Using Festool Accessories and Parts in Different Ways

[peter halle]

One of the aspects of the Festool system that I have admired is the ability to use different parts in different ways than originally planned for by the designers and engineers.  What interesting and safe ways do you use accessories and parts?

For instance yesterday I was cutting some plywood and I got tired of sliding the rail down to make sure that I had enough rail extending over the rail on the starting end to make sure that my blade was plunged before the blade contacted the work piece.  Then I remembered the parallel guides.  BINGO!  Now it became as easy to ensure safe operation quickly.

Please feel to post your ideas here too[attachimg=1]!

Peter

 

[Brent Taylor]

That is one of the reasons I love my FS Rapid clamps. Everyone should have 2.
I will use them on top off my 55's as a clamping jig when I'm on site & need to edge clamp or do a glue-up for shelves and such. B

 

[semenza]

Nice one Peter!

Seth

 

[Acrobat]

I'm missing exactly how you mean Peter? I see you've placed the sliding stop from the parallel guide into a rail?

 

[semenza]

I'm missing exactly how you mean Peter? I see you've placed the sliding stop from the parallel guide into a rail?

    The stop can be pulled or pushed up against the piece being cut to set the guide rail overhang  (for saw run in / out) with out having to guesstimate each time. Especially useful if the guide rail is just long enough.

Seth

 

[Acrobat]

The penny drops! Great idea, now why didn't I thunk that
Thanks Seth

 

[ewils91]

I just built cabinets for my wife this week and spent quite a bit of time checking that rail. Now I want to run out and do it again in front of my neighbors to show them how clever I got over night.  [eek] Thanks

 

[galwaydude18@gmail.com]

Hi Peter have you any other pics of that setup? I'm having a blond moment and picture fully what you have done there.

 

[jonny round boy]

I don't have the parallel guides, but I've done a similar (or at least, vaguely related) thing - I simply drew a pencil line on the top of the rail, so I know how much to leave. I just line the pencil line up with the edge of the board.

 

[galwaydude18@gmail.com]

Oh I get peters post now. He uses it as a stop on the end of the sheet.

 

[Sparktrician]

Great idea, Peter! 

[smile]

 

[peter halle]

For others, just pretend that the kitchen island in the images is a sheet of plywood.  Of course you can't use clamps in this situation UNLESS you insert the clamp first and then use the parallel guide stop to keep the clamp from sliding towards the end of the rail.  In that case you would be using the clamp to be the stop.

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

Peter

 

[Alan m]

I had to cut an odd sized sheet once.
it was cut from a bigger sheet but was a few inchs wider than 48 inchs. the rail and saw would cut it but only if everthing was perfect.
I clamped a piece of scrap with the rail clamp to the bottom of the rail to ensure I had enough at the start and end of the cut