Festool Parallel Guides

[@michaelvila3692]

I see Festool has stepped up their game with this good quality video production, about time, and thank you! Hope to see more like this in the future.

[@darrinmc]

This video was very well done and easy to understand. Nice work Brent!

[@festoolusa]

Awesome, thank you!

[@hooker4749]

Ditto ...simple and clean ...

[@robertlittle6453]

The video was outstanding a lot of great information. I have been buying Festool tools for a while it has been a game changer it was the best decision I have made. Will be watching further Festool live presentation and hopefully in the future get in to a class. Stay safe and good luck on all future endeavors.

[@TheRangeControl]

FINALLY.... A CLEAR, and comprehensible set of guidance on the parallel guide system (PUN INTENDED)... But Seriously... I always stared and pondered at the guides and wondered to myself.... "HOW in the ACTUAL #%@* is THAT even used?!?!?!"

[@mim2046]

Your videos are soooo much more pleasant to listen and watch, than listening ro Sedge do his stupid 3 Stooges impressions. It’s truly cringe worthy. Thank you for being professional and not acting like a 5-yr old doing impressions of someone that has absolutely NOTHING to do with selling the Festool name/products. 👍👍

[@AaronGeller]

You should check out Sedge Tool -- he has a different personality on there. You'd probably like it more than his Festool Live personality. They feel like two different people

[@danthechippie4439]

I used to love his 10 second short video, on his live feed he keeps yelling into the Mike so I have to turn off

[@danthechippie4439]

Hi, that was a very professional well explained easy to follow video. Sure beats Seage videos when he goes into 6 year old and yells down the mike. You demod the parrell guides on full length boards where the guide is under the rail but hanging off each end of the bench. What if i need to cut shorter length? Do you rest the under side of the rails on the bench? Please note i don't have the bench demod in this video but rather an MFT style.

[@fixittony]

Help! My parallel guides arrived. I noticed the metric scale on the guides don’t read from the same direction coming from the track. One guide the numbers get bigger and on the other guide the numbers get smaller…is this right???

[@peacekeeper5119]

Well explained! I also like that you mention it NOT for 90 degrees edges. I think that’s important to know

[@rhwoodshop]

Man I could have used this today. Great ingenuity.

[@roberthiday3342]

nice. very clear and helpful.

[@6_7ft]

Brent is a refreshing change from Sedge.

[@ThriftDiving]

I like both of them. But Brent is more calm and to the point. Sedge could be the fourth member of Mo, Larry, and Curly. And I mean that in a good way. 🥰

[@AaronGeller]

You should check out Sedge Tool -- he has a different personality on there. You'd probably like it more than his Festool Live personality. They feel like two different people

[@michaelr6612]

Any tips on breaking down multiple sheets? I’ve especially when cutting out parts for base cabinets at 23” it’s great to be able to have repeatable cuts. But getting that factory edge off of each sheet means that I’m taking the guides off each time I start a new sheet. It’s not a big issue but I’m noticing the grip strip underneath my rails starting to peel off from the parallel guides going on and off.

[@royr327]

I understand Festool track saws have some toe-out at the back of the blade, if so would I not need to calibrate the narrow extensions to the back outter most tooth of the blade? Yes I know this video is about 3 years old but this question's answer is important.

[@AaronGeller]

I don't think so because the offset is tiny... maybe 0.1mm or 0.05mm

[@douglaslopes1987]

Awesome piece of kit. Hope my question isn't too stupid in a Festool channel but, would these parallel guides and their extensions work in a makita rail?

[@byronmaes9310]

Did you reattach the splinter guard after calibration for thin rips?

[@lockstocky2800]

I was so excited when I first got these. But after using them and finding it wanting to tip all the time I rarely use them now . I find it quicker to cut two peace’s of wood identical and offer them up while positioning my track. So much quicker than messing around with these things

[@ZacharyPalmerCharles]

How does the track stop from moving? It’s not clamped down…

[@LukePighetti]

Is it possible to use the quick clamps with the parallel guides?

[@festoolusa]

Yes. To use the quick clamps you would need to install them on the guiderail before you attach the parallel guides. Brent

[@TheRangeControl]

Also... Do these work with the HKC saws?

[@uproarink]

I noticed the wood bowing in the middle when cutting 2” pieces due to the weight at the ends. Is that going to affect the precision of the cut?

[@BenMarshallDesigns]

not at all, the track is flexible enough to move with the wood in this case. There have been occasions when the wood dips under my track (lacking support underneath the material). As long as there is no lateral movement, you'll get perfectly parallel cuts.

[@robertweinstein6441]

Are the parallel guides available in inches?

[@michaelvila3692]

Robert Weinstein Yes good question.

[@BenMarshallDesigns]

Yes! Most dealers carry them in inches, although some carry both metric and imperial!

[@andyyun1162]

Yes. Get the better parallel guides from TSO and both are laser etched into it.

[@BenClift-kf2nc]

@@andyyun1162 Thank you, didn't know TSO made these and I need both measurements

[@roberthiday3342]

Just one question Brent. I have the guides, etc. and use them, but I have always been concerned about cutting to final measurement with this system. In other words, I have been under the impression that you make your rough cuts, slightly oversized, with the guides, then cut more precisely later. I get the impression that I was wrong about this and would like your thoughts/input. Are you confidently cutting to final length using the guides?

[@festoolusa]

Robert: Once calibrated, the parallel guides have the precision to cut all your material to final dimension. I cut all my material to final dimension. This cuts out the step of re-cutting the material completely.

[@roberthiday3342]

@@festoolusa awesome. thanks for the quick, helpful reply.

[@garyknable1155]

It would have been nice for you to show the width of your cut measurements so we could see the cuts were dead on. Goes with the old adage trust but verify. Very nice clear vid great job.

[@BenMarshallDesigns]

I've owned these for a few months now and can verify that accuracy is dead on with the calibration methods mentioned in the video. Very reliable kit

[@mr.renovator4859]

Only design flaw is that these rails are HEAVY when sticking out when cutting narrow bieces and make it a nightmare as they are HANGING OUT bending warping the guide

[@unitwoodworking5403]

👍👍

[@peterharms17]

Very helpful. But please slacken off the backing music

[@billystray7007]

even quicker..you sure?....than setting the fence on a tablesaw? 🤔hmm

[@pierpaolobiagi1949]

This kind of setup is thinked for jobsite work/mobile work. If you have a sliding panel saw you will of course be faster, and get square edges in seconds. And it’s not that easy and safe to cut a thin strip from a whole panel with most tablesaws.

[@BenMarshallDesigns]

Certainly not as quick as a table saw, however just as reliable in terms of repeatability, consistency and accuracy. From my own experience, unless a table saw had a large indeed and outfeed support, there were many occasions a long rip would bind or shift and mess up an edge. Using parallel guides allows for ripping accurately over great lengths, you're only limited by the size of your guide rail - can't say that for a table saw.

[@johnnewell5025]

Not faster, but far more reliably accurate, at least for me, than trying to control an 8’ long piece of plywood or MDF (or anything else, for that matter) in two dimensions at the same time. In other words, there’s no way I can keep 8’ of lumber snugged consistently against the fence while moving it forward for a rip cut.

[@ocbojm]

TSO parallel edge is way better than this…

[@aspees]

This is the worst product Festool makes.