Katsu/Makita router guide for festool track.

[Rorschach]

Since I have been fiddling around the router I decided I would have a go at a jig to allow use of the router on the tracksaw track. I know you can buy these but they seemed expensive for what they are and I wanted one with more adjustability than I had seen.

I already had all the parts and it took me less than an hour to put together.

The guide block is a piece of Oak. I cut the slot on the table saw and purposely made it just a touch over size (less than 0.5mm). I then cut another kerf to the side of the slot and made what is essentially a gib strip. Two screws allow me to adjust the width of slot so I can get either a nice snug fit for doing something like shelf pin holes, or an easy sliding fit for doing long slots or edge trimming. It also allows me to take up any wear in the slot or seasonal movement.

The guide has two 8mm rods that fit into the plunge router base, they are simply a press fit, no glue in case I want to change them for shorter or longer rods in the future. I can adjust the base in an out from the track edge either for doing parallel cuts or to make use of the splinter strip. The plunge base has a shim piece added to keep it level. The shim piece just screws onto the router base and keeps it all level and stable. Adding this is really the only time consuming part of the setup as fitting the guide to the plunge base takes only seconds. If you are just using a small cutter close up to the splinter strip then you could do without the shim strip as it's still pretty stable but I think it will make things like shelf pin holes a lot more accurate if you use it.


As I say it took me less than an hour of work and would have been less if I wasn't making it up as I went along. The guide block was made from a larger piece which was then cut down so I can either make another guide block if I break this one or use it for another track based project.

Next job is some stops which I wanted to make to use with the saw anyway. Also undecided yet if I will drill holes to make the track into a shelf pin jig or come up with another method. I am leaning towards some kind of add on piece but I might just wait until I actually need to do some shelf pins.

[big-all]

i have the dewalt track system and have made similar rail guides but dont like using because you dont push down on the track in normal operation so dont use it in case it slips in normal operation

[Rorschach]

I can see how that could be an issue for cutting slots. I almost always use my track with clamps and I think using a router then clamps would be essential.

[Job and Knock]

I can see how that could be an issue for cutting slots. I almost always use my track with clamps and I think using a router then clamps would be essential.

In the main I find it's a waste of time using clamps with a saw on the track - about the only time I use them is when I'm cutting slippery stuff like laminated fire doors, etc.(for that sort of cut though I have a pair of "gecko" clamps). I can see then point when using them on a rail used as a router guide, though, because they would definitely move if you didn't clamp them in place. On site I have to say that I generally just clamp a straight edge to the material (often a 6ft level) and run the router against that.

[Rorschach]

I don't use clamps for roughing cuts but I do for finish cuts. Partly it's insurance against my own clumsiness but also I work in a very small workshop so the chances of me bumping into the track are high.