Far more accurate than a big box square I purchased and discarded. Bought four Woodpecker squares, recalibrated my tools and have had great results since. The Parf dogs system looks very interesting.
Peter your videos got me initially interested in Festool, I started with the track saw system after seeing your video, have subsequently bought the smaller Domino machine and several other Festool tools, everytime I use any of them they always amaze me how much easier they make my projects. I've learnt a huge amount from watching your videos, they really do make learning fun.I'm not a trained or professional woodworker but it's a pleasant surprise knowing what I can do now thanks to my Festool equipment. cheers tony
Peter, I really enjoy you sharing mistakes or changes you would recommend such as the butt joint verses a miter joint. It prevents me from finding similar issues on this or other projects of a similar nature that I come up with.
My parf guide arrived the other day! Rebuilding the shed at the moment so it has been sitting on the bench waiting to get used, I think one of these will be made after I get the cutting table done. As an added bonus, small children love the cardboard tube that axminster pack it in. I was very popular :)
Hi Pete, Good luck with the shed - I have built many from scratch and you may have seen my shed roof videos ! Just two things to remember with the PGS - make sure that you put a small amount of oil on the shaft of the 20 mm drill before inserting it into the large guide (and do it again when you move the drill from one guide position to the other) and also do not try to push the 3 mm guide pins in more than about 6-7 mm into your MDF as there is no need to have them completely in. Cheers. Peter
Peter - enjoyable video and fine result. You could have demonstrated the "squareness" using the 3-4-5 rule. (For those who did not learn this in school, measure 3 units on down one leg, 4 units down on the second leg, and the distance between the two end points should be exactly 5 units. (A right triangle.) No matter how you determine the perfection of your square it was certainly a great result. Looking forward to your next project. - Annie
Just put the square on a straight base, draw a line perpendicular, flip it over and draw a second line. These two lines should end up parallel. Any deviation of the square will double in deviations of not ending up with parallel lines.
Thanks for your videos - always watch them. But I was hoping you would show how to make a perfect square for those who don't have this type of system. Maybe another video? Thanks
Hi David, The very nature of the Parf Guide System is its ability to cut at near perfect squareness. I cannot imagine any other way of doing it as accurately and remember that I have always had an obsession with squareness since starting my apprenticeship under my father over 60 years ago. Peter
Hi David, Do look at the PGS Mk2 video before you start your first top as some people have missed some important bits of advice. Good luck. Cheers. Peter
Well, you've done it again Peter. AccuracyX2. If you want to eliminate a variable from your equation , test the T'saw for run out. You'd need a dial or digital indicator and a magnetic base to do it properly . I have heard from one or two of my customers who had T'saws and the right gear and after testing them discovered that they had 1 to 2/1000 of an inch of run out in their T55 saws. That could account for your variation. G.
Went to Lee Valley Tools the other day tested some Veritas squares 12inch. You are much more accurate. My Stanley combo square made in England is spot on.
what if i dont have that board with holes and all my carpenter squares have a slight movement in them, how could I than make this perfect wooden square using only measurement tape and geometry + mathematics?
Hi John, It is an almost impossible job but you could produce the individual parts and join them very accurately but it will not be spot on without the Parf Guide System. Sorry. Peter
We dont have such boards in our coutry and i dont have money to order one from England because it could get pretty expensive. I might figure out some new technique and if I succed than I'll upload a video about this so everyone can see.
Hey Peter! I have a little but very well-known issue. According to those pretty perfect lookin 45 degree-angles, I'm wondering how it turns out if you do a picture-frame with the PGS. It's a subject that hunts me for quite a long time now, because how ever I try to build it, it never seems to be nearly perfect (any little tiny inacurracy is multiplied by 8...). Greets Michael
Hi Michael, I will try and remember to show the architrave around the loft hatch which I did using that method on my cutting station. The joints are perfect. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop Hey Peter! Thanks for the quick answer. Now I got the PGS MkII in the basked, but it popped up another question: Do you think the ujk super dog with its technology is necessery for the beste accuracy? I guess chamfering is very important, and the standard guide dogs do their job quite the same, do they? Greets
Hi Michael, I now always use the Super Dogs as they are quicker and easier to set up and are always perpendicular when seated. The chamfer is the key as it guarantees that the Super Dog stays upright. Peter
You can simply cut a large rectangle out of a sheet of plywood leaving the plywood in the shape of an "L" which would be a large square suitable for laying out buildings and rooms.
@@NewBritWorkshop I calculated the accuracy as the arctan of .000429 which is .0246 degrees, a very small error indeed. should be Ok for all but the most critical tasks.
My Tape is a normal one that measures from the tip onwards and it is metric. I have a steel ruler from Axminster that measures from either end and from the centre outwards and it really useful. Peter
Peter, thanks, I was just about to fork out for a large square, instead I will make on of these ... today! Just shows that my Part Guide system will more than pay for itself. My only reservation is that I got one of the first batch and maybe I should have waited for version 2? Is there an upgrade kit available? George, South Yorks
Hi George, There is no upgrade kit as almost every component is different. If you are making only a couple of MFT size tops a year then the original is good for your needs. If you were making loads then the Mark 2 is better as there are no wearing parts. The only problem is getting hold of the Mark 2 as every production run gets swallowed up in just a few days. Peter
I bought the part guide , nicy made unit . It works very well and is better than my first prototype but accurate machining goes a long way in creating that wonderful accuracy. It's interesting how Pythagoras math helped build the Egyptian empire and is still in use today by way of math rules which are timeless laws
Many thanks - 3 years of hard work to get it just right. It is accepted that the Egyptians used a 3-4-5 triangle for squaring but they did not have the Pythagorean concept of the sum of the squares of the two sides equals the square of the hypotenuse. Much of the early Greek mathematical effort went into squaring the circle - finding a method of establishing the area of a circle by geometry. Peter
New Brit Workshop i believe it cane evolve further but it is a good system . If i wasn't mistaken I thought there is a tablet in a museum showing basic math teaching the 345 ratio concept to the local children . The question is therefore , when did Pythagorean squares first appear ?
New Brit Workshop btw , i think there should be a kit with the super dogs included so that you are setup for right angle cuts right from the get go ... Complete kit ready for work
We have thought of this but have to cater for those whom already have tall dogs. So, the Axminster web software will suggest or recommend the tall dogs when the PGS is being selected. Then the buyer can make a choice. Cheers. Peter
A good video Peter - thanks. It would be interesting to know though what Festool state their manufacturing tolerances to be. I know it's accurate in relative terms for woodworking but the drilling tool must wear after some number of cuts and the spindle that powers the drill must have bearings that wear as well as the x-y drives on their CNC machines. Your 0.2 mm could be 0.1 mm per hole which is only 4 thou so that might be the level of accuracy, that is, plus or minus 0.1 mm per increment (96 mm). So your square may be perfect :-) Cheers
Festool make no claims for the MFT3 to have a perfectly square set of rows and columns on the MFT3. You are absolutely right about CNC cutter wear and there are other factors like the tolerance of the hole sizes. I would not normally brag and certainly would not make exaggerated claims but I really believe that the Parf Guide System can produce a more accurate matrix of holes than most normal CNC setups - perhaps you have seen my 4 cut test video. Many thanks. Peter
The whole point is that people are able to create perfect right angle and 45 degree cuts with any track saw (does not have to be Festool). If you want to go ultimately cheap then any circular saw can be used with a reasonable straight edge. The jointing of the pieces can even be done with screws.
I love your videos! Thank you! Quick question: What tolerances should I expect while cutting on an mft? 1) I know I am the problem and not my equipment. 2) I am using a new mft with ujk dogs and ujk fence. 3) I first make a perfectly straight edge, however, when I got to make my cross cut for a perfect right angle I am almost always 0.2 off. I tested my digital angle finder just with bench dogs in the mft holes and it is a perfect 90 (thus it is not the table) and it is not the ujk fence. I have gone through every step in my process and I am doing things perfectly with the same result. any thoughts?
Hi Mark, Festool have never claimed that the rows and columns of holes on the MFT3 are at exact right angles. They also do not make any claim for the accuracy of the diameter of the holes. That is why I spent 3 years developing the Parf Guide System which is now used all over the world and has not been beaten for accuracy. So, with your setup it is not the dogs nor the UJK fence but the accuracy of the holes in the table. Peter
Not at the moment but Axminster have pulled out all of the stops and have a very efficient overseas order system. If you go to their web site you can select your currency as US Dollars and all pricing reflects that. As a non EU citizen you will not pay the 20% sales tax (VAT) which is shown in the UK and Euro pricing. You will also get delivery in a very reasonably short period of time. Their export department can be reached via export@axminster.co.uk or you can call them during UK opening hours on +44 1297 33666 . There are already many hundreds of satisfied customers in North America. I hope that this helps. Peter
I just bought a Parf guide from Axminster. It's cheaper than from TSO in the U.S. and shipping was only $12 and nearly as fast as you'd get it in the states.
It is best to send me your email address by Private Message. To send me a Private Message follow this link: ua-cam.com/users/StoneMessage then click "About" followed by "Send Message". Peter
Hi Kenneth, You divide the error (0.27 mm) by the length over which it is measured (670 mm) to get a ratio of 0.0004029. If you look at the definition of an engineers square en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinist_square on Wikipedia you will see that ratio is 0.0002. So my square is very close indeed to the accuracy of an engineer's square. Peter
Not at the moment but Axminster have pulled out all of the stops and have a very efficient overseas order system. If you go to their web site you can select your currency as US Dollars (sorry not Canadian) and all pricing reflects that. As a non EU citizen you will not pay the 20% sales tax (VAT) which is shown in the UK and Euro pricing. You will also get delivery in a very reasonably short period of time. Their export department can be reached via export@axminster.co.uk or you can call them during UK opening hours on +44 1297 33666 . There are already many hundreds of satisfied customers in North America. I hope that this helps. Peter
Your method for checking squareness with the engineer square is not the most accurate. You should clamp one arm of the wooden square on flat surface with the other up. Then put engineer square on the same surface against the clamped square. Move engineer square gently towards the wood square, don’t push hard but do press it down well. Shine the light behind, look for a gap.
Impressive, many thanks. If the length of each arm is 1, the distance between their ends is the square root of 2. It is a bold man who dares to argue with Pythagoras. Like one of my fellow-commentators, I would rather work from first principles than assume the perfect calibration of a workbench. Make 4 such squares, and then bring their points together. See if they marry up.
Hi Chris, I can assure you that with a workbench top created with the Parf Guide System you will be able to make near perfect square cuts time after time. Take a look at this video: ua-cam.com/video/FsBIWL30RP0/v-deo.html and you will see, towards the end, the 4 cut test that shows cutting within 0.00016 of a radian out from square! Peter
![A plywood square that's accurate, cheap and easy to make. [video 415]](/img/n.gif)
Far more accurate than a big box square I purchased and discarded. Bought four Woodpecker squares, recalibrated my tools and have had great results since. The Parf dogs system looks very interesting.
Hi Penny, It is and it really works, Cheers. Peter
Yet another great video by one of the true "masters" on UA-cam.
Keep it coming dear person. I will build one. No doubt about it.
Peter your videos got me initially interested in Festool, I started with the track saw system after seeing your video, have subsequently bought the smaller Domino machine and several
other Festool tools, everytime I use any of them they always amaze me how much easier they make my projects. I've learnt a huge amount from watching your videos, they really do make
learning fun.I'm not a trained or professional woodworker but it's a pleasant surprise knowing what I can do now thanks to my Festool equipment.
cheers
tony
Hi Tony, I will go to bed happy tonight - there is no better tonic than excellent feedback. Thank you so much for this. Cheers. Peter
Peter, I really enjoy you sharing mistakes or changes you would recommend such as the butt joint verses a miter joint. It prevents me from finding similar issues on this or other projects of a similar nature that I come up with.
Hi Gary, Many thanks. I think that it is important to show common mistakes in order to help others avoid a nonsense. Cheers. Peter
My parf guide arrived the other day! Rebuilding the shed at the moment so it has been sitting on the bench waiting to get used, I think one of these will be made after I get the cutting table done. As an added bonus, small children love the cardboard tube that axminster pack it in. I was very popular :)
Hi Pete, Good luck with the shed - I have built many from scratch and you may have seen my shed roof videos ! Just two things to remember with the PGS - make sure that you put a small amount of oil on the shaft of the 20 mm drill before inserting it into the large guide (and do it again when you move the drill from one guide position to the other) and also do not try to push the 3 mm guide pins in more than about 6-7 mm into your MDF as there is no need to have them completely in. Cheers. Peter
Peter - enjoyable video and fine result.
You could have demonstrated the "squareness" using the 3-4-5 rule. (For those who did not learn this in school, measure 3 units on down one leg, 4 units down on the second leg, and the distance between the two end points should be exactly 5 units. (A right triangle.)
No matter how you determine the perfection of your square it was certainly a great result. Looking forward to your next project. - Annie
Just put the square on a straight base, draw a line perpendicular, flip it over and draw a second line. These two lines should end up parallel. Any deviation of the square will double in deviations of not ending up with parallel lines.
Thanks for your videos - always watch them. But I was hoping you would show how to make a perfect square for those who don't have this type of system. Maybe another video? Thanks
Hi David, The very nature of the Parf Guide System is its ability to cut at near perfect squareness. I cannot imagine any other way of doing it as accurately and remember that I have always had an obsession with squareness since starting my apprenticeship under my father over 60 years ago. Peter
Thanks Peter - just ordered the Parf Guide 2 system and the dogs so looking forward to perfectly square cuts!
Hi David, Do look at the PGS Mk2 video before you start your first top as some people have missed some important bits of advice. Good luck. Cheers. Peter
Excellent Peter as usual!! I love your videos, keep up the great work :-))
Hi Bill, Many thanks for the feedback. Peter
Great...so I need a bench with perfectly aligned holes to hold the wood while I try to screw in a prefect 90 degrees
Well, you've done it again Peter. AccuracyX2. If you want to eliminate a variable from your equation , test the T'saw for run out. You'd need a dial or digital indicator and a magnetic base to do it properly . I have heard from one or two of my customers who had T'saws and the right gear and after testing them discovered that they had 1 to 2/1000 of an inch of run out in their T55 saws. That could account for your variation. G.
Hi George, Many thanks. It is something that I had not considered. Cheers. Peter
Went to Lee Valley Tools the other day tested some Veritas squares 12inch. You are much more accurate. My Stanley combo square made in England is spot on.
Excellent! Thank You!
Peter you are a good man I enjoy watching you doing things Just the way you talk and explain about stuff I learn a lot from you thank you very much
Hi Adnan, You too are a very kind person giving me such lovely feedback. Cheers. Peter
The measurement in the end needs to be taken between the bench dog not from the corner.
So satisfying, great video!
what if i dont have that board with holes and all my carpenter squares have a slight movement in them, how could I than make this perfect wooden square using only measurement tape and geometry + mathematics?
Hi John, It is an almost impossible job but you could produce the individual parts and join them very accurately but it will not be spot on without the Parf Guide System. Sorry. Peter
We dont have such boards in our coutry and i dont have money to order one from England because it could get pretty expensive. I might figure out some new technique and if I succed than I'll upload a video about this so everyone can see.
Hey Peter!
I have a little but very well-known issue.
According to those pretty perfect lookin 45 degree-angles, I'm wondering how it turns out if you do a picture-frame with the PGS.
It's a subject that hunts me for quite a long time now, because how ever I try to build it, it never seems to be nearly perfect (any little tiny inacurracy is multiplied by 8...).
Greets Michael
Hi Michael, I will try and remember to show the architrave around the loft hatch which I did using that method on my cutting station. The joints are perfect. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop
Hey Peter! Thanks for the quick answer. Now I got the PGS MkII in the basked, but it popped up another question: Do you think the ujk super dog with its technology is necessery for the beste accuracy? I guess chamfering is very important, and the standard guide dogs do their job quite the same, do they?
Greets
Hi Michael, I now always use the Super Dogs as they are quicker and easier to set up and are always perpendicular when seated. The chamfer is the key as it guarantees that the Super Dog stays upright. Peter
So time to get the jointer plane and make it exact.
You can simply cut a large rectangle out of a sheet of plywood leaving the plywood in the shape of an "L" which would be a large square suitable for laying out buildings and rooms.
Hi Bob, That might well work for general site work but there is never any guarantee that the sheet has square sides. Cheers. Peter
@@NewBritWorkshop I calculated the accuracy as the arctan of .000429 which is .0246 degrees, a very small error indeed. should be Ok for all but the most critical tasks.
Is your tape one of those viceversa tapes with increments top bottom left and right so you can read measurements from any direction?
My Tape is a normal one that measures from the tip onwards and it is metric. I have a steel ruler from Axminster that measures from either end and from the centre outwards and it really useful. Peter
The steel rule is this one www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-precision-centre-finding-rule-ax962205 Peter
Peter, thanks, I was just about to fork out for a large square, instead I will make on of these ... today! Just shows that my Part Guide system will more than pay for itself. My only reservation is that I got one of the first batch and maybe I should have waited for version 2? Is there an upgrade kit available?
George, South Yorks
Hi George, There is no upgrade kit as almost every component is different. If you are making only a couple of MFT size tops a year then the original is good for your needs. If you were making loads then the Mark 2 is better as there are no wearing parts. The only problem is getting hold of the Mark 2 as every production run gets swallowed up in just a few days. Peter
I bought the part guide , nicy made unit . It works very well and is better than my first prototype but accurate machining goes a long way in creating that wonderful accuracy. It's interesting how Pythagoras math helped build the Egyptian empire and is still in use today by way of math rules which are timeless laws
Many thanks - 3 years of hard work to get it just right. It is accepted that the Egyptians used a 3-4-5 triangle for squaring but they did not have the Pythagorean concept of the sum of the squares of the two sides equals the square of the hypotenuse. Much of the early Greek mathematical effort went into squaring the circle - finding a method of establishing the area of a circle by geometry. Peter
New Brit Workshop i believe it cane evolve further but it is a good system . If i wasn't mistaken I thought there is a tablet in a museum showing basic math teaching the 345 ratio concept to the local children . The question is therefore , when did Pythagorean squares first appear ?
New Brit Workshop btw , i think there should be a kit with the super dogs included so that you are setup for right angle cuts right from the get go ... Complete kit ready for work
We have thought of this but have to cater for those whom already have tall dogs. So, the Axminster web software will suggest or recommend the tall dogs when the PGS is being selected. Then the buyer can make a choice. Cheers. Peter
A good video Peter - thanks. It would be interesting to know though what Festool state their manufacturing tolerances to be. I know it's accurate in relative terms for woodworking but the drilling tool must wear after some number of cuts and the spindle that powers the drill must have bearings that wear as well as the x-y drives on their CNC machines. Your 0.2 mm could be 0.1 mm per hole which is only 4 thou so that might be the level of accuracy, that is, plus or minus 0.1 mm per increment (96 mm). So your square may be perfect :-) Cheers
Festool make no claims for the MFT3 to have a perfectly square set of rows and columns on the MFT3. You are absolutely right about CNC cutter wear and there are other factors like the tolerance of the hole sizes. I would not normally brag and certainly would not make exaggerated claims but I really believe that the Parf Guide System can produce a more accurate matrix of holes than most normal CNC setups - perhaps you have seen my 4 cut test video. Many thanks. Peter
Love your videos. Lately the American videos have adopted a sportscaster narrative style which puts me right off.
Hi William, It may be that they are trying to appeal to a different type of audience. My work will not change. Cheers. Peter
I orded my parf system 3 days ago,before watching this video to do exactly this. I intend to cut it out of one piece of MDF with no joints
Hi Roland, That is the best way to do it but using the jointing method uses less wood. Still, MDF is cheap enough. Good luck. Peter
best wat to test squareness is taking measurements on the same straight edge left and right. Marks MUST fall spot on.
hi great video could you show how to do this without all the dear tools
The whole point is that people are able to create perfect right angle and 45 degree cuts with any track saw (does not have to be Festool). If you want to go ultimately cheap then any circular saw can be used with a reasonable straight edge. The jointing of the pieces can even be done with screws.
Excellent thanks
Cheers . Peter
I love your videos! Thank you! Quick question: What tolerances should I expect while cutting on an mft? 1) I know I am the problem and not my equipment. 2) I am using a new mft with ujk dogs and ujk fence. 3) I first make a perfectly straight edge, however, when I got to make my cross cut for a perfect right angle I am almost always 0.2 off. I tested my digital angle finder just with bench dogs in the mft holes and it is a perfect 90 (thus it is not the table) and it is not the ujk fence. I have gone through every step in my process and I am doing things perfectly with the same result. any thoughts?
Hi Mark, Festool have never claimed that the rows and columns of holes on the MFT3 are at exact right angles. They also do not make any claim for the accuracy of the diameter of the holes. That is why I spent 3 years developing the Parf Guide System which is now used all over the world and has not been beaten for accuracy. So, with your setup it is not the dogs nor the UJK fence but the accuracy of the holes in the table. Peter
Peter, is there a place to buy the UJK Parf Guide System in the US?
Not at the moment but Axminster have pulled out all of the stops and have a very efficient overseas order system. If you go to their web site you can select your currency as US Dollars and all pricing reflects that. As a non EU citizen you will not pay the 20% sales tax (VAT) which is shown in the UK and Euro pricing. You will also get delivery in a very reasonably short period of time. Their export department can be reached via export@axminster.co.uk or you can call them during UK opening hours on +44 1297 33666 . There are already many hundreds of satisfied customers in North America. I hope that this helps. Peter
I just bought a Parf guide from Axminster. It's cheaper than from TSO in the U.S. and shipping was only $12 and nearly as fast as you'd get it in the states.
I am trying to find out how to give you my email to obtain plans for some of your projects but I can't find out how to do that. Love your videos!
It is best to send me your email address by Private Message. To send me a Private Message follow this link: ua-cam.com/users/StoneMessage then click "About" followed by "Send Message". Peter
Why not cut an "L" shaped piece, miter in the longer brace, bind the outer edges with hardwood and trim it dead square?
Hi Barry, You could do but it takes more material - I often have long thin bits left over from other jobs. Cheers. Peter
the calculation how did you came to the results ??
Hi Kenneth, You divide the error (0.27 mm) by the length over which it is measured (670 mm) to get a ratio of 0.0004029. If you look at the definition of an engineers square en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinist_square on Wikipedia you will see that ratio is 0.0002. So my square is very close indeed to the accuracy of an engineer's square. Peter
Thanks a lot 😊
Are they available in canada
Not at the moment but Axminster have pulled out all of the stops and have a very efficient overseas order system. If you go to their web site you can select your currency as US Dollars (sorry not Canadian) and all pricing reflects that. As a non EU citizen you will not pay the 20% sales tax (VAT) which is shown in the UK and Euro pricing. You will also get delivery in a very reasonably short period of time. Their export department can be reached via export@axminster.co.uk or you can call them during UK opening hours on +44 1297 33666 . There are already many hundreds of satisfied customers in North America. I hope that this helps. Peter
You could cut this out of one piece of mdf and put 20 mm holes in it for mounting
Yes, I have made several like that. Peter
Your method for checking squareness with the engineer square is not the most accurate.
You should clamp one arm of the wooden square on flat surface with the other up. Then put engineer square on the same surface against the clamped square.
Move engineer square gently towards the wood square, don’t push hard but do press it down well.
Shine the light behind, look for a gap.
Impressive, many thanks. If the length of each arm is 1, the distance between their ends is the square root of 2. It is a bold man who dares to argue with Pythagoras. Like one of my fellow-commentators, I would rather work from first principles than assume the perfect calibration of a workbench. Make 4 such squares, and then bring their points together. See if they marry up.
Hi Chris, I can assure you that with a workbench top created with the Parf Guide System you will be able to make near perfect square cuts time after time. Take a look at this video: ua-cam.com/video/FsBIWL30RP0/v-deo.html and you will see, towards the end, the 4 cut test that shows cutting within 0.00016 of a radian out from square! Peter