Parf Guide System and Tracksaw Cutting Station Advice and Tips
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- čas přidán 5. 06. 2024
- I have had a number of questions about the Parf Guide System (PGS) and also tracksaw cutting stations and so I have made this video in order to provide some advice and tips. The plans for the tracksaw cutting station shown in the video are available free of charge provided you let me know your email address.
I am now working on several videos about motorhomes and much of the content will apply to caravans as well.
Videos to check out:
How to build a tracksaw cutting station:
• How to build a tracksa...
New Cutting Station 4 cut test:
• New Cutting Station - ...
UJK Length Stop (shown in the video):
• New Parf Product - UJK... - Jak na to + styl
![3 MFT Tops, 3 MFT jigs [Video 498]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9DhLQPrjnik/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Peter, thank you for creating this fantastic system!
Below is a tip for those planning to drill a thicker bench top. If done as you suggest, by first using the 3 mm drill as supplied, your longer drill bit should not be longer than 98 mm. If the drill bit is longer, the drill bit will reach the bottom of the existing hole before the drill bit holder is properly registered in the drill guide. Also, with a 98 mm drill you will be able to drill through a 45 mm thick bench top. I found that knife makers use long drill bits, and a local supplier to knife makers had 100 mm long 3 mm drill bits in stock. Also, thanks a lot for creating the very best instruction videos for this system.
Brilliant. Cheers. Peter
You are more than just a CZcamsr Peter..... People really do look up to you and respect your advice.
Gosh, you have certainly made my day. Many thanks. Peter
Hi Peter, thank you for providing these great tips on how to use your Parf Guide System. In regard to the drilling of the 3mm holes, I can see the benefit of drilling and pinning the middle of the ruler after drilling (and pinning) the two ends to minimize flexing of the ruler while drilling the rest of the 3mm holes. But as you mentioned in your video the middle is where any unintentional pressure will distort the ruler the most so especial care is needed while drilling this midpoint. But since the closer to the pins you are drilling the less likely you are to cause any unintended flex on the ruler; wouldn't be better to drill (and pin) the two ends and then work your way from one end to the other, and move the pin as you drill?. That way you are drilling always next to a pin and are less likely to distort/flex the ruler.
That would certainly help. Cheers. Peter
Hi Peter, I recently purchased the Parf Guide System Mark 2 and used it to create a very large MFT top measuring 215cm x 122 cm. By following the instructions carefully, I was able to achieve CNC accuracy. Every hole drilled was "spot on" accurate with absolutely no deviation. I am thrilled with the results. Thank you for a great product.
Fantastic! Cheers. Peter
My shop has been completely revamped in the last two years to take advantage of tracksaw methodology. It wouldn’t have been possible without your lovely guide system and thoughtful guidance on youtube. Thank you good sir! I love my new work flow and confidence with accuracy.
Hi Corey, That is brilliant news - thank you so much. Peter
Lol, I wish I had that reamer when I stupidly painted the top of mine _after_ I had cut the holes - of course, some paint went in and the dogs jammed 😁 I ended up using a step drill - worked fine for me (I think 😁). Just a great system and so accurate - just paint the top first if you want to seal it!
Hi Neil, I made that mistake on my first cutting station but it was Osmo and not paint and so it was easy to sort out with the reamer. Cheers. Peter
Ah Peter, Peter….still the ‘master.’ I watch many and quite diverse channels, with some excellent presenters, but alas you are the best of the bunch! I know making videos is very time consuming, but I only wish you made more. Keep up the good work, and I certainly look forward to your next video! Best wishes Len (Devon 🇬🇧)
Hi Len, You are very kind. We plan to come down to Exmouth at some point in the motorhome. We used to live in Dorset and so know Devon quite well. Cheers. Peter
You are right! Peter is the best
I’ve recently purchased your guide system and am quite excited to take delivery of it and give it a go!
Many thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Hi Bob, Thank you so much. Cheers, Peter
Very thorough. I would like the plan for the cutting station layout.
In order to get plans I need your email address. To find my email address go to my main CZcams page, click the "About" tab and that leads to my email address. I am told this has to be done on a PC. Cheers. Peter
I have been meaning to drop you a note in the last few days & then a new video gets posted - so good to see you back Peter with another great video. Missed your great explanations & guidance. Glad to see you are well & sending best wishes!
Hi David, I have just sent you a message by another means. Cheers. Peter
everything with the name Parf has now been purchased, and it is extremely beautiful and working with Parf is a party
Brilliant - many thanks. Peter
I'd just checked to see if you'd posted lately, and I missed the notification, a couple of days before this video was posted. I was concerned. Glad you're posting again. Medite: I live deep in flyover country in the US, and I have five vendors within 3 plus hours driving distance that sell Medite. So, yeah, you can get it here pretty handily.
Thanks for sharing!
Welcome back Peter. We missed you.
Cheers. Peter
Thank you so much for this video. I got a tremendous amount of value from it. Thank you again.
Glad it was helpful!
Hey Peter, great to see you again and to hear you are still doing well!
Hi Gary, Many thanks. Peter
It's a great system, I'll be using it again when I remake my bench
Hi John, Remember to start in the middle and work equally out to the left and to the right. Cheers. Peter
Good to see you! Love my benchtop make with the Parf Guide System!
Excellent. Cheers. Peter
These videos are a brilliant resource. Thanks for making them!
Thank you so much. Cheers. Peter
Hi Peter, I made an assembly table out of birch plywood about 2 years ago and the holes have remained constant in size. Also, after drilling the 3mm holes I flip the board over and drill a shallow 20mm hole (approx 0.5mm deep) to prevent breakout when drilling from the top side.
Hi Gordon, Thank you for the information and also well done for doing that shallow counter bore before the main 20 mm drilling. Cheers. Peter
Oh man I just asked this exact question. I’m going to do that as well. I noticed the 3mm holes already exiting pretty rough on the bottom of the table. Cheers . Also this is so fun and really catering to my love for being precise .
Hi Peter, many thanks for the revision - made my top some months ago now using the Parf system of course and still enjoying it's versatility - great to see you back on video again.
Hi David, Many thanks. I will be doing some video work on motorhomes soon which should have almost 90% practical (DIY) interest. Peter
Good to see you again Peter!
Hi Tioga, Many thanks. Cheers. Peter
Awesome tips...thanks Peter!
Many thanks for this. Cheers. Peter
Great video! Thanks for all the details!
Glad it was helpful! Cheers. Peter
Thanks for this video Peter, much appreciated. I have a parf guide mk II on the way and can't wait to get everything set up.
Glad it helped. Cheers. Peter
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain every detail of making this work top.
Hi Peter, Many thanks. Cheers. Peter
Thank you very much for all that information and tricks. I really enjoy your videos
Glad you like them! Cheers. Peter
Hi Peter nice to see you back. I enjoyed watching your tips regarding the parf guide system.
Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it. Peter
Peter you make best tool videos ever
Cheers. Peter
Muchas gracias por sus vídeos
Thank you. Peter
Great video. Really helpful.
Glad it was helpful! Cheers. Peter
So happy to see you again Peter. I like this tips video and kind of a freshen up your PGS top. I am a serious OCD person so I am often rebuilding my tops just after a few months. I own the Parf Guide System and often think about buying another just to make sure I have one that will last my entire life, as I would never see myself without a PGS again. As you are aware from my many times contacting you I am a super fan of these UJK products and have bought nearly one of everything and often (2) or more.
There is no harm in being OCD when it comes to woodwork especially where safety is concerned. Cheers. Peter
Nice to see you back Peter, I absolutely love my Parf guide II system. My first go had a couple of minor issues but all the other mft style tops are so accurate they're as good as a CNC cut top or better, keep up with the great work you do
Hi Derek, Thank you so much for this and it is lovely to get such good feedback. Cheers. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop I'm a Yorkshire Man so you don't get a compliment unless you deserve it, and you do
Good to see your smiling face again Peter. Do you know you smaile the whole time you are working in the shop? Woodworkers like to help out other woodworkers. It's in our nature. I would offer these observations. A small light drill like your F'Tool is better suited to precision drilling than a bigger heavier old one. You get better feed back through the smaller sized drill and it informs your hand how things are going. Fast drill speed and a slow feed rate also gives better results.
You forgot to mention that you don't own a tablesaw!! Your cutting station serves you well for all your work. It's a real British Army Knife. Apologies to the Swiss. G
Hi George, ...and it is great to hear from you again. Yes, I always use the Festool CXS (or TXS) for my tracksaw drilling. That larger drill was just the job for the reamer. I love the analogy of the Swiss Army Knife. Cheers. Peter
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for posting, glad to see you back. A side note, it is my understanding the Festool rail clamps will not pass through the holes in the top if it is significantly thicker than 19mm. Might work if you make the hole underneath considerably larger.
Hi Barry, You are right but if you do a counter bore from below, depending on the top thickness and the diameter of the counter bore the clamps may still work. Cheers. Peter
Hi Peter - having made a number of tracks tops with your excellent Parf system, I've found not starting as you suggest, in the middle, but from one end of the table works well for me. To ensure the extended holes are in a straight line with the first, I also do one vertical row of 3mm holes right at the centre using the second parf stick for a 3.4.5 triangle. Then I swing the parf stick along the base around, and using the second parf stick in the vertical holes, make another 3.4.5 triangle and proceed with extending the base set of holes along the base. I have found for me at least, it gives very good accuracy too.
Hi Murray, That is quite a reasonable way of tackling it - well done. Peter
Nice to see you back, it was 1 degrees in my workshop, so I had to buy a Chinese diesel heater and install that, my workshop is 6.6m x 5.9m amd 3m tall, the heater works very well in heating the workshop economically and is a perfect heat for my woodwork and machines.
Gosh, I thought that 3 degrees was cold enough. I remember using my old small router on the doorstep of our house in Canada and realised my fingers were getting cold and numb but then my wife told me it was minus 15 degrees at the time but lovely bright sunshine. Cheers. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop Reminds me of December 1971 at Niagara Falls (frozen at the time). It was so cold that I was chilled to the core after filming one reel of Super 8 film (4 mins 20 secs) in spite of wearing a sheepskin coat, thick sheepskin gloves and 'lumberjack' boots. It was by far the coldest place I have ever been.
None Finer than our Peter Parfitt. Thank you kind Sir.
Hi Pat, Thank you so much - how are you? We have had a lot of cold weather lately. Cheers. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop As we have too dear friend. It's you that always gives us joyful, regardless. Thank you kind Sir.
Hi Peter, god to see you back again.
A really useful 'summary' video with lots of useful and important tips which I will review when I make my next cutting board here and, maybe remake the one in France which has two inaccurate columns because I didn't follow your advice when drilling some of the 3mm holes.
I am not sure whether take a simplified version or your full isometric type here. My mitre saw here is a small single bevel Metabo which I had in France before I replaced it with a Kapex 120 so I might use the complex cutting station to do accurate mitre cuts (or maybe buy another Kapex). Some things to think about later this year when the Worksop (unheated) is warmer.
My workshop is heated by a small radiator which is fine if the temperature does not stay below 2 degrees for days on end. In the last spell of cold weather the radiator was inadequate and so I took a few weeks off and did some remedial work on the house (still more to do). Cheers. Peter
I use a narrow piece of 1/2 plywood under what ever I’m cutting. 4 pieces to be exact.
Fantastic video, you’re attention to detail and explanations are exemplary!
This may be a naive question (as I am somewhat new to the higher levels of woodworking) - but how are cuts made without damaging the surface of your beautifully crafted table?
Hi Thomas, The saw will make a shallow cut (the kerf line) which is of no consequence at all. The tracksaw cutting station is a tool and one must expect it to get roughed up a bit. If it is made with 19 mm MDF then a replacement top is easy to do with the PGS. My current top has been in use for nearly 3 years now. Cheers. Peter
Okay, that's it. I want to be you when I grow up. I mean, I'm 58, but I'm always told to grow up, so now I've got something to shoot for!
Seriously, love your videos, and you've inspired me to get the guides and do a cutting station.
My question is why the moisture resistant MDF would be producing the fuzz so quickly on? I initially thought that was the entire point of using that.
Also, I'd love to know your thoughts on the maximum functional size of a station? I have an idea for something, but don't want to create something larger than is practical.
Cheers.
First, many thanks for the kind remarks. The Medite MR MDF is made with very dense and hard outer layers which make it absolutely perfect for the PGS but the inner core is softerer and can fluff a tiny amount. Normal MDF would fluff far more. Cheers. Peter
A very handy video, I am looking to make a tracksaw station and CNC router table combination from an 8 x 4 - 25mm MDF sheet.
I need an all in one station as my workshop is not big enough to have both, I already have the 25mm MDF in my workshop and was hoping to use what I have. I was looking to use the 25mm for rigidity but im now worried the top will be too much work to set out and I also worry about the accuracy if trying to align from the underside in your method with me doing it with the parf 2 sysytem .....
Hi Dean, You could use 19 mm MDF and use some stiffening underneath that goes midway between rows/columns of holes. For a 25 mm top you might be able to do the first session of 3 mm holes down to 22 mm then make a slight adjustment to the amount of protrusion of the 3 mm drill bit to redo them to get through the full 25 mm. You should be able to get the 20 mm cutter through the whole 25 mm if you are careful - best to do a test first. Good luck. Peter
Peter, I also have a thickness problem and, therefore, I thought of using a 19 mm mdf panel stiffened underneath between the columns of the holes. It may be a good system but these stiffeners would then give trouble for locking the clamps when you use them inserted into the holes of the dogs. In practice, would it be better not to exceed a maximum thickness of 22 mm?
Welcome back ;))
Cheers. Peter
Hi Peter, greetings from California. I recently got your Parf Guide System and I'm very please with it. I was wondering if I could use the 3mm bits that came with the system to drill into aluminum. I'm considering modifying my Makita track saw rails to turn them into something similar to the Festool LR32 rails so i can have an indexing system to use with my router when I need to drill holes 32mm apart.
Hi Mario, Yes go ahead. The 3 mm drill supplied is a high quality one and aluminium will not be a problem at all. Good luck. Peter
hi Peter thanks for your video
It is possible to use the shaper Origin to do this Part Guide System ?
Hi Rodrigo, No, I do not believe that it can produce the required accuracy over a large area. Peter
Peter, thank you for that very informative video. What size is the MFT top you are working on in the video? Thanks.
It is 1720 mm by 1100 mm. When I replace it I will keep the size the same but I may change the hole pattern as I do not use 30 degree cuts very often. Cheers. Peter
Let me preface my comments by thanking Peter for his wonderful video series and, especially, the Parf Guide system. It is simple genius.
I am curious about something. Peter and others seem to push their work piece away from themselves, locating it with the row of holes farthest away from them. Why? It seems to me that you would want to pull the work piece as close to you as possible, but I must be missing something basic.
The other thing that puzzles me is placing the guide rail in the middle of the table. I am right handed, so it makes sense to me to set up this table to place the track (guide rail) near the right hand side of the table. If you are cutting a piece of material in half, of course you want the track in the middle. However, I typically cut close to my finished length and just want to trim off a inch or 3 to get that perfect right angle. Is the practice a function of how the Festool MFT system is designed or is there some other reason?
The work piece is pushed against the low dogs or fence away from the user because, if it were the other way around, there is a chance that the work piece could be moved away from the dogs or fence during sawing. The cut is regularly done near the centre so that the stock is supported on both sides. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop thanks so much for the fast reply. Makes sense - I knew I was missing something basic.
I am really pleased to have been able to help you. The main aim of my CZcams work is to guide, help and inform others. Cheers. Peter
I feel like I have more slop between the 20mm forstner bit and the guide than was at the beginning. Do you know if I can purchase just the guide as I have replaced the bit already as well as purchased an extra ruler and pins so really have no use for a whole kit. Be no means am I suggesting premature wear or faulty bearings. I have used it for lots of different bench extensions plus 5 actually 4x8 benches and don't have a reference for the exact fit the bit should have. About to make a benchtop that will need to last and would feel better knowing everything is tight. Thank you as always for all you do.
Hi Richard, Please send me an email so I can find out a bit more about the wear as the system is designed for far more bench tops than you appear to have made. It may be that I can sort something out for you but no promises yet. To find my email address go to my main CZcams page, click the "About" tab and that leads to my email address. I am told this has to be done on a PC. Peter
any tips on how to use the frostner bit?
I had problems with it on a black moisture resistant mdf, i had to apply a lot of force on the drill and sometimes the bit got clogged. The first table I made was ok, but the second for some reason have all the holes a little bigger, the dog holes aren't a tight fit anymore. That is true for both of the guide block holes.
My drill is an old makita 14.4.
It it possible to use an impact driver?
First the drill will only work if the 3 mm holes go all the way through the material to be cut. Next, you have to have good dust collection in order to stop the 20 mm cutter from clogging. Finally, have good quality MDF as the cheap stuff produces fluffy shavings which will clog any drill. Do not NOT NOT NOT use an impact driver. Peter
Perfect timing. I was about to start designing my own cutting station. Already have my Parf guide system and I must say it is a beautiful piece of kit. I do still wonder about the ideal dimensions of the MFT style top. If I want to cut plywood and MDF panels on a regular basis, what would be the ideal dimension of the top?
My cutting station is about 1720 mm x 1100 mm. When I want to break down a full sheet I first true up one long side just by placing a long track across the sheet and do a nice clean cut which I mark clearly. I then try and cut the sheet further is sizes closer to what I will need and then, using the marked good clean edge, start doing the accurate cuts on the surface of the tracksaw cutting station using dogs etc. In my experience there is no need to have a tracksaw cutting station any bigger than the one that I have. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop and a reaction from the man himself. I second the opinions in the comments, you are more than just a CZcamsr, you are a true teacher and craftsman. Not only are your videos informative and to the point, you are also willing to dedicate extra time to provide even more information. I hope your channel grows and your business goes well. You certainly deserve it.
Gosh, Many thanks for this. You have made my day. Cheers. Peter
Can you share your thoughts on whether the Dashboard rail bracket compares to the dog system you use?
I also notice you reach quite a bit with your saw because the top depth. I am deliberating between making va buying a MFT table. I thought 30” deep would be enough?
My MFT3 came with that type of bracket and in engineering terms any variation will be adequate but not give anything like the accuracy of a top made with the Parf Guide System and used with the associated Parf Dogs - all part of the same family. If the Festool concept could have been improved to the degree of accuracy that fine woodworking needs then Festool would have done something about it by now. Cheers. Peter
Hi Peter, the cutting station looks great how do I go about obtaining a copy of the plans?
In order to get plans I need your email address. To find my email address go to my main CZcams page, click the "About" tab and that leads to my email address. I am told this has to be done on a PC. Cheers. Peter
Peter how do you address the issue of blowout and splintering on the bottom side of the table when the bit punctures that surface. At work when we drill holes we come from underneath to break that surface clean and then drill from above. I’m thinking I could flip the mdf top over after the 3mm holes are drilled, do a shallow pass to break the surface for all holes then proceed on the top side with the full drill through. I want the bottom of the table clean holes so my dog knobs have a flat surface to register to. Thoughts?
The cutter has especially designed flutes to score through the material and prevent serious blowout. There will be a tiny bit but if the drilling of the 20 mm holes is done slowly this is minimal. Besides, the tracksaw cutting station is a tool and its underside is of no consequence to the utility of the finished product. Cheers. Peter
When starting the the first row and you have your 2 outer pins in would it be a good idea to drill your holes outside in and placing a pin in each to prevent the movement in the middle? I have bent some pins so now have lots of them.
Also do you have experience with medex?
My lumber yard stocks it.
Hi Roby, I quite like the simplicity of drilling from the outside towards the middle but fear that one could get a compound error in the process. No, never used Medex. Cheers. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop I did one top that way and feel that I progressively bent the ruler on some of the rows.
Thank you for your help.
I love the enthusiasm. I'm currently building my first workbench and am wondering if I should overlay the isometric doghole pattern so I can use it for both handtool work, assembly work as well as a tracksaw cutting station. I don't have the room to do a separate bench & MFT table. Other than having a lot of holes in my workbench (for stuff to fall into), is there a downside to adding these to a thicker workbench?
Also does the hole pattern in the UJK fence work with an isometric pattern?
Hi Michael, Only do the isometric pattern if you know that you will need 30 or 60 degree cuts. You can always retro drill them using the Parf Revision Dogs at a later stage. The UJK fence only works with 96 mm spacing holes and so will work along any line of 20 mm holes at 96 mm spacing and that includes most of the 30 and 60 degree lines. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop Would it make sense to build an MDF top on top of a traditional workbench. Something that can be easily stowed. Perhaps anchroed to the traditional top by longer dogs. That way I don't have to drill into the primary workbench unless I'm doing hand-tool woodworking and need solid hold-downs, and can use an MDF topper for tracksaw work & assembly work, but I don't need to take up teh space of an extra table. (just stowing the tabletop).
Hi Michael, Yes that would work for most activities except when using the clamps that go all the way through a 20 mm hole or some of the dogs that stick below the bench top. For those dogs you could raise the holey top by just a few mm to get clearance or you could buy those UJK dogs that do not go all the way through. Peter
The 'centrally placed ruler' part beginning around 6:35 Is an important bit, that I don't remember seeing
in any other video on the Parf Guide Mk II.
It is mentioned in the instructions which are available on line and should have been provided in paper form with the kit. The diagrams all show drilling starting at a central location. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop I don't have the kit yet but will later this year once I get to building this bench layout.
Thank you, Sir!
Hi Peter
I just finished my first cuttingstation👍
I have a question, can you do miters on the station?
Yes, just put the fence or low dogs in a diagonal line with your saw running along the normal route on the track. Peter
Hi Peter, is there any slop in the 3mm drilling guide. I have the original Parf Guide system and the 3mm drill bit slop in the guide is a problem. The position of the 3mm hole is suspect in my original system. I use the 3mm drill bit that came with the system so no foreign intervention so to speak. A pity there is no upgrade kit for the original system.
After a while there may be some wear in the 3 mm drill guide. One does have to take care to keep things perpendicular. The Mk2 system has rather good bearing surfaces of course. Peter
Hi Peter, I received my Parf guide II system today and watched your video to prepare myself to build my first workbench. I have to say that I am a beginner in this area. Now I have a stupid question. In the video you discussed how to handle material which is thicker than 22mm as the 3mm drill would not go through the whole material. I thought that the 3mm holes are just holes used to fix the guide block. The 20mm center drill could easily be used for a 30mm plywood sheet, which I wanted to use. Is it so important to have a 3mm hole going through the whole sheet? I hope that my English is not to bad as it is not my native language.
Cheers Markus
Hi Markus, The 20 mm drill is very special and has been designed and made just for the PGS. It has a 3 mm spike on the end which means it must only be used where there is a 3 mm hole all the way through the material. The spike is just one part of the process to ensure the accuracy of the 20 mm holes. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop Thank you Peter for quick reply. Markus
I know I'm late with this suggestion, but couldn't the people who need a really thick platter just make two 16mm boards (drilling through when they make the 3mm holes) and then glue them together?
I inquired with Medite in the Netherlands last year, but the moisture resistant MDF is not sold in continental Europe. I haven't found an alternative yet.
I have not used it but I understand that the exterior Medite MDF has the same harder out layers and it is (in the UK sat least) a fraction cheaper than the MR. Peter
There is a product called Medite MR or vochtwerend medite.
I got an parf guide mark 2 and my 20 mm drill bit broke from the shank. Kinda upset about it
Contact your supplier if it is a manufacturing fault it will be replaced. Of the tens of thousands of PGS sold there has never been a 20 mm cutter break at the shank. Someone else has also suggested that you contact your supplier. Peter
We would watch paint dry if you made a video...
Gosh, you are really kind. Cheers. Peter
We're to buy 3mm drill guide
Depends where you are - Axminster, TSO, Carbatec...
Hi Peter,
Please give the e-mail address to mail to in order tot get the plans for your lay-out of the table-top.
Thanks from the Netherlands.
Hans
Hi Hans, To get plans I need your email address. For my email address go to my channel home page, click on "About" and you will find the email address (this is best done from a PC for some reason). Let me know what plans you need and I will email them to you. Peter