Securing a tracksaw rail to bench dogs

[pulleyt]

Many thanks to Peter Millard for his videos and congratulations on his new new bench build - a thing of beauty and would work well in many small workshops.



I have a similar work bench in that I use a home made MFT top with a Benchdogs fence and track saw for a lot of my sheet material dimensioning. I don't have a hinged rail and have relied on the UJK dog rail clips to hold the rail in place. This has been increasingly frustrating as the metal clips are no longer secure in the plastic slides and need constant checking to make sure they haven't become dislodged. Peter had a chat with David Stanton who had a great idea for a more rigid way of holding the rail against the bench dogs.



I don't have any spare rail connectors but I do have a few T-track bolts spare so I had a go at knocking up something similar using some scrap 6mm birch plywood, four 25mm T-track bolts and four wing nuts.

Now I can leave these locked onto the rail when I hang it up out of the way and it is ready to use next time it is needed. Brilliant - thanks again to David and Peter.

 

[Molynoox]

I guess it's critical to keep the ply connectors well clear of the rail edge to ensure that the dogs rest against the rail and not the ply. Could easily ruin all your hard work if cuts are not 90
Very cool though, probably only a matter of time before a metal version of this hits the shops.
Martin

 

[pulleyt]

I guess it's critical to keep the ply connectors well clear of the rail edge to ensure that the dogs rest against the rail and not the ply.

Indeed. Using T-track bolts does introduce a lot more slop than if I'd used some rail track connectors, so I do need to pay attention when tightening the wing nuts to make sure the track rail is hard against the bench dog.

Once tightened I'm confident they will stay in place but half a rail connector would be a better solution.

 

[Distinterior]

I've had a pair of the UJK rail clips since they first became available and tend to use them more than the Festool Rail Hinge....
However, due to the regular use, one of the clips became loose in the plastic section that slides into the rail and was constantly pulling apart everytime I lifted or moved the rail. This was after about 6 months of use.

I solved this by a small application of super glue in the hole of the plastic section and having previously abraded the end of the spring clip, I just inserted the clip into the hole and it's been absolutely fine ever since.

 

[pulleyt]

I've had a pair of the UJK rail clips since they first became available and tend to use them more than the Festool Rail Hinge....
However, due to the regular use, one of the clips became loose in the plastic section that slides into the rail and was constantly pulling apart everytime I lifted or moved the rail. This was after about 6 months of use.

I solved this by a small application of super glue in the hole of the plastic section and having previously abraded the end of the spring clip, I just inserted the clip into the hole and it's been absolutely fine ever since.

Thanks, I'll give that a go as I will still have occasional uses for the UJK clips.

But I'm delighted to have discovered a solution that just drops straight onto the two bench dogs on the worktop in my shed.

 

[pe2dave]

I don't have any spare rail connectors but I do have a few T-track bolts spare so I had a go at knocking up something similar using some scrap 6mm birch plywood, four 25mm T-track bolts and four wing nuts.


View attachment 129867

Now I can leave these locked onto the rail when I hang it up out of the way and it is ready to use next time it is needed. Brilliant - thanks again to David and Peter.

@pulleyt Where did you get the T-track bolts please? M6 thread I'm guessing?

 

[pulleyt]

They are M6. I got them from Axminster

UJK T-Slot Bolts (Pkt 10)

I expect I added them to an order to spend enough to get free postage

 

[Spectric]

Nice to see people being imaginative and a good idea but a rail square will achieve the same results just by using the screw in dogs, 30mm Bevel Adaptors

To make it more rigid you can put the rail square more central on the track rather than at one end.

 

[pe2dave]

Nice to see people being imaginative and a good idea but a rail square will achieve the same results just by using the screw in dogs, 30mm Bevel Adaptors

To make it more rigid you can put the rail square more central on the track rather than at one end.

Screw in ... to what? The square? Pic please?
(and make sure you've the M8 threads, not the M6).

 

[Spectric]

Hi Dave

The square has threaded holes so you can screw the dogs in, then insert the dogs into the 20mm holes in the worktop. I think there are two 6mm threaded holes and two 8mm threaded holes on each side, I will take a look at mine some time and confirm.

 

[petermillard]

Nice to see people being imaginative and a good idea but a rail square will achieve the same results just by using the screw in dogs, 30mm Bevel Adaptors

To make it more rigid you can put the rail square more central on the track rather than at one end.

The rail square works very well - I used the MFT dogs in my portable bench build - but at the risk of stating the obvious, this is a pocket-money option for the folks that don’t have a rail square.

 

[pe2dave]

Hi Dave

The square has threaded holes so you can screw the dogs in, then insert the dogs into the 20mm holes in the worktop. I think there are two 6mm threaded holes and two 8mm threaded holes on each side, I will take a look at mine some time and confirm.

Tks @Spectric
I note you have the MK ?? I'll try it, but guessing you lose MFT space doing so?

 

[pe2dave]

but at the risk of stating the obvious, this is a pocket-money option for the folks that don’t have a rail square.

Please don't insult those without your deep pockets Peter.

 

[pulleyt]

Please don't insult those without your deep pockets Peter.

I'm sure Peter was just pointing out that my solution above cost very little and did achieve the required result

 

[Spectric]

Dave I have the Mark 2 and use it with Makita tracksaw and rails, It is very handy because you can cut down full sheets outside and then bring them back inside to finish to size using the track and rail square on a worktop with 20mm holes or standalone with the dogs.

 

[robgul]

I have a pair of these Bench / Parf dog rail STOPS for Festool and Makita and other Tracksaw rails X2 | eBay - attached to a cheapie MacAlister tracksaw rail - work fine to keep the rail in position on my MFT and slide the workpiece underneath.

 

[petermillard]

Please don't insult those without your deep pockets Peter.

Insulting? You’ll have to explain that to me; I’m simply pointing out that, whilst I agree the rail square option works very well, it does require a Benchdogs or TSO (??) rail square, which is a significant outlay to many - double the price of a commodity MFT top, for example. And the Dave Stanton dog locks can literally be made for pocket-money.

 

[scottjw]

The Sauter stanless steel bench dogs with the magnet inserted into my makita tracksaw rail works really well for me. Very quick to remove/replace the rail with no snagging etc.

 

[gcusick]

I've just made a 3D-printed version of the clip that @petermillard and David Stanton described in Peter's recent video, for the Makita track. Render of the design attached. It has a pair of lugs that engage in the T-track groove in the track, which prevents it rotating, and thus needs only one track screw. Thanks to David for the brilliantly simple idea, and to Peter for bringing it to my attentiuon.

 

[grayscottage]

I've just made a 3D-printed version of the clip that @petermillard and David Stanton described in Peter's recent video, for the Makita track. Render of the design attached. It has a pair of lugs that engage in the T-track groove in the track, which prevents it rotating, and thus needs only one track screw. Thanks to David for the brilliantly simple idea, and to Peter for bringing it to my attentiuon.

Do you sell these? Great design!