Festool with guide application question

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All,
Could you use the Festool system to cut all the parts of, say a book case? Can you get it adjusted so that it will cut a parallel line like a table saw? The reason I'm asking is that I may have to build some bookcases or an entertainment center away from my shop. I'm wondering if one of these systems could be substituted for a table saw within reason? My other alternative is to make the pieces in my shop and transport. But I'd rather not move any large pieces long distance if I can help it. Thanks Alan in Md.

[John Hemenway]

It's my understanding this is possible. You might take a look at:
http://woodshopdemos.com/fes-57.htm to see it in action!

[Frank Pellow]

Hi All,
Could you use the Festool system to cut all the parts of, say a book case? Can you get it adjusted so that it will cut a parallel line like a table saw? The reason I'm asking is that I may have to build some bookcases or an entertainment center away from my shop. I'm wondering if one of these systems could be substituted for a table saw within reason? My other alternative is to make the pieces in my shop and transport. But I'd rather not move any large pieces long distance if I can help it. Thanks Alan in Md.
You can certainly make all the necessary cuts easily with any GCSS (guided cirular saw system). If your bookcase has dados, you will probably want to expand your GCSS to add a guided router (i.e. a GRS).

[Dave Falkenstein]

Using the Festool system as a substitute for a table saw is certainly doable. I'm planning to do just that all summer this year. The Multifunction table would make it easier to make square cuts and parallel cuts, within the limitations of the depth of the table.

[Greg Mann]

Some of us would consider using the Festool system as the preferred choice for making bookcase components, especially withthe MFT.


Greg

[Mark Singer]

I perfer using the Festool saw to break down the sheet to smaller pieces and make the cuts on the tablesaw. It is much more parallel that way...IMHO

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Thanks for all the ideas. I looked at woodshopdemos.com and that was an interesting thing to read and really showed all the possibilities with a guided system. But I wonder how hard it would be to really make parallel cuts using it? On a table saw you have the fence that stays put and guarantees you a parallel cut and the same width every time. Can you really get the same width cuts with this and identicle size pieces? Anybody actually done this? Looks cool to me though.

[Greg Mann]

Alan,

Parallel cuts are probably what a table saw does best. There have been many discussions within the Festool Users Group on how best to do this within the system with the same kind of accuracy. John Lucas has been working on an approach, as have others. In fact, Festool is researching the issue of repeatable ripping of thin material as an enhancement to the system. I would suggest doing a search on the users group regarding parallel cuts. Many approaches have surfaced but no one is claiming table saw type results yet. My feeling is the answer lies in calibrating everything to the holes in the MFT. This is going to be my approach when I get a chance to mess with it:

1/ Make the guiderail parallel to a set of holes.
2/ Make the angular rail square to the guidrail.
3/ Use the holes parallel to the guiderail as references for parallel cuts. For example, use two dowels in the original reference holes and make an adjustable parallel to push your work against under the guiderail. HTH

Greg

[JayStPeter]

Thanks for all the ideas. I looked at woodshopdemos.com and that was an interesting thing to read and really showed all the possibilities with a guided system. But I wonder how hard it would be to really make parallel cuts using it? On a table saw you have the fence that stays put and guarantees you a parallel cut and the same width every time. Can you really get the same width cuts with this and identicle size pieces? Anybody actually done this? Looks cool to me though.

Yes, it just takes a little bit more thought and setup time. I made a jig that helps with parallel and repeatable. I haven't measured to the thousandth, but there was no evident variation between 3 pieces that I cut using it. They all fit together nicely.

Jay

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Yes, it just takes a little bit more thought and setup time. I made a jig that helps with parallel and repeatable. I haven't measured to the thousandth, but there was no evident variation between 3 pieces that I cut using it. They all fit together nicely.

Jay

Jay, If you get a chance a pic of your jig would be great. Thanks Alan

[Jim Becker]

There is a new angle attachment for the guide rails that will be very helpful toward the parallel cut situation...John Lucas and one of his lovely shop hands reviews it at http://www.woodshopdemos.com/fes-57.htm (http://www.woodshopdemos.com/fes-57.htm) and fixes a small issue at http://www.woodshopdemos.com/fes-au-1.htm (http://www.woodshopdemos.com/fes-au-1.htm).

Product is available at http://festool.safeshopper.com/401/132.htm?895

http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/Festool.safeshopper.com/images/bc0ljjei.jpg

[Frank Pellow]

There is a new angle attachment for the guide rails that will be very helpful toward the parallel cut situation...John Lucas and one of his lovely shop hands reviews it. ...
Thanks for the pointer Jim. :) Thanks for the demonstration, tips, and write up John and Beth. :) I have the Festool angle attachment but have rarely used it. Now that will change.

[David Figueroa]

John Lucas and one of his lovely shop hands reviews it at

Ok, I asked this question at the festool users group, and got ignored! How is it that John has all these honeys? Are they all related to him? Or is he an extremely lucky guy? Not fair.

[Joe Spear]

I am just finishing up a bookcase. It is almost 7 feet high, 8 feet wide, and 11 inches deep. I used my Festool 55 saw and guiderail to cut out all the pieces from 3/4-inch 4x8 sheets of birch plywood. I was able to to get all the pieces cut out perfectly with the Festool without having to use my tablesaw at all. I even did the crosscutting to length with the Festool. I just laid the boards that were supposed to be the same length (5 shelves; top and bottom; 2 sides) side-by-side on a table, set up the guiderail, and cut across all 5 or both pieces at the same time.

The table I use is just a regular folding one with a tic-tac-toe-looking frame I built out of 2x2's. When you lay the plywood on it, it is supported on several of the 2x2's with space between them so that the blade doesn't cut into the table or the cross members of the frame. You could also lay the plywood on a sacrificial layer of thick foam insulation or cheap plywood.

I have cut plywood sheets on the tablesaw, but that's when I had to do the rough-cut-then-exactly-size the-individual-pieces method. It is difficult for just one person to hold a whole sheet of plywood exactly on the tablesaw, although some monster woodworkers might be able to manage it. With the Festool, I could get the exact size in one step because I'm moving a small saw, not a large sheet of plywood.

You also could do the job with a regular circular saw and some some type of guiderail. I used to use the Penn State guide and a Porter Cable saw, but I did not get the same accuracy as with the Festool. With practice, some people might be able to, though. I think there is a new system (E-Z Guide ?) that may rival Festool in accuracy.

For the shelf dados, I used the side-by-side method, putting a square-section clamp across all the boards to use as a router guide. I do have a Festool router, but the Porter Cable 890 with a clamp guide worked very well.

[John Lucas]

Ok, I asked this question at the festool users group, and got ignored! How is it that John has all these honeys? Are they all related to him? Or is he an extremely lucky guy? Not fair.

Not fair to have ignorred you. Lucky/no/yes/probably

[JayStPeter]

Jay, If you get a chance a pic of your jig would be great. Thanks Alan

Here you go. I use it to position the rail parallel to a side by pushing it against the back of the rail on either end. The tape is set to subtract the width of the rail.
I also use it with the angle jig mentioned by Jim for repeatable "crosscuts".

Jay