Use a DeWalt Router with Festool Guide Rail - How?

joesan

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Joined
Feb 14, 2009
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27
Until I can afford a new Festool router to go with my amazing TS55 I need to use my old DeWalt one.

Does anyone know of a way of using a 1/4" DeWalt router with the Festool guide rails? For example can the Festool router guide attachment be used on the DeWalt or do DeWalt sell a "universal" guide attachment that can be used with the Festool guide rails?

I'd really appreciate if someone who knows for sure can answer!
 
First off, let me say that the DeWalt 616/618 bases cannot be used with the LR32 hole drilling kit.  This was something I was inquiring about a month or so back, and after some experimentation have come to the definite conclusion its not workable.  The DeWalt base screw hole position means that you would have screw heads scraping along the guide rail.  There is not enough "body" in the DeWalt's base to redrill holes.  The Festool router design has the screws off the guide rail and positioned on the auxiliary support foot.

As far as simply using the DeWalt routers with a guide rail (and not the hole drilling kit), there are two options.
1) DeWalt's own rail adapter.  I'm not sure anyone has confirmed that it is compatible with Festool guidel.
http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/does-this-new-dewalt-router-adapter-work-on-a-festool-rail-i-hope-so!/

2) Micro fence adapters.  These are known to work with the Festool guides, but requires several parts.  The total cost is well over $200, if I'm reading their site correctly.
http://microfence.com/interface-festo-p-72.html
http://microfence.com/universal-router-plate-p-83.html
http://microfence.com/circles-c-23.html
http://microfence.com/model-mounting-p-121.html

In my quest to use my routers (I have four 618s with various bases) with the Festool system, I have wound up doing the only thing that makes any real sense:  I purchased an OF1400.   [wink]    Got a fairly decent deal on it and it arrives today.   [big grin]
 
joesan,

The best set up in my opinion is to use the Microfence set up with your Festool guide rail.  I will work with any router.  So when you move up to the Festool routers you will use it with them as well.  The system is machine shop precise and the best way to go if you only want to buy one.  It is an expensive system over all.  If you want to know what you need to make it work, I would call their 800 number.  Trying to get the info off the website is difficult until you understand all the options and variations of their system.  

Watch the videos and give them a call.  I have quite a few of their products and all are superb.

http://microfence.com/video-i-6.html
 
I tried to use my Porter Cable edge guide with the guide rail but to no avail.

Richard.
 
wnagle said:
joesan,

The best set up in my opinion is to use the Microfence set up with your Festool guide rail.  I will work with any router.  So when you move up to the Festool routers you will use it with them as well.  The system is machine shop precise and the best way to go if you only want to buy one.  It is an expensive system over all.  If you want to know what you need to make it work, I would call their 800 number.  Trying to get the info off the website is difficult until you understand all the options and variations of their system.  

Watch the videos and give them a call.  I have quite a few of their products and all are superb.

http://microfence.com/video-i-6.html

+1 on the Micro Fence.  I love their stuff, precise and fits all of my routers (not just my Festool) so that I only have to have one edge guide.
 
I tried putting the dewalt guide rail on the festool rail in the store when they first came out.  As I remember it the cams would not tighten  on the rail enough to remove all the play. 
 
I purchased the rail guide in last years NJ woodworking show.

wnagle said:
I tried putting the dewalt guide rail on the festool rail in the store when they first came out.  As I remember it the cams would not tighten  on the rail enough to remove all the play. 

I used self adhesive UHMW tape to fix that issue, work well.
 
All the microfence replies kill me... Agreed that they make phenomenal product, but if the OP is waiting until he can afford a Fes router, he's probably going to also wait (again) until he can afford the microfence.

My suggestion is to use the guide rail clamps, and slide the router along the aluminum side as an improvised guide. It's not as fancy, but you'll save more money on it in the short run, and you can tuck away those savings in your OF 1400 jar. There are numerous benefits to getting the Fes router, above and beyond the ability to use the guide rail. (guide rail more adjustable, router more precise, accessories more versatile, etc) Better off saving for that, than spending the same amount in smaller quantities, on solutions that sort-of work. Don't waste money on the half-assed solutions... you'll end up spending more money over time that way. Spend as little as possible until you can get the better tool.
 
Bijeshj,

Thanks for the picture of the DeWalt with the Festool guide -- I have a 621 that I want to use with the rail and I just ordered the guide.  Question - you mention that you used UHMW tape to remove any slop on the rail and the attachment -- what brand and size tape did you use -- any particular thickness?

Thanks,

Scot 
 
My DeWalt guide arrived today and it seems to fit the rail nicely -- I did not have any play on the rail once I tightened the cams (you do have to tighten them all the way).  I will give it a workout tomorrow, but this seems to be a good option for anyone with a DeWalt or Porter Cable router that they want to use with a Festool Rail.  My next router will be a Festool, but until that day comes this will get me by.  Thanks for the post on this work-around.

Scot
 
James Watriss said:
All the microfence replies kill me... Agreed that they make phenomenal product, but if the OP is waiting until he can afford a Fes router, he's probably going to also wait (again) until he can afford the microfence.

My suggestion is to use the guide rail clamps, and slide the router along the aluminum side as an improvised guide. It's not as fancy, but you'll save more money on it in the short run, and you can tuck away those savings in your OF 1400 jar. There are numerous benefits to getting the Fes router, above and beyond the ability to use the guide rail. (guide rail more adjustable, router more precise, accessories more versatile, etc) Better off saving for that, than spending the same amount in smaller quantities, on solutions that sort-of work. Don't waste money on the half-assed solutions... you'll end up spending more money over time that way. Spend as little as possible until you can get the better tool.

 If using the parallel guides to align your rail to the workpiece you would need to clamp the rail once set and then remove the parallel guide before routing.  At least that is how I would see it -- I don't own the parallel guides, but instead have my own home brewed version.  I think any adapter to allow your router to use the rail that also places the router on the 'aluminum' side would be a problem for many situations.
 
ScotF said:
My DeWalt guide arrived today and it seems to fit the rail nicely -- I did not have any play on the rail once I tightened the cams (you do have to tighten them all the way).  I will give it a workout tomorrow, but this seems to be a good option for anyone with a DeWalt or Porter Cable router that they want to use with a Festool Rail.  My next router will be a Festool, but until that day comes this will get me by.  Thanks for the post on this work-around.

Scot

Scot, it is great that it worked out. I had to use the tape to reduce the clearance, quite possible Dewalt made an update.

Bijesh
 
ScotF said:
My DeWalt guide arrived today and it seems to fit the rail nicely

Scot, I also have DeWalt router and have been playing with this idea in my head for quite a while now. The router is still very good so I'm not gonna buy a Festool router any time soon. Can you give me the part number of the DeWalt guide?
 
Hi Alex,

It is a DWS5031 -- I bought it from CPO and used Bing so it came out to $46.99 for the part plus tax and shipping.  It is hard to find locally, although Ganhal Lumber where I live carries them for $59.99.  I will see how well it works today and tomorrow when I give it a workout. 

Scot
 
Thanks Scot, I'm from The Netherlands so I'll have to find one here but with your information I can just go to a dealer and order it.
 
Thanks, Alex...I see that you are not in the US, but I am sure it will not be a problem finding the accessory.

I stand corrected on the fit of this guide to the rail -- without the router attached it seemed to fit well.  However, with the router attached it had slop.  As Bijesh stated, adding a little UHMW tape to the inside of the adaptor took all the slop out and now it works fine -- it glides smoothly with no play in it.  So if anyone gets this accessory, I would also make sure you have some tape on hand to adjust for slop.

Thanks,

Scot

 
If you are looking to get a more permanent solution to get the play out of Dewalt Router guide and the Festool track, this was my solution.  A little work, but if you are decent with a dremel tool then you can have this done in 20 minutes or less. I guess you could also use a hand file but would be a very tedious task considering you have to preserve the bottom and side edge of the Cam and also you need a pretty consistent line all the way around. I suggest borrowing a dremel with a 561 MultiPurpose Cutting Bit, and a pair of channel locks. 



This is the dewalt plunge router with the attachment ($45-50) with Festool Cams that I got from a dealer in town which comes in two pairs (one for old saws, and one for new saws).  The hole in the middle of the Cam is open and slides over the black stem but have different sizes so just pick the ones that fit, they will be the lighter of the two colors (one dark pair and one light pair).  I can't remember the exact price but I know it was around $25, maybe a little less, and I can't remember the part number but the guy at the store just called up to Indiana and they figured it out.  If you have your saw just look in the parts diagram in the back of the manual.



So, first off you can see the Cam is a little chewed up.  This is where I was holding it with vice grip channel locks.  I have the small irwin pair which are nice because they have some teeth that can lock into the grooves on the Cam so you don't have to crank down to hard to hold it tight.  Whatever you use they need to be skinny enough to work with the dremel.  You could also just put it in a vice, but I didn't want to risk over tightening and warping it, or having it too loose, move around and dremeling the Cam side that would eventually be riding against the track.

I just eyeballed the amount that needed to come out, but basically it is halfway, or just bit over, down the side edge that touches the t-track on the guide rail.  The easiest way to describe it is to compare the Festool Cams that you get or have with the ones that you are replacing from the guide, you will need to be at least that low to fit under the slot where the Cams sits in the guide. You can see a little indent or cove that goes all the way around the Cam just below the grip, this is where you need to use the dremel bit to eat away, Slowly, very SLOWLY (on a middle rotary speed, not fast not slow) half of the side edge.  Use the channel locks to stabilize and the other hand to do the dremeling.  I just turned the bit long ways across the face and just cut a decently clean line around and the dove in barely past where the grip plane is.  One important thing is to try and make it square to the face, it doesn't matter about the back of the cut. 



This isn't the most clear picture, but as you can see it fits into the slots in the guide and allows the Festool Cam to increases the spacing to fit the Festool track. Ultimately, the way I determined if this would work or not was lining up the Cam holes from my saw and the black ones from the guide and noticed that the Festool ones had 1-2mm more, which is just enough to sure up the slop.  They take some finesse to get in, you pretty much just have to spin them till they look like it will slide down onto the stem and then rotate it around into the slot.

After all this work you will notice that this is still not perfect, it fits snug with no play to the track but the height of the Festool t-track is taller that the depth of the Dewalt guide slot so it rides nicely laterally but Can, NOT 'does', but can have tilt if you don't have everything supported well.  I'm not 100% (maybe 85%) happy with it, but it is a temporary solution until I can talk myself into buying a Festool router or my dewalt dies, which might be a while.  Till then...
 
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