Author Topic: "T" Track that fits Festool Clamps - UK Source Needed (Read 21759 times)

Peter Parfitt · « **on:** December 18, 2013, 11:46 AM »

I have tried and failed to find "T" track in the UK that is the right size for the Festool lever clamps.

Does anyone know of a product and a supplier in the UK for lengths of track like this?

Many thanks in advance.

Peter

bkharman · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2013, 12:07 PM »

Peter,

Not sure if you are looking for this but the Incra T-Tracks and T-Track Plus work well. It is snug, but they work very well...for a number of different things!

I am sure you get Incra over there...

jonny round boy · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2013, 12:35 PM »

Peter,

The Dacota track from Rutlands fits the Festool clamps fine.

Jonathan

Peter Parfitt · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2013, 02:10 PM »

Bkh and Jonny

Many thanks - I am still interested in any other options out there.

Peter

bkharman · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2013, 02:15 PM »

Quote from: Peter Parfitt on December 18, 2013, 02:10 PM

Bkh and Jonny

Many thanks - I am still interested in any other options out there.

Peter

Anytime I can return a favor to you Peter, I will always do so. You do have my curiosity though, what project are you brewing up here?

cheers

joiner1970 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2013, 02:17 PM »

Yep I got some from Rutlands and the clamps fit perfectly, guess it's Dakota

Peter Parfitt · « **Reply #6 on:** December 18, 2013, 02:34 PM »

Quote from: bkharman on December 18, 2013, 02:15 PM

Anytime I can return a favor to you Peter, I will always do so. You do have my curiosity though, what project are you brewing up here?

cheers

You will have seen my new mobile workbench with a few 20mm holes dotted around ....

Well, I want it to be a complete clamping station (if such a name makes sense) so that I have every option for holding work. I am working on an improved method of holding a Bessey K Body Revo on the surface as an impromptu vice and I also want to take full advantage of the brilliant Festool lever clamps.

Slight aside for anyone who has not yet bought any of these... If you have an MFT3 and do not have the Festool lever clamps then you are not exploiting the full benefit of your investment in the MFT3.

I did buy some "T" track, at a DIY shop a couple of years ago, thinking that it would work with the lever clamps but it was nowhere near right. I am now determined to find a good value source in the UK and hope that this will benefit UK FOGgers as well.

Once I find a source I will make sure that it is on sale at the D&M Show in October 2014 !

Peter

Wuffles · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2013, 03:11 PM »

Which are the festool lever clamps Peter? Do you have a part number to hand?

SRSemenza · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2013, 03:17 PM »

Peter,

How old are your lever clamps?

Have you tried the screw type Festool clamps in the same tracks?

At one point , years ago, the lever (Quick ) clamps had a different and larger profile. Newer ones have a slimmer profile and fit in more track brands.

Seth

Wuffles · « **Reply #9 on:** December 18, 2013, 03:27 PM »

Oh, IN the tracks, I know the ones.

Peter Parfitt · « **Reply #10 on:** December 18, 2013, 04:48 PM »

Quote from: SRSemenza on December 18, 2013, 03:17 PM

Peter,

How old are your lever clamps?

Have you tried the screw type Festool clamps in the same tracks?

At one point , years ago, the lever (Quick ) clamps had a different and larger profile. Newer ones have a slimmer profile and fit in more track brands.

Seth

Mine are about 2 years old. I did not realise that the design had changed. I cannot afford to change my clamps in order to find more options for "T" track.

Do the original size lever clamps and the new ones share the same part number? (please say no to this as I cannot believe that the Festool part number fairies would pull such a trick).

Peter

bkharman · « **Reply #11 on:** December 18, 2013, 05:43 PM »

Btw peter, took a few pics of the incra with a clamp in it. The little chamfered grooves hold it nice and tight. Also out of the lower part of the Chanel for the screw heads.

SRSemenza · « **Reply #12 on:** December 18, 2013, 06:40 PM »

I don't know about the part numbers. But the clamps that have a slightly larger size were waaaay more than two years old. So I think you are good unless you ended up with really old stock. If you have screw type clamps you can compare them.

Seth

leer · « **Reply #13 on:** December 18, 2013, 07:23 PM »

Looks like my screw clamps need just a bit of filing to fit fully into the Incra tracks. They go in OK but start to seize when the short leg is just about completely in o slot. My clamps are about 2 months old -- I am a relatively new Festool user, just got my track saw last month.

Peter -- a little off topic, but I got my Lee Valley order yesterday, which had 6 Parf Dogs -- 4 of the standard, and 2 of the tall. I really look forward to trying them. They fit like a glove in my homemade MFT-style workbench (3 ft. x 7 ft.), which has a CNC'd top. My reference standard for milling was the Qwas Dog, of which I have two, and they were the basis for making sure my 20mm holes were correctly sized.

bkharman · « **Reply #14 on:** December 18, 2013, 07:32 PM »

Quote from: leer on December 18, 2013, 07:23 PM

Looks like my screw clamps need just a bit of filing to fit fully into the Incra tracks. They go in OK but start to seize when the short leg is just about completely in o slot. My clamps are about 2 months old -- I am a relatively new Festool user, just got my track saw last month.

Unfortunately I don't have any of the screw type so I can't verify. I have about a million of the quick clamps though and they all fit. Took a LONG time to verify that.

Peter Parfitt · « **Reply #15 on:** December 19, 2013, 12:29 AM »

Thank you all for your help and the photographs.

The part number of the lever clamps is 491594 and they look just the same as the image above.

Peter

Wuffles · « **Reply #16 on:** December 19, 2013, 03:41 AM »

Ha ha. I was thinking of these: http://www.festool.co.uk/products/accessories/pages/detail.aspx?pid=489790&name=fs-rapid-fs-rapid-r

Big Gaz · « **Reply #17 on:** March 03, 2014, 04:34 PM »

The T Track in the image is an INCRA T-Track Plus with a metric scale - M-TTRACKPLUSxx, where xx is the length - 18", 24", 36" and 48", drop the M for imperial versions.

In the UK they are available from Wood Workers Workshop - 01684 594683 or google them.

They are available in sizes 18", 24", 36" and 48", with either a metric or imperial scale.

Regards

Garry

Peter Parfitt · « **Reply #18 on:** March 04, 2014, 04:38 AM »

Quote from: Big Gaz on March 03, 2014, 04:34 PM

The T Track in the image is an INCRA T-Track Plus with a metric scale - M-TTRACKPLUSxx, where xx is the length - 18", 24", 36" and 48", drop the M for imperial versions.

In the UK they are available from Wood Workers Workshop - 01684 594683 or google them.

They are available in sizes 18", 24", 36" and 48", with either a metric or imperial scale.

Regards

Garry

Thanks for the information Garry..

Peter

Ollie · « **Reply #19 on:** March 04, 2014, 06:05 PM »

Tilgear stock Incra too, or at least used to. I bought my fence from them.

Ollie

Roseland · « **Reply #20 on:** March 05, 2014, 03:07 PM »

I can also confirm the clamps fit the Dakota tracks from Rutlands.

I was in Axminster today and tried a clamp in their T Track (http://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technology-universal-t-track) and it doesn't fit. That track is only about 9mm high, compared to 12mm for the Dakota.

Andrew

Peter Parfitt · « **Reply #21 on:** March 05, 2014, 03:46 PM »

Quote from: Roseland on March 05, 2014, 03:07 PM

I can also confirm the clamps fit the Dakota tracks from Rutlands.

I was in Axminster today and tried a clamp in their T Track (http://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technology-universal-t-track) and it doesn't fit. That track is only about 9mm high, compared to 12mm for the Dakota.

Andrew

I have tried them as well and know that they are the wrong size.

I am going for the track from the Woodworkers' Workshop as it seems pretty good value to me.

Thank you to everyone for your advice and help.

Peter

hrrb · « **Reply #22 on:** March 18, 2014, 10:11 AM »

...just wanted to let you know that the Dakota T-track are on sale at Rutlands right now.
£29.95 for a pack with 4pcs of 48" tracks.

Once again waiting for a package from Rutlands

Kind regards
Henrik

Peter Parfitt · « **Reply #23 on:** April 20, 2014, 04:14 AM »

Hi Everyone,

I now have the "T" track that I was after and even had a phone call from Peter Sefton (a very well known British woodworker, writer and teacher of woodwork). The story is best summed up by video, I mention Peter Sefton at about the 7 min 30 sec point...

Peter

Larso · « **Reply #24 on:** April 20, 2014, 05:36 AM »

Maybe slightly different than what you are asking but i have recently bought makita track saw clamps which work very well on the side tracks of my mft as well as in the rails.
They dont fit/work on the MFT top but i use mine on the cms router insert fence very happily!

They are, at least in Austarlia half the price of the green ones.

I have atacked the head of some bessey Klick clamps with the bench grinder and they work in the MFT top although a much lighter duty clamp than the FESTOOL.

Jim Kirkpatrick · « **Reply #25 on:** April 20, 2014, 09:05 AM »

The lever clamps Peter talked about actually went down after the price increase. $38 instead of $40.

Larso · « **Reply #26 on:** April 22, 2014, 12:33 AM »

That ratchet lever clamp in Australia is $79 and the standard clamp is $62 for the 120 or $72 for the 300.

The makita clamps which appear identical to the standard clamp are $39 for 2.

Sometimewoodworker · « **Reply #27 on:** April 23, 2014, 07:30 AM »

Quote from: Larso on April 22, 2014, 12:33 AM

That ratchet lever clamp in Australia is $79 and the standard clamp is $62 for the 120 or $72 for the 300.

The makita clamps which appear identical to the standard clamp are $39 for 2.

The makita clamps don't fit the Festool track unless you grind them down at the bend.

DeWalt clamps do fit the track but not the MFT holes.

Larso · « **Reply #28 on:** April 23, 2014, 09:34 PM »

Not sure if there are different versions or an update but my Makita clamps definately fit the tracks right out of the packet without any grinding,they fit the side rails of the MFT just not the top.

I keep mine exclusively for use on the router fence of my CMS.

I just looked out of curiousity and the makita clamps work on the top of the SYS MFT,due to the thinner MDF on the SYS MFT i think.

Axminster in the UK now also carry their own brand lever ratchet clamp that apparently fit festool rails,the price doesnt appear to worth the hassle of online purchasing for Aus but may be an option for those in the UK.

mazmes · « **Reply #29 on:** April 25, 2014, 07:25 PM »

Just thought I'd share this source for Festool compatible t-track.http://www.orangealuminum.com/t-track/t-track.html
Unfortunately source is in the US, but for anyone looking for very well priced track you can't go wrong with $ 1.96 per foot.
Even with shipping 3/4 across the country cost was still under $3.40 per foot. If and when my shoulders ever get better I look forward to
putting these to use.