Parallel guide enhancement

[b_m_hart]

I wish that Festool would redesign the parallel guides.  Here's what I wish they would do:

1) make the depth marker (the little ruler thingy) only be marked in 5mm increments, with a detent at each one to positively register at
2) make the stops register at the detents, but able to lock in place wherever if you were so inclined
3) make the stops be adjustable, so they would increment in 1mm (from 0mm to 5mm)

This would make it so you could register at 255mm, then adjust from 250mm to 255mm by adjusting at the stop, and be confident that you were perfect each time.  The current parallel guides seem a bit imprecise as Festool products go.

 

[Brian Livingstone]

Hi,

I have the parallel guides and have used them a lot.  I think your suggestions are very good. 

I find the parallel guides to be amazingly precise.  For example, I recently ripped a number of 4 by 8 sheets of plywood for a built in I am working on.  I always cut about a 1//4 inch off to get a nice true edge.  I then cut the ply into 4 equal sized pieces.  I am left with a small cut off.  I like to measure with my electronic Starrett caliper at one end, and then at the other end.  Remember I have made five cuts, six pieces.  The variance from one end of the 8 foot piece to the other, is always minimial.  The last piece I cut there was a variance of .2 mm.  See what I mean about amazingly precise.

Brian

 

[b_m_hart]

Its not that they aren't accurate, but that they can be a pain to get to the exact number at times.  Basically anything not on a 5 it 10 can be dicey - and I have pretty solid vision .  also, this would make it faster and more accurate... something Festool seems to focus on.