ts55 guide rail question, newbie here,

[mrchips]

went to my local tool shop yesterday,looking fo some nice framing chisels, well needless to say i wandered over to the festool section
and came away with the ts55 and guide rail, planer and jigsaw.....
still cant quite believe i have them, and even had to get up in the night to make sure ;D

i fel like a big kid and cant wait to use them...
anyhow since i have them thought i`d sign on to this website and say hi i`m new here...please be gentle...

with regards to the guide rail i need to get some clamps as far as i can make out there are two types , ratchet lever clamp and screw clamp set..on the site i`m looking at their are no pictures to view either,,
can anyone advise me.

thankyou.....mrchips or should i say mr way to happy... ;D

 

[Loz_S]

That's a nice little set you've got there. Welcome to the slope, you'll find it gets greasier the further down you get  ;D

As for the clamps, I have both types. I find the screw type are fine if not better for merely clamping the guide rules in place to sheets or thick work. The ratchet clamps are very expensive but they do have their uses. For me that means as hold-down clamps on the CMS cutting table. They are really quick and easy to reposition but hold work down firmly without bruising the surface of my work as they have a larger rectangular foot. The screw clamps merely have a simple round foot.

Have search on the Festool site for 491594 and 489570, you can see some pictures then.

 

[The Dude]

Congratulations....A slippery slope indeed!  Well worth it though if you are serious about working your wood. 

On the tips and tricks page, all the way at the bottom, there is some straight forward advice on which clamps the "junkies" recommend.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and take a peek.  "Bare Necessity Accessories" number 8.

Bare Necessity Accessories

Timmy C

 

[Brice Burrell]

This picture is from Forrest's gallery.

I have all of the Festool clamps, I happen to really like the Quick Clamps 491594, I use them the most.
Here is a short review of the Festool Quick Clamps.

 

[Forrest Anderson]

with regards to the guide rail i need to get some clamps as far as i can make out there are two types , ratchet lever clamp and screw clamp set..on the site i`m looking at their are no pictures to view either,,
can anyone advise me.

The lack of pictures is precisely why I suggested the Festool Product Gallery, which is part of the Festool Owners Group. It was only created a couple of days ago, so hasn't got many photos in it yet, but by good fortune there are some photos of the FSZ120 screw clamp in it.

If you click on the picture below, you'll be taken to the "Saws" section of the gallery. You'll be able to see various views of the screw clamp, and if you click on the photo, you'll get a larger version.



The FSZ120 is probably the most common clamp (and the cheapest), and they can be used for general glue-ups too, in cases where damage by the steel foot doesn't matter. It is also available as a 300mm version in the form of the FSZ300.

I have all of the Festool clamps, I happen to really like the Quick Clamps 491594, I use them the most.
Here is a short review of the Festool Quick Clamps.

Brice, your super photos are just what the Festool Product Gallery needs! If you upload them to join the photos of the screw clamp, then that would be step towards centralising product photos under one roof.

And a plea to all members - if you have taken some photos of Festool tools and accessories, please upload them to the new Festool Product Gallery so that they can be easy for people to find. If the process seems a bit daunting, then all you have to do is point me towards some of your photos, and I'll upload them for you!

All you need to do is say something like:

"My review of the ETS 150/3 sander can be found at _____, so feel free to post any of the photos of the Festool Product Gallery"

or

"In the thread titled ____, I submitted some pictures of my new Kapex on 1 Jun 2007. I am happy for you to use them in the Festool Product Gallery"

In summary, all I need is your permission to use your photos - I'll do the rest!

Forrest

 

[mrchips]

thanks for your help guys,
gone online and ordered the screw clamps.... seriously liked the other ones , but a bit pricey...
just looking forward to tomorrow now have a kitchen to finnish and can`t wait to try tthem out..
cheers all

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Welcome MrChips!  Glad to share the slippery slope with you.  Quite a haul you have - cool tools.  Now, to get the most out of those screw clamps, you will need the Multi Function Table.  There are 20mm holes drilled in a matrix all through the top.  You can clamp anything anywhere!!!  It just doesn't get any cooler.  I use my traditional workbench as a place to store systainers and clamps now that I have the MFT

 

[Michael Kellough]

Rick, would you say the trunnions/pivot point on the TS saws have been substantially improved over the older ATF saws?

I use an ATF 55 and recently did a project that required fractional degree compound miters (and inside corner plunge cuts from both sides of the material). I used a Wixey Digital Angle Gauge to set the bevel but found that when the saw is tilted more than 40 degrees there is so little mutual contact area on the trunnions that the toe adjustment can't be maintained. Even though I could adjust the angle of the blade +/_ 1/20 degree the toe could creep off enough to make the effective angle +/_ 1/2 degree or worse.

Do you think this is less a problem with the TS saws?

 

[Brent b]

MrChips, I want to suggest experimenting with using the guide rail without clamps. They hold remarkably well on many different surfaces, including melamine.  There are instances where the clamps are absolutely necessary, such as angle cutting, but for vast majority of cuts I just the set guide to the line and go.  It adds up over the course of the day.  So did you get those framing chisels?
Goodbye Mr. Chips (couldn't resist)
Brent

 

[mrchips]

Hi brent thanks for that piece of advice , i did see that on the website- a guy cutting with no clamps- but thought it was just set upthat way for the picture, i`ll give that one a go.. as for chisels no I never did get them which is a pain as i am about to start a timber frame outhouse come workshop build, using traditional joints.... but thats another story but I did go onto the axminster tool website to look for online , and have just had the penny dropped feeling about ` the slippery slope`
1)screw clamps
2) another systainer box
3) guide rail stops
4)  case for the guide rail
5) dust bag for planer

yep i`m sliding down that slippery slope very very fast, with a big smile on my face though

rick ,you must have been reading my mind, my saw never came with a manual so i have printed that off . Just as well as there are a couple of things I have to do first on set up thanks...
and thanks to everyone else... going to hide my credit card now !!!!

 

[Dave Rudy]

... going to hide my credit card now !!!!

Hiding your credit card works about as well as hiding a bottle of brandy when it comes to Festool addiction.  Better shred it and permanently forget the numbers if you want a fighting chance.

On the clamps, I held off for years on the quick clamps because of cost.  Now that I have them, I use them constantly, and always reach for them first.  From easier jaws on the work to speed and ease of use, they're great!  (I still have a number of the screw clamps in both lengths for hold down, glue ups, etc., but for sawing it's typically no clamps or the speed clamps for me!

Welcome to the seriously infected group.  Somehow, it makes us all feel better to see other people deep in it too -- I guess it's "misery loves company".

Dave

 

[John Langevin]

MrChips, Congratulations on your new additions (addiction?). I used the quick clamps for a couple of years with the rail and always on the MFT. Recently I purchased a FS-Rapid clamp for use with the rail and as a low-profile bar clamp. When cutting multiple sheets of ply the Rapid Clamp saves a lot of time, especially on crosscuts, since the fixed end doesn't need to be moved. I also made a simple stop screw for the pistol grip end that I set just in from the end of the rail. This keeps the pistol grip portion from sliding off the rail when you reposition it to make a cut. Good luck with your outhouse, er workshop!

 

[mrchips]

Welcome MrChips!  Glad to share the slippery slope with you.  Quite a haul you have - cool tools.  Now, to get the most out of those screw clamps, you will need the Multi Function Table.  There are 20mm holes drilled in a matrix all through the top.  You can clamp anything anywhere!!!  It just doesn't get any cooler.  I use my traditional workbench as a place to store systainers and clamps now that I have the MFT

just checked that MFT out, yep it sure looks good , very good in fact, what one do you have?

i should have listened to dave and shredded my card  : although i`m sure if I lock my self in a room I can get  over this  

Ok is there a counceling section here?

 

[Dave Rudy]

Ok is there a counceling section here?

Wouldn't do you any good.  You've unfortunately fallen into the pit of a group of guys who are not recovering in any sense and all happy to be addicts.  It's horrible.

 

[Hoover]

1)screw clamps
2) another systainer box
3) guide rail stops
4)  case for the guide rail
5) dust bag for planer

yep i`m sliding down that slippery slope very very fast, with a big smile on my face though

If you were getting the systainer, 2 clamps and rail stops, you should have just gone for the accessory kithttp://www.festoolusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProdID=492396&ID=8

 

[woodshopdemos]

Ok is there a counceling section here?

[/quote]

This forum is filled with good ideas and guidance...just like you have here. I also point you in the direction of my site "woodshopdemos.com". I have created the link to go directly to the Festool Sub-menu I have created on the website.Sub-menu of Festool stories on woodshopdemos.com

In the beginning we used the clamps all the time. Now - rarely.
This is Beth making her first cut with the Festool ATF 55.

 

[Frans]

Ehm, I think you forgot to get yourself a CT22 (or larger). Better get back to that dealer asap 

Don't forget, you'll save $ 45,- on the planer dustbag which you won't need then. Just think of all that you could do with that amount of loose change in your pocket! Although I suggest spending it on a thicker hose for the CT22.

Have fun with your new tools!

 

[Dave Ronyak]

The lack of pictures is precisely why I suggested the Festool Product Gallery, which is part of the Festool Owners Group. It was only created a couple of days ago, so hasn't got many photos in it yet, but by good fortune there are some photos of the FSZ120 screw clamp in it.



The FSZ120 is probably the most common clamp (and the cheapest), and they can be used for general glue-ups too, in cases where damage by the steel foot doesn't matter. It is also available as a 300mm version in the form of the FSZ300. ...]

I give up!  Who dun it?  I don't know how to post a picture, don't have functioning digital camera, and haven't sent any pics made by scanning a printed photo.  Can anyone explain how this is attributed to me?  I wish I could create such good pics and prose.

Dave R.  01Aug2007

Has anyone found a plastic or rubber sleeve that can be slipped over the steel foot of an FSZ clamp to minimize damage to the workpiece?   I haven't tried it yet, but I would think that a piece of vinyl tubing or hose should help reduce marking by the steel foot.   A molded plastic sleeve with a slightly flattened grippy surface like Bic and Papermate mold onto some of their inexpensive ball point pens would be a perfect accessory, as would a larger pad to snap onto the round pad on these clamps.

As we all know or eventually learn - you can never have too many clamps nor too many different styles and sizes of clamps!!  I find myself repeatedly needing to clamp odd shaped, contoured pieces for repair and refurbishment work, rather than simple-to-clamp right angles and flat, parallel surfaces.

Dave R.

 

[Forrest Anderson]

Has anyone found a plastic or rubber sleeve that can be slipped over the steel foot of an FSZ clamp to minimize damage to the workpiece?   I haven't tried it yet, but I would think that a piece of vinyl tubing or hose should help reduce marking by the steel foot.   A molded plastic sleeve with a slightly flattened grippy surface like Bic and Papermate mold onto some of their inexpensive ball point pens would be a perfect accessory, as would a larger pad to snap onto the round pad on these clamps.

For members who don't have a clamp within reach, the foot of the FSZ120 clamp looks like this:

The dimensions of the foot are shown in the following Sketchup drawing, together with a possible sleeve, made out of something...

Notes:

• The dimensions are approximate and vary slightly along the length of the clamp
• The end of the foot tapers. This can just be seen in the photo, but has not been shown in the drawing
• The same cross-section should be found on the FSZ300 clamp and the FSHZ160 Quick Clamp

Maybe something could be constructed out of hardwood, cut to a suitable width and height, routed along its length with a keyhole bit, and then chopped into sections to make several sleeves.

For those who prefer working in inches, click on the following pic to see the metric conversion chart in my gallery:



Forrest