Festool Guide Variance...

[Derek Arita]

So, I bought a 32" guide rail to connect with another guide rail, in order to be able to make cuts on longer stock, without having to pull out the big guide rail. Problem is, the guides on the new guide rail are not quite the same width as the older guide rail. My saw slide perfectly over the old guide rail, but as soon as hits the new one, it stops! If I adjust to the new GR, then the saw is sloppy on the old GR.
I called Festool for some tech help and the guy said I should just adjust to the new one. He said there won't be enough slop in the old one to make a difference in cut quality. Just wondering if anyone else has encountered this?

[Sam Murdoch]

This isn't right. I suggest you go to the Festool Owners Group (FOG) website http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php and particularly to this forum.



Festool Tool Problems (http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-problems/)
Post CONSTRUCTIVE discussions about problems with the tools...and solutions.


You should get the most straightforward info and solutions there.

[Matt Meiser]

I've noticed it too. I bought the Seneca Woodworking parallel guides and they fit my older rails fine. Then I tried on the long rail I bought last summer and they are too tight. They are opening up the slot on their guides something like 0.010 to accommodate. I must have my saw relatively loose on the older rails because that's the first I noticed the difference.

I'd just do as they said and adjust to the newer rail and doubt you'll notice.

[Mike Cutler]

Derek

Maybe it doesn't make a difference with respect to the cut, but to me it does make a difference.
The rails should match. For the amount of $$$ the system costs they should match with no need to adjust anything, or run the saw "loose". That's not the point of the entire system and ad campaign they present.
Me personally, I'd return it and try to source another if you need one.

[Derek Arita]

Just measured the difference and it comes out to .006"...which doesn't sound like much, but it sure makes a difference in the feel of the adjustment. When I adjust to the new guide, the saw feels sloppy in the old guide. I measured my other two old guide rails and they are within .002" of the third old rail, which is fine. Wonder what Festool's tolerance is for the Guide Rails?

[johnny means]

Derek

Maybe it doesn't make a difference with respect to the cut, but to me it does make a difference.
The rails should match. For the amount of $$$ the system costs they should match with no need to adjust anything, or run the saw "loose". That's not the point of the entire system and ad campaign they present.
Me personally, I'd return it and try to source another if you need one.

Why do people think that there money is so precious that it buys perfection? He did have the option to buy one long rail. He chose the compromise solution. Keyword COMPROMISE.

[Mike Cutler]

Why do people think that there money is so precious that it buys perfection? He did have the option to buy one long rail. He chose the compromise solution. Keyword COMPROMISE.

Johnny

In most cases I agree with you, and in fact I have a whole shop full of "compromises". Most of my machines are at the middle of the bottom end in both cost and quality. I expect that they will need fussing with and attention, and they do, and in some cases I've had to disassemble them, rework, machine, and refit the parts to gain more performance, or to get them to simply work properly when new.
The Festool Line though is not "supposed" to be a compromise in my opinion. For what they do, they are very expensive tools and there definitely shouldn't be enough statistical deviation between two guides to stop the saw in the transition between the two guide. I have 4 EZ rails, with EZ bases, and homemade bases, on my other saws, and this doesn't happen with any of the combinations. Yes the EZ rails required a little work on my part at the transitions, but that was because of the machine being used to cut the rails at the factory.
Festool is selling a "System" and the cost of that system is supposed to be representative of high quality, well built, german engineered components and accessories. Other than having to smooth the aluminum edges a bit at the transition point between two guides, the guide extrusions themselves should be the same.
It's interesting to note also that a search of the FOG forum, does not identify this as a widespread issue amongst Festool owners, so I would give Festool the benefit of the doubt and just say that Derek got a rail that probably went through the extrusion process at the end of die life. It happens.
Not trying to buy perfection, just purchasing advertised compatibility.

[Sam Murdoch]

Well said Mike. I interchange various lengths of Festool guide rails all the time with no problems with accuracy of alignment. Johnny buying one long rail is not always the solution - the system should allow for using all of the length rails interchangeably for any need. Yes I do expect that kind of perfection from Festool. That is what they are selling and that is what I am paying for. As I first wrote to Derek - his issue is not acceptable. Talk to another Festool dealer and get the problem solved.

[Derek Arita]

Thanks guys...I appreciate your feedback. I too, purchase Festool and believe in what they promote, which is to purchase their expensive tools with the expectation of near perfection in fit, finish and operation. I truly don't know that they say the word "perfection", but it is certainly implied in their ads and by their reps. I feel their tools and accessories are very expensive, but I fully expect to get my money's worth out of any Festool product. That's why I buy them. For any tool that, in my mind, doesn't require that kind of precision, I'm happy to buy Makita or Panasonic or Bosch, etc.
I have other Festool Guides including the one that's long enough to break down 8' sheets and all have gib rails within .002" of one another and work fine with the same gib adjustment. I purchased this new 32" Guide for convenience sake, for those cuts that are just a bit longer than the 55" Guide could handle and to use for with my OF1400, for dados. I had every expectation that the new Guide gib rail would be within the same tolerance as the old ones are.
I should be able to find another 32" Guide Rail that suits my expectations. On the off chance that I can't, I can only hope that the 75" Guide Rail will come through and make it possible for me to use it without having to adjust the gibs every time I use it. I originally posted just to find out if this was a common anomaly and how everyone dealt with it if it was. It's good to know that it's not common and that I should expect to find a Guide that works for me.