Problem with OF1400 Guide Stop

[Rickfisher]

Hello.. I am hoping someone can help..

I have a Festool OF1400 Router and about 6 months ago I bought a Guide Stop,  part number 492601 .. 

I used it for a project that required a bunch of stopped dado's.. it worked reasonably well..

Anyway.. the little metric nuts in the underside of the Guide stop actually worked themselves loose and fell out..  I searched the shop and found them, but since replacing them.. they guide stop squeals and screeches when sliding on the Festool track..  I have fiddled with it and tried to figure out why..

Today, I decided to put some paste wax on the guide rail, when it occurred to me that this isn't right .. its not supposed to be this way..

Has anyone had this problem, or do they know any solution ?

 

[Brice Burrell]

Hi Rick, welcome to the FOG. How about you post a picture of your guide stop and we can figure out what's wrong.

 

[harry_]

as odd as this may sound, try flipping the nut over. I was mucking with one of my guide stops today and noticed that one side of the nut is 'curved while the other is 'flat'. if the flat side is making contact to the guide that might be culprit.

The difference between flat and curved is subtle, but does exist.

 

[Rickfisher]

This is the unit..

Besides the horrible screeching sound it makes when sliding.. it also does not seem to fit the track anymore.. It has a significant amout of play on the track.. I think its 6 months old ??

As I said.. the screws fell out of the far section.. I was unaware.. I think they came loose when I was using it .. ? I dunno..

It has been this way for over a month.. I have tried to use it, but have gone back to clamping a 1x4 across the work piece.. lol.

 

[harry_]

Ignore my previous post. I thought you were referring to a 'flag stop'.

I see nothing in the picture that jumps out at me. However, you say it is loose on the guide, which makes me think that it is not adjusted to the guide properly. Which is what those screws/nuts are used for.

 

[tbellemare]

Rick:

Can you give us more detail about which nuts fell out?

Tom

Edit: Harry asked a similar question...

 

[Rickfisher]

It was these two nuts that fell out ..

I really think this is just a "dud"..  I wondered if a bunch of people would say.. " oh.. you got one of those.. huh.. " .. lol

 

[Rickfisher]

Its a fairly simple device..  I would think there would be some problem that would stand right out at me..  ?

Tightening it up does not sufficiently snug it up to the rail.. and it makes sounds that scare dogs for block..  lol...

I have tightened those nuts.. Too much and I cant slide the jig.. not enough and it squeals..  I am thinking paste wax again...  [embarassed]

 

[spikfot]

I have the rail guides for the OF2000 and the OF1400 and occasionally get the "squeal" or resonance that you describe. And yes it makes the hair stand up on my teeth. I just loosen the screws a 1/4 turn and blow off the rail. It would have been much better to have a small UHMW covers on the tensioning tabs, and honestly I was a little disappointed that something that obvious was overlooked on the drawing board.  Maybe die ingenieure are listening....

 

[Michael Kellough]

Its a fairly simple device..  I would think there would be some problem that would stand right out at me..  ?

Tightening it up does not sufficiently snug it up to the rail.. and it makes sounds that scare dogs for block..  lol...

I have tightened those nuts.. Too much and I cant slide the jig.. not enough and it squeals..  I am thinking paste wax again...   [embarassed]

Spray some kind of "dry lube" onn the guide rail. Helps with the saw too.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I agree with Michael. I use a product called TopCoat.

 

[Rickfisher]

William, does your guide fit snug on the track, or can you wiggle it on the track ??

 

[spikfot]

I find that a little loose is better than snug. The guides should glide on the track- a wiggle sounds too loose to me. I blow off the rails with compressed air in the shop, in the field i just wipe them.