Using a router with a rail.

[member=35979]geoffshep[/member]

Good Morning!  As another poster on FOG frequently says, your mileage may vary.  You are correct in my system, I do not remove the existing router base, and the router, with the added small bore base, sits flat on the material being routed, giving me excellent dados and rabbits.  I got this idea from a YouTube video showing the op using his OF1400 and FS rail to route rabbits and dados.  All this presupposes that you are using Guide Stop.

Hope this helps.

Don
 
joiner1970 said:
Edward A Reno III said:
[member=1584]joiner1970[/member]

When I do edge work on the 2200, I usually use the the edge guide.  One other advantage (which I also do on the 1400) is that you can actually use the rail attachment as a stabilizer when it's attached to the rods with the normal base and the edge guide (left hand on rail attachment, right hand on edge guide knob)  Is there a reason why you went rail on this?

Will have to check the fit of my guide bushing inserts -- i don't recall any play.

joiner1970 said:
joiner1970 said:
I tried using my 2200 awhile back to trim a chipboard worktop end, using the rail attachment and special base. I found there was a lot of wobble, due to the weight of the 2200 hanging over the edge. I gave up in the end & did it another way.

Has anyone else noticed this ?

Also my guide bushes are a loose fit, when fitted you can wiggle them around a tenth of a millimetre side to side. There's no play in my 1400 ones.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

Anyone ??
As Peter says above.

I'm not edging I'm trimming a straight edge onto a worktop end. Using the rail , but I've found with the router over the edge and no support that side it wobbles. Not easy to cut a clean square edge.

Also the thing about the guide bushes, has anyone else got a loose fitting one ?
I noticed it when I got the 2200 last year and I might have asked before on here. At the time I just stuck paper around it to wedge it in place. Since then I've looked at my of 1400 and there's no play whatsoever on that one.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

Hi Chippy,

I just had a look at my OF2200 and my OF1400 and there is a small amount of play in the guide bushes on the OF2200. I have the OF2200 Accessory Set, so I checked all the various size guide bushes and they all have the same amount of play.

The way the guide bush fits to the OF1400 is slightly different as it locks in place with sprung clips, whereas the OF2200 guide bush is just held in place on 4 locating pegs when the clip-on base runner is re-attached.

Having said that, I have'nt noticed any issues with inaccurate cuts when I've been using the Of2200, but I will double check the next time I use it in a couple of weeks time.
 
Distinctive Interiors said:
joiner1970 said:
Edward A Reno III said:
[member=1584]joiner1970[/member]

When I do edge work on the 2200, I usually use the the edge guide.  One other advantage (which I also do on the 1400) is that you can actually use the rail attachment as a stabilizer when it's attached to the rods with the normal base and the edge guide (left hand on rail attachment, right hand on edge guide knob)  Is there a reason why you went rail on this?

Will have to check the fit of my guide bushing inserts -- i don't recall any play.

joiner1970 said:
joiner1970 said:
I tried using my 2200 awhile back to trim a chipboard worktop end, using the rail attachment and special base. I found there was a lot of wobble, due to the weight of the 2200 hanging over the edge. I gave up in the end & did it another way.

Has anyone else noticed this ?

Also my guide bushes are a loose fit, when fitted you can wiggle them around a tenth of a millimetre side to side. There's no play in my 1400 ones.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

Anyone ??
As Peter says above.

I'm not edging I'm trimming a straight edge onto a worktop end. Using the rail , but I've found with the router over the edge and no support that side it wobbles. Not easy to cut a clean square edge.

Also the thing about the guide bushes, has anyone else got a loose fitting one ?
I noticed it when I got the 2200 last year and I might have asked before on here. At the time I just stuck paper around it to wedge it in place. Since then I've looked at my of 1400 and there's no play whatsoever on that one.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

Hi Chippy,

I just had a look at my OF2200 and my OF1400 and there is a small amount of play in the guide bushes on the OF2200. I have the OF2200 Accessory Set, so I checked all the various size guide bushes and they all have the same amount of play.

The way the guide bush fits to the OF1400 is slightly different as it locks in place with sprung clips, whereas the OF2200 guide bush is just held in place on 4 locating pegs when the clip-on base runner is re-attached.

Having said that, I have'nt noticed any issues with inaccurate cuts when I've been using the Of2200, but I will double check the next time I use it in a couple of weeks time.
Cheers mate that puts my mind at rest.

The 2200 has little magnets too to hold it in place. At first I was shimming it with paper but I don't bother now. I'm the same as you I've not noticed any problems with joints on worktops or anything else involving the guide bush.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 
The OF2200 can become inaccurate for cuts needing super accuracy and precision with if relying on the two rods solely for support.

The OF2200 needs a 4 point contact upgrade for the 2 rod locking method. I think anyone that uses the OF2200 everyday with the rods and circle jigs etc,  probably knows what I mean. There will be a degree of flex right at the rods because the rods are only held at two points to the base. This effects use on the rail or using jigs. It isn't enough to mess up a dados, but things that need more accuracy it can and does.

This does nag at me because my work is 80% matched radii, so I need to dial in at about .03" to get a perfect match. .03" error can be seen  by simply putting the wrong pressure on the router with the rod as they are stock. I really had to beef up my circle jig right at the point of the base of the router to compensate and still have to be very careful how I move the router. I would not have to do this if the router held the rods more firmly to the base.

I am hoping the OF 2200 next version has this fix along with a huge LED ring.

The OF2200 is still my best router and the best I have used, but it can be better. It is the only Festool router I suggest buying.
 
joiner1970 said:
As Peter says above.

I'm not edging I'm trimming a straight edge onto a worktop end. Using the rail , but I've found with the router over the edge and no support that side it wobbles. Not easy to cut a clean square edge.
What works great for me is to use the high side of the rail against my router base. Since the router base is to small I use a base I made out of aluminum, but wished now I had made it out of a phenolic sheet. Time spent making it wasn't much, so I may remake one. A table router base plate would work too, but my OF2000 doesn't have anything readily available, and the aluminum piece was $5.00. I also like having the router offset 1/16" so it is easy to flip the router in the table without adjusting the rail to change measurements. I have markings on the backside of the router plate for center measurements, etc. I have not removed the plate since it was installed. I have other routers for when clearance is an issue.

Another option if the work piece isn't too big and your router table is big enough is to just use a router table. One sheet of well supported melamine with a router table cut out and I can feed 4ft wide pieces thru it. Again using my Festool track as the guide rail, with the work against the high side of it. Just make sure the bit is pushing the work against the rail. Go the wrong direction and OH MY! Please video and share if you do screw up ;)

I made the dimensions of the base so it would all fit into a Sys4.
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First time posting, but this removes the wiggle. And makes it dead on.
 

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Steven Mark said:
First time posting, but this removes the wiggle. And makes it dead on.

Nice!

Do you do anything special to quickly set the rails parallel? Or just put them down with a block between...?
 
I have 2 MFT/3 so I use the extra swivel and stop but it would be just as easy to use clamps. Once there set your good to go, but yeah block anything to keep it parallel.
 
joiner1970 said:
joiner1970 said:
I tried using my 2200 awhile back to trim a chipboard worktop end, using the rail attachment and special base. I found there was a lot of wobble, due to the weight of the 2200 hanging over the edge. I gave up in the end & did it another way.

Has anyone else noticed this ?

Also my guide bushes are a loose fit, when fitted you can wiggle them around a tenth of a millimetre side to side. There's no play in my 1400 ones.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

Anyone ??

Hey Chris,

Though I dont keep my 2200 in my CMS ,When I do hand route with it  I havent had that problem
 
@jointer1970

Hey Chris,

I just used my 1010 with the rail to route a 6mm groove in 13mm ply for drawer bottoms in a 8ft long piece of ply. After ripping the ply with my PGs I set the ply under the rail and used other peices of ply for support ( I cut 3 pieces 5.5 inches wide 8 ft long.)  I had to use the other 2 pieces of ply under the rail for support and clamped one of the support pieces to prevent movement. I adj the screws on the rail attachment to prevent slop during routing.

Now if I were to have used my 2200, the only thing I would have done different is use the base which is made to help the 2200 to be used with a rail. Its off set looks like it has a small step which is about the thickness of the rail, to prevent any wobble. The step part rides on the piece to be routed. In this case it would of been the ply.

Hope this helps. Oh I dont know if they make one for the 1400, I wouldnt think so but I really dont know. 
 
I just routed v-grooves in .250 ABS so I could fold the plastic.  I do not ride my router on the rail but just off so I don't have the offset problem.
 
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