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71467 Views 116 Replies 29 Participants Last post by mafe, Dec 23, 2021

mafe

Discussion Starter · Dec 4, 2019

Festool stop flag / fence stop DIY - usefull on all T-tracks.

Festool stop flag / fence stops DIY
usefull on all T-tracks.

I got tired of moving my fence stop from the table saw to the MFT3 table and was about to order a fence stop the other day. But…, I decided to try and make one my self instead, why not… It will be fun to try, I got plenty of time, to fool around. Laughs.

It's on the back fence here on my MFT3 table, that I would like to have a stop permanently, so I don't have to get it from the table saw, where I use it most of the time. I have had the MFT3 table for app ten years now and really enjoy this work table, is super cool for many tasks and the clamping makes it brilliant, but the track saw also makes it a gem for repetitive cuts and that's where a stop is needed.

Some hard wood strips are cut, to fit the width of the T-tracks.

Then some ply for the riding piece.

Making a few cuts on the table saw to make a rabbet for the hard wood.

That was easy.
The pencil mark shows how high it need to be, to fit in the T-track.

So it's cut to width.
(I made a few extra, so I have for later projects, now the saw was set).

Thingy riding in the T-track on the fence.

A wee cut out is made in the middle of the hardwood.

Now a hole, to accommodate a bolt, that will lock it to the fence.

Got a new used drill press, it's wonderful, so much more precise and a lot stronger, so I enjoy each hole I make these days.

We got a riding blog, that are screwed on to the fence, with a quick release wing nut. ;-)

Here how it looks on the base.

Another small piece of plywood and two screws.

We now got a simple, no nonsense stop.

Base.

Riding the track, like a horse race horse…

With a MaFe made star knobs… ok it's still just a simple stop, so cool down MaFe. :-D
My knob making jig: https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/409880

Ok, I'll step up a wee bit and try to make a Festool style flag stop, that can flip up and down, this simple one will annoy me on the table I think.
I unscrewed the flag from the Festool fence and used it as a template, less is more. (I can upload a picture if some one need it).

To unscrew the flag, I needed to grind the sides of a spanner.

Other ways impossible to get to the nut.
But this works and I have a custom made spanner, I'll never need again…

Cutting on the band saw.

Drilling a hole, to accommodate a bolt.

Did it mention I love my new drill press… :-D

Riding block of wood and a flag.

Now we just need to put them together.

Marking the position of the hole.

On this one, I offset the hole for the lock down bolt.

Marking up for the hold down bolt.

Saw.

Chisel out.

Time to drill the hole we marked before with the drill bit.

Marking up.

Using a Forstner bit and drilling almost through the block, leaving app a mm.

Bolt with washers on the flag stop.

Since I did not have a fitting length of bolt, I just put the bolt in and found out how much space I needed for the spanner, to be able to get out again.
(I used a Forstner bit that fitted the size on the spanner).

Cut to length.

We have a flag stop!

Flag down, it really works.
Happy monkey here.

Extra pieces in the drawer of Festool nonsense.

A stop can be this simple, a piece of an old ruler.

A bolt and a nut.
(Just another one I tried out).

I kind of like the simple one also.

But this was what I needed and I'm really pleased with the result.

I'll use the wing nut, since it's faster and stays with in the with of the riding block.

Flag up!

Important to have clearance when the flag is up, I sanded of a wee extra on the back, but actually did not need to do that, as you can see.

Here the flag fence is mounted on the table saw fence and so the long leg must be used.
It can flex a tiny bit here, if you push hard against it, but it's so little, that it will be just fine.

Flag up!

Happy I am.
It works perfectly fine.
Mission done.
Smile on my lips.

You can make it of hard wood instead or even in aluminum, if you have a table saw blade for that, I am all pleased with this one, so unless I break it one day, it will be the flag for my work table.

Hope it can be to some inspiration.

Best thoughts,

MaFe

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· #43 · Nov 21, 2020

mafe said:
CMS cross cut sled fast mount, easy to use.

Festool CMS cross cut sled
fast mount, easy to use.

Here a little idea I got the other day, to make my latest cross cut sled for the Festool CMS table more easy to use. Normally it was screwed in place, with two wing nuts, to secure the sled to the fence, but it meant that I found it time consuming to take it on and off, what lead to often not using it…

So I came up with this little mount, that simply clicks in place and where I don't need to fine adjust the fence to fit to the screws.

I have not made a blog on the cross cut sled, as this is quite basic and you will be able to find plenty of build plans for that, but I will go through it.

Here the sled, mounted on the CMS table, before I made the new mount.
A quite basic sled, that helps me prevent tear out, due to the fact, that the CMS has no zero clearance plate insert.
I have tried to keep it as light weight as possible, to make it easy to take on and off, but in my next version, I will keep the right side straight, so I can get a full runner there on the underside.

The construction is quite simple, a base plate, two fences and a runner, that runs in the groove between the CMS and the long arm for the CMS sled, but it would be even more accurate, if it got a runner on the right side also, following the edge of the table, on this one, it just have a small one at the end of the pointed corner.
The runner is made from IKEA cutting board.

Always happy when I get to the shop and find a letter from my daughter.
She writes.
Hey, passed buy with a school friend on a walk, he is a huge fan. Kisses Mathilde.

Back to the sled, here on the table, with simple C-clamp fence stop and held with wing nuts.
The red half circles are just for safety, to remind me where the blade goes and keep my fingers on each side.

This is the thing we will be making, a mount that simply fits into the T-track on top of the CMS fence.

Let's make the fast mount.
A piece of wood, here plywood gets a rabbet, that correspond to the one on the fence.

Like so.

Hardwood cut to size, made to fit into the rabbet and deep enough, to get well into the T-track.

Make sure you get a tight fit.

Do you get the picture?

We have a mount.

The hardwood is a wee lover, so when it's mounted in the rabbet, it will not touch the bottom of the T-track.

Cut to length.

Using the sled - smiles.

Now the mount can be attached to the fence.

Just screws.

Here we have it in place.

Underside.

Finally in place.

Ready to cut some wood and to be taken on and off in a second, I can already see, that I use it more, due to the fact, that it's not a screw on unit now.
(I must be lazy…).

Hope it can be to some inspiration, or a sled, now winter is up…
(MaFe, you got such a terrible sense of humour).

Best thoughts,

MaFe

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