Thread: Issues found with UJK Parf Guide System. mis-aligned holes. Check yours

Originally Posted by woodPixel

The whole idea of the Parf table is to eliminate the use of a table saw for cutting sheetstock.

Not entirely for cutting sheet goods.

I made mine to use as an assembly, clamping and gluing table, not a cutting station. I don't even own a track or a circular saw and doubt I will ever buy one. In the odd situation that I need a full sheet of something, the timber places I use break then down for me, slightly oversized so I can trim them on my table saw. I do a lot of face frames, boxes, cabinets etc. I use the dogs and all their varieties, in line clamps, squaring blocks and hold downs to keep things square and aligned while I clamp/glue/screw/ etc. That's why its called a multi function table, because of its versatility.

Barri, you've given me a stellar idea for my bulk box glueups!!!

Edit: Gak! Another one!!!!!!

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Use your dogs in the new holes with a length of timber as the "fence" to trim it. Just run the circ saw along it.

Wot he said!!

If you don't have a track saw, use a regular circular saw & a STRAIGHT straight edge.

I just bought my set a week ago. Mine is also hyper duper accurate. I also bought the Super Parf Dogs + Chamfer tool. The Super dogs are really good, especially with the little chamfered ring that keys into the chamfer on the doghole. Have checked with an engineer square and it's perfect 90 degree to the table. I thought about making my own jig ( how hard could it be right ) to make the dogholes, but I'm amazed at the quality and tight tolerences on everything. Expensive, but I'll forget about the cost soon enough. CNC would have cost similar amount.

Originally Posted by RossM

Wot he said!!

If you don't have a track saw, use a regular circular saw & a STRAIGHT straight edge.

That would definitely work and is an effective way to do it, Ross, but there is more than one way to skin a cat and by the way I don't own a circular saw either.

I drilled my first hole and used the pin through the ruler as a pivot. Made three blocks from scrap whose length is exactly the distance from the edge of the pin to the edge of my board. Put the 3mm pin through the other end and moved the ruler so the pins were touching the two blocks which were in line with the edge of the board. Put a third pin in the middle hole and checked using the third block. Clamped the ruler and checked with my digital calipers and Incra ruler that the three holes were parallel with the edge. It took a couple of adjustments before I had it perfect. I could have ripped a long board rather than 3 blocks but I felt this was better. I could have also used a combo. square and/or Kreg's multi-marking tool as well

I agree that using dogs and a straight edge would work the best but in my case I had to be a bit more creative.

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan76

I thought about making my own jig ( how hard could it be right )

Sebastiaan, I originally had a Kreg clamp top and decided that dog holes would make it that much more versatile. So I made a jig by making a square board and using the fence on my drill press table, drilled 3 parallel 3/4" holes on each side of the square. Checked they were parallel and equidistant and all seemed right. So using straight edges and 3/4" dogs for indexing I started drilling holes using the jig. Drilled one row and column and no matter what I did I couldn't get the holes dead straight or square. I gave up and then found a CNC top with 3/4" holes already drilled in perfect alignment for $215. This was cheaper than the parf guide but I realised that I wanted a portable top as well, then a friend said he wanted one as well. So I would need to make three which then makes the guide great value. I bought the ordinary parf dogs and love the snug fit. I've also got Kreg's in line clamps and bench clamps ( https://www.kregtool.com/store/c29/bench-clamps/ ) and they work brilliantly and are a LOT cheaper than the festool equivalents

Can't recommend this kit highly enough

Will definitely look at those clamps. I'm definitely struggling to find a preferred clamping solution that doesn't cost a fortune.

One other observation that the OP might be interested in. I went home and put the 3 x 3mm pins through both Parf sticks at the ends + middle ( and other locations ), and I can confirm that whilst the holes do all line up perfectly, the actual ruler edges most certainly *do not*, so if you do reference anything from those ruler edges, you are running the risk of it not being aligned. the edges were out of alignment by just over 1 - 1.5mm over the length of the ruler.