Woodpecker's Parallel Guide System One Time Tool

[JavierMoreno]

So, this tool replaces measuring the cut, pencil marking the sheet, aligning the saw track to the pencil mark, and making the cut. Is that correct?

One advantage would be that, once the guide is set up, one could repeat the cut more accurately than the pencil marking technique. Right?

Yes, that's the idea of all kind of Parallel Guide System

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

Just watched this video and noticed that the saw had no D/E hose - and yet there was no dust flying out the back! Bejaysus those guides must be good...

 

[tjbnwi]

Does anyone have a view about pros and cons of these vs. something like the Seneca Parallel Guides?  I've been in the market for parallel guides for a while but haven't had a chance to use them side by side.  When you factor in not having to buy the T-tracks for the Seneca, the price differential is a bit better.  This one time tool isn't egregious.

I would appreciate if anyone who has the Festool parallel guides or the Seneca (or anything else) could give an honest critique on what they think of the Woodpeckers.  Thanks!

I have the Seneca system. It works well and is easy to use. Wanted another set so I can have them on a long and short rail (yes, I'm that lazy). Considering the Wood Pecker as my second set.

Tom

 

[jimbo51]

I like the new phrase Actual Date May Vary.  ADMV  Festool could adopt that one for some tool launches.

It could also apply to marriage dates, promotion dates etc. Probably not wise to use it in referring to taking someone out for a birthday or anniversary.

I have not used my Festool parallel guides much. I had better put them to use to see how much I like them before the Woodpecker ordering deadline.

 

[RobNJ]

I have the Seneca system. It works well and is easy to use. Wanted another set so I can have them on a long and short rail (yes, I'm that lazy). Considering the Wood Pecker as my second set.

Tom

Thanks Tom - I appreciate the feedback.  Is there anything you in the the Woodpeckers that's different or an improvement over the Seneca setup?  Or is it just a shiny red solution to the same problem the Seneca / Festool guides fixes?

 

[Billedis]

Since I could not hear the saw motor running, guess there would not have been any saw dust!  Just say'n.  Bill

 

[Gary in Texas]

Well..... I have the Festool guides, also have the Seneca version with a couple of different lengths of Incra track, although I haven't set up / tried the Seneca guides as yet.

But, I really like this Woodpecker offering!!!  Has some good features and priced more reasonable than some of their past offerings....  Where's the credit card... [eek]

 

[jonathan-m]

Would buy if in metric, but alas

 

[sae]

Would buy if in metric, but alas

It's available in both metric and imperial.

 

[jimbo51]

Perhaps the webs tie has been updated. I see a video that mentions calibration and the metric version is also listed. They have listened to us as cardboard box option is also available in addition to a sustainer version.

 

[teocaf]

i'm sure it's been asked before, but can someone clarify real quickly:  can the woodpecker bits for this system fit on the incra track that seneca and precision systems use?

 

[jonathan-m]

Awesome. Yeah when I looked metric version wasn't listed.

 

[jeh]

$369 for the systainer version... yikes!

Where did you find the $?

What is to yikes? about. They are charging an additional $70 to cover the cost of the Systainer which is about what they cost.

 

[bkharman]

This is just another version of what has been around from other venders for years. 
I prefer the version from Precision Dogs over the Seneca version.  There are a few differences.  With the Seneca version, you need a hex wrench to remove the guide bracket from the guide rail.  I also prefer the Precision Dog stop and the narrow stock setup over the Seneca version.
Is easy enough to add a metric scale to the either the Seneca or Precision Dog Incra track.
How do you calibrate the scale on the Woodpecker version?

I also am a big fan of my Precision Dogs guides. I use 2 different lengths (24" and 36") of incra track and it works great. Takes me seconds to calibrate and works very well.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[Slartibartfass]

I asked Richard Hummel if there was a way to incorporate both a metric/imperial scale on the extensions or at the minimum be able to buy just the extensions seperately. Waiting for a response...

 

[Julian Tracy]

I had the Festool system and used it for a large cabinet job and then sold it.

It was not without it's fatal flaws:
- not a very accurate cursor arrangement - quite a bit of distance between the rough pointer and the scale
- Very large and awkward - a pain to install and remove the guides
- MOST IMPORTANT - uses up valuable rail length real estate
- the guides get floppy at the ends (I did the modification as seen here about a flip-out anti-tip support)

I'm seriously thinking about this WP system as a soup-to-nuts solution that seems quite well thought out.

Among improvements I'd suggest is why not a quick 1/4 turn cam lever for attachment and release from the guide rails?

You take an 8' rail with these two large heavy T tracks hanging from them and now you're talking about some serious sloppy floppy mess of an assembly.

Much better to be able to quickly attach them onto the rails (without having to slide in from the ends), make your cut and then quickly remove them from above.

That would allow for quick parallel breakdown of sheet goods using the 8' rail and then going right to the 4' rails as you make the sheet stock smaller and smaller.  Or just being able to make your long 8' cuts, detach the guides, set the rail itself aside and then do your 90 degree cuts using a square cutting guide with a smaller rail.

Can you imagine moving around an 8' rail with these attached?  where you you set it with out something getting wacked out?

The Festool top-side T-track has the internal "ledge", maybe the attachment point could have a angle up slip-in design with the lever-turned cam engaging the opposite side of the inside body of the rail's T-track?

Julian

 

[Julian Tracy]

Hadn't heard about the Precision dogs system, so I just took a look.  Have to say that it seems pretty well thought out too with some advantages over the Seneca system the last time I saw it.

For those that have used the Dog's system, can you explain this use of it as taken from their website?

Why are the bars attached to the stops in this picture?  Why is the far bar attached parallel to the Incra track and the nearer bar parallel to the festool rail?

Julian

 

[sancho57]

If I didn't already have the Festool set I'd get these. But since the Festool ones work good for me I'm good.

 

[RobNJ]

This is all really helpful.  I think I'm leaning towards giving Woodpeckers a shot on this one!

On a side note, I think it's really interesting that a bunch of the recent OTT have been tailored specifically towards Festool owners (Parallel Guides, MFT Square, Domino offset base, and then the Depth Sleeves). Coincidence, or maybe they're finding a strong correlation between people who buy Festool and Woodpeckers?  If so, I'd be interested in seeing what other tools they come up with to help us out.

 

[semenza]

The two topics on this have been merged into this one.

Seth