to the cost of a of1010.

 

[acer66]

Thank you for the link and pictures cubevandude.

 

[woodferret]

Thanks for the link to the FSN OFA.  I had purchased the Makita guide rail adapter a long while ago but never got around to using it because it lacked the incremental adjustment.  This looks promising.

For future reference, apparently the Festool FE-FS/OF 1000 microadjust (488754) works well with the Makita rail adapter for a variety of routers.
https://holzwerkerblog.de/2015/02/16/alles-mit-system-teil-6-feineinstellung/

 

[martin155]

Hi,
I would like to use Makita RP2303FC01 router with Festool rails. Is there somebody who is successfully using Makita 194579-2 adapter with Festool incremental FE-FS/OF 1000 (488754)?

Alternatively is it possible to use Bosch incremental adapter with Makita routers?

Thank you for any suggestions

 

[woodferret]

Hi,
I would like to use Makita RP2303FC01 router with Festool rails. Is there somebody who is successfully using Makita 194579-2 adapter with Festool incremental FE-FS/OF 1000 (488754)?

Dunno about your specific router.  Here are the pertinent measurements you'll need and an illustration of how it should be attached to a router.

The last picture is only approximate.  I have the adjustment cylinder somewhat middle, and the hole to which you mount onto the router is 10mm from the edge.  Your router base mount should hopefully accommodate this distance, if not you'd need to fabricate an extension or something.

 

[Packard]

I have a DeWalt compact router (corded) and their track adapter.  It works fine.

I’m more comfortable using a router table or my dado head on my table saw, so it gets infrequent use.

This is the adapter which I use with a Festool track.

DEWALT Router TrackSaw Guide Adapter (DWS5031)

And this is the router.

DEWALT DWP611PK 1.25 HP Max Torque Variable Speed Compact Router Combo Kit with LED's

I purchased both items through Amazon.com

I also got a set of “undersized plywood” router bits (Whiteside).

The bits cut dadoes that are looser than I like, so mostly I cut them on the table saw with a dado head,

Whiteside Router Bits 470 Undersize Plywood Dado 3 Piece Set with 7/32-Inch,15/32-Inch, and 23/32-Inch Cutting Diameter.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I have the track adapter for the Makita compact routers, but it's primarily a back-up. I haven't used it.