SOLVED: LR32 Hole position discrepancy of 0.5mm

[Holmz]

So you are basically saying the router/plate system is not in-line (or is not perfectly normal to) the rail, is off by 1/4-mm.
Itnis either the holes in the router base, or the holes in the baseplate... Or a combination.
If a different rail adapter base plate does not rectify it, then it would be the router's base with the holes offset.
Does a bushing also result in the bit being not in axial alignment with the bushing?

 

[RSmike]

Homlz,

I think we are on the same page. 

I still have to check a few more things. 

I may need to make a test cabinet and see if the same thing happens again.  The odd thing is my first cabinet's holes are off what looks like almost 2mm.... and that's when I walked away for the evening.  However when I perform what I'll call my "proof tests" I'm only seeing the potential for 1mm of error at most.  That would indicate that I hosed up something on my first cabinet. 

Festool was quick to respond and asked me to contact the distributor.  I haven't heard back from them.  Hopefully I'll have time to prove to myself if 1mm is something I need to worry about. 

I'll gladly eat crow if it was some user type of error....I have a kitchen to build.

thank you for listening...

 

[Holmz]

[member=3633]RSmike[/member]
maybe put in 2 sets of holes on a test piece with the holy gRail "indexed from the same end" and space them 12-20" apart (TBD).

Then move the rail and "pin it" into the holes you made. Do a plunge.

Rotate the rail 180 and "pin it" to the other set of the initial 2 sets-o-holes.
... Your plunge with this should be close to (or right next to) the non-180 plunge (if the 12-20" spacing was selected properly.)

As I suspect it was a manufacturing defect the dealer supplying another part should take care of it... But it never hurts to test that that replacement part is working as it should.

 

[RSmike]

Holmz - Oh that's a really good idea.  Thank you buddy!

The night before last I spent four hours from 10pm to 2am trying to figure out my problem.  I've been in the fog (not the FOG) since then.  hahaha

I'll do this type of check tomorrow. 

 

[Holmz]

Holmz - Oh that's a really good idea.  Thank you buddy!

The night before last I spent four hours from 10pm to 2am trying to figure out my problem.  I've been in the fog (not the FOG) since then.  hahaha

I'll do this type of check tomorrow.

I have a lot of good ideas 8) ... just some do not actually work in real-life...  [embarassed]

The problem with this one is that any error in the rail not being "normal" to the edge results in an error of:
SIN(angle-error)*(12-20"-dimension /2) per hole
Or
SIN(angle-error)*(12-20" dimension)      total misalignment between the holes.

But doing the old base and the new base from the same first pair of rail-holes should show whether the old and new base are different.
of course in real-life it may not work...  [crying]

 

[RSmike]

Ok I'm an idiot after all...  Whew! I feel better about that since it means Festool still makes great stuff. 

My measuring equipment was really jacked up.  I had to pitch one relatively nice square and one combination square.  I now own a Woodpeckers square. [My wallet still hurts from buying it.]  With this new square I was able to prove that my holes are really quite accurate.  The 1 millimeter error I was seeing on my "proof test" was due to my "been dropped one too many times and never checked for square" square.  Grrr!  I feel stupid for not doing a basic check. 

I still cannot figure out what happened on my first cabinet.  It's way off; tippy shelves.  Something must have moved. 

Holmz - I never did try your hole verification trick.  Once I proved my square wasn't square I really knew it was user error.  Doh!

I have gotten used to checking my relative hole placements.  Mainly because I'm paranoid.  It takes about 4-5 minutes of extra time.... I set up for my first row of holes.  Then I put the router in place and make a slight dimple with the tip of the router bit.  (no power on the route)  Then I take everything off and set up for the other side of rows.  I put the router in place and again make a dimple. (no power on the router, just lower the bit).  Then I remove everything and check the alignment across the board with my new Woodpeckers square.  So far things have been in alignment....and I probably can stop being paranoid...at least about my LR32 system.  I'm still keeping my foil hat.

One thing that I may have done on my first cabinet that I think I took for granted.  When routing the holes it's best to push (or pull) working towards the same reference end.  I'm pretty sure I recall reading this but didn't fully appreciate it.  There is a very very small amount of 'play' in the base.  (not side to side - in line with the rail)  I'm almost positive that I worked towards myself on one row and away from myself on the other row.  This tiny bit of slop ends up being doubled.  So any error I had was made even worse.

I humbly ask for forgiveness from the Festool Gods.  How so I make it right.  Sacrifice a yellow power tool?

 

[ajones]

Great you have told us about your error.perhaps changing the title of the thread to reflect this may be helpfull

 

[peter halle]

Great you have told us about your error.perhaps changing the title of the thread to reflect this may be helpfull

I took care of that just now.

Peter