Seneca Parallel Guides

[ShawnNYC]

I purchased the Seneca guides a month or so ago and haven't had time to set them up yet. My question is how to go about ripping narrow strips of plywood at 8' x 1.5".
I could readjust the guides every cut, but that seems a little laborious and I'm hoping there's a better way. They came with the narrow stock adapters so, could I use them from the outside of the sheet and support them somehow?
Any help from someone whose used them would be great. I have to cut up at least two sheets of these strips...

 

[nclemmons]

If you ordered the narrow stock adapters with them, just attach them to the Seneca guides, set your width to 1.5" from the vinyl cutting guide on the rail to the narrow stock adapter that extend from the left under the rail.  Simple!

Lay that on your piece of plywood and cut.  I use a couple of different lengths of the Incra track, both 18" and 36" T-track.  For the narrower width rips, I'd use the shorter track so you can push the saw through the 8' length from the left side of the guides / rail.

This shows the guides with the narrow stock adapters below them. https://www.festoolproducts.com/Parallel-Guide-System-for-Incra-T-Track-Plus-p/swpg01.htm

Hope this makes sense?.

 

[ShawnNYC]

Makes sense. I think that's what I meant. I'd have to flip the track around so the cutting edge is facing the bulk of the sheet and maybe clamp it somehow, right?
I guess it's either that or drag a TS up to the barn where I need to work. 

 

[nclemmons]

Yes - flip the work so the saved piece is under the rail.  A fester roll rail clamp under the rail on each end might be needed unless you have a helper to hold the rail and help slide over the setup.

I did this for furring strips in a bath remodel a couple of months ago.  Cut about 40 or so 1.5" strips using this method with two people.  I used the saw on the rail with the bag so I did not have to deal with the hose.

Probably the fastest way to clamp would be with this.  Works great if you are working alone.https://www.festoolproducts.com/Festool-489790-Fs-rapid-Clamp-And-Fixed-Jaws-For-F-p/489790.htm

 

[ShawnNYC]

I'll give them a shot on Saturday. Thanks for the info.

 

[s1301950]

in general, if you have a mft, do you still need parallel guide, say to rip?

 

[Cochese]

in general, if you have a mft, do you still need parallel guide, say to rip?

I can't accommodate 8' lengths on a MFT, so yes. I really need to pick up a set before I build these bookcases I want.

 

[nclemmons]

I worked for many years without a parallel guide.  I measured from the edge of the wood and used two razor blades to mark the dimensions in the wood, then pushed the guide rail up against the razor blades, clamped the rail and removed the razor blades.

No where as fast (or potentially as repeatable consistently) as using a parallel guide, but if you are operating within a budget and still want accuracy, the razor blades and clamps will work well.

 

[Oldwood]

I asked the same question a while back and I believe it was Richard who suggested a method that works very well for this.

You run the stops tight to the rail attachment bracket then use this setting to cut a piece of scrap the length of the pieces you are ripping. Then you move the stop away from the bracket the distance of the piece you want to rip and push the scrap tight to the stops. Now your track is supported by the scrap and you can hold your stock under the guide rail up against the scrap and cut your piece, rinse and repeat

Hope that makes sense.

 

[s1301950]

i think it's the quick set up repetitive cut that wins me over. So my old question was can i use the track from kreg precision stop system for this:
https://www.kregtool.com/store/c47/saw-accessories/p107/precision-trak-stop-kit/

you think it'll fit?

 

[nclemmons]

I'd reach out to Ryan at Seneca Woodworking and ask.  The guides were designed for the Incra track so not sure if those Kreg tracks are the same size or not.

 

[ShawnNYC]

I asked the same question a while back and I believe it was Richard who suggested a method that works very well for this.

You run the stops tight to the rail attachment bracket then use this setting to cut a piece of scrap the length of the pieces you are ripping. Then you move the stop away from the bracket the distance of the piece you want to rip and push the scrap tight to the stops. Now your track is supported by the scrap and you can hold your stock under the guide rail up against the scrap and cut your piece, rinse and repeat

Hope that makes sense.

Makes perfect sense and would probably be the easiest way if I end up working alone. I can set it up on the centipede...
Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Oldwood]

I asked the same question a while back and I believe it was Richard who suggested a method that works very well for this.

You run the stops tight to the rail attachment bracket then use this setting to cut a piece of scrap the length of the pieces you are ripping. Then you move the stop away from the bracket the distance of the piece you want to rip and push the scrap tight to the stops. Now your track is supported by the scrap and you can hold your stock under the guide rail up against the scrap and cut your piece, rinse and repeat

Hope that makes sense.

Makes perfect sense and would probably be the easiest way if I end up working alone. I can set it up on the centipede...
Thanks for the heads up.

How is the centipede to work on? Is it stable or wobbly. I like the look of them for portability.

Thanks,

 

[Holmz]

...
How is the centipede to work on? Is it stable or wobbly. I like the look of them for portability.

Centipedes and millipedes would have to be metric. Once they go Imperial all this is out.

 

[sancho57]

Garry martin show us a nice way of setting the Seneca guides, he had a WP straight edge with a stop on it and simply set the straight edge to the length set the stop and set the PG simple

 

[GarryMartin]

How is the centipede to work on? Is it stable or wobbly. I like the look of them for portability.

Slightly off-topic but I have two of the 4x2 versions and they are surprising stable, especially if you secure a top to them with pegs or clamps rather than just placing the top on loose. Even loose though, they're more stable than you'd expect them to be from simply looking at the photos.

 

[Oldwood]

How is the centipede to work on? Is it stable or wobbly. I like the look of them for portability.

Slightly off-topic but I have two of the 4x2 versions and they are surprising stable, especially if you secure a top to them with pegs or clamps rather than just placing the top on loose. Even loose though, they're more stable than you'd expect them to be from simply looking at the photos.

Thanks Gary I think I'll give one a try.

 

[s1301950]

Garry martin show us a nice way of setting the Seneca guides, he had a WP straight edge with a stop on it and simply set the straight edge to the length set the stop and set the PG simple

i found it!http://festoolownersgroup.com/festo...allel-guides-setting-jig/msg455741/#msg455741

Wish fog have hash tags searching... great posts like this should have wp tagged. sometimes even if you're looking at the product on their website, it's hard to visualize how it can be used, and what circumstances people are using it in.