Rubber strip on guide rails

[Toolpig]

Does anybody know if Festool still makes the black-colored rubber strips for the plunge saw guide rails? 

I really hate the clear ones.  It's hard for me to see if the strip is right on my cut line, especially when I'm leaning over a sheet plywood.  [wink]

 

[peter halle]

Festool doesn't supply the black splinter strips any longer.  Several members have switched over to the Makita black splinter strips that also have a different adhesive.  You can do a google search, but here is just one link:  http://www.amazon.com/Makita-194418-6-Splinter-Replacement-55-Inch/dp/B005JI1ZB6

Peter

 

[Toolpig]

Cool -- thanks for the link!

I still don't understand how the clear strip is supposed to be an improvement over the black one.  Seems to be another solution without a problem.

 

[ccarrolladams]

Cool -- thanks for the link!

I still don't understand how the clear strip is supposed to be an improvement over the black one.  Seems to be another solution without a problem.

Needless to say, never has Festool officially shared their reasoning for changing the splinter-guard from the original black to the current clear material with me. By the way, it is only the anti-slip strips on the bottom of the guide rails that are made of a rubber-like material.

Of course when I bought my first several guide rails in 2006 all the splinter-guards were black. They served me well, largely because I mark my cuts with a knife, not a pencil. However, many of the master cabinet makers working for me do use pencil marks. By now all of my many guide-rails have the clear splinter-guards. What we all have found is there is an advantage to being able to see the rail side of the guide mark. It is a comforting double check to be sure before committing to the cut that all of the line is outside the splinter-guard.

So, to me this is actual a logical solution of a previously nagging problem.

 

[Toolpig]

Hmm... I use pencil marks and have never had a problem.  I do always sharpen my pencil before making my marks, though. 

With the black strips, I check to make sure the pencil mark is completely outside the strip by lifting up each end of the guide to double check.  Has never been a problem for me, but then I'm not in a production situation, so I guess I can see how it might be useful for some people and not others.

Too bad Festool doesn't offer both options (clear and black).  [sad]

 

[ccarrolladams]

The thing is a lot of us prefer to double check rail placement without needing to lift each end. Our reasoning is the risk that lifting the rail to double check can introduce a new error.

It is true that my shop builds a lot of cabinets each week. All are custom-made with exacting tolerances. It is also true that for the vast majority of cabinet case parts, those without bevel and with right angle corners, we use my CNC pressure beam saw that is accurate to 0.05mm. Plywood can shrink of swell more than that in a couple of hours.

We use guide rails and TS55EQ saws to make parts with bevels or odd angle corners. With decades of experience all of us have become very precise making such parts.