Axminster Ratchet Lever Guide Rail Clamps

[Jack (W)]

Whilst at Axminster’s power tool centre in Devon yesterday I came across and bought a couple of their own-brand quick lever guide rail clamps (Order code: 503997). They fit Festool and Makita guide rails and maybe other rails too.

They have the briefest mention in the Axminster catalogue and they are not illustrated, which accounts for me not being aware of them earlier. They are similar to the Festool ratchet clamps but they are nearer half the price, and so I thought worthy of a mention here.

For size comparison I’ve photographed the blue-handled Axminster guide rail clamp alongside an ordinary Festool screw clamp.

Jack (W)

 

[Graham Orm]

Whilst at Axminster’s power tool centre in Devon yesterday I came across and bought a couple of their own-brand quick lever guide rail clamps (Order code: 503997). They fit Festool and Makita guide rails and maybe other rails too.

They have the briefest mention in the Axminster catalogue and they are not illustrated, which accounts for me not being aware of them earlier. They are similar to the Festool ratchet clamps but they are nearer half the price, and so I thought worthy of a mention here.

For comparison I’ve photographed the blue-handled Axminster guide rail clamp alongside an ordinary Festool screw clamp.

Jack (W)

Looks good, I have just ordered a Scheppach rail saw and was wondering if they might fit it as I haven't ordered any. However at £23 each they are way too expensive for what they are. I'll make some from converted G clamps as was my original idea. Cost about £6 for a pair. I shudder to think what the festool ones cost.

 

[Reggie]

ukj do some fence clamps for about £10 for the pair, might be just what you're looking for.

 

[No skills]

Festool were £60+ IIRC.

I too will be making my own rail clamps.

 

[No skills]

ukj do some fence clamps for about £10 for the pair, might be just what you're looking for.

Are they online?

 

[Graham Orm]

ukj do some fence clamps for about £10 for the pair, might be just what you're looking for.

Thanks...UKJ??

 

[Reggie]

http://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technolo ... amps-(pair)-prod889082/

Sorry about that, they're not ratchet but they are £10 a pair.

 

[Graham Orm]

Thanks Reggie, still plus £5 delivery, will have a go at my own first but have saved the link. Cheers ;-)

 

[Reggie]

if you get four it will still be £5 shipping, so you can offset the price, or wait until you've got enough bits to get over the £50 mark and get free shipping.

I thought the nice bit about those fence clamps is that the chromed bars are removable, so they could be adapted to take a flat bar, or possible just sand the bar flat to fit the rails?

 

[petermillard]

Festool were £60+ IIRC.

'Only' about £40 inc. now (hence the OP's comment about the Axi ones being half the price) and they are excellent. Bear in mind that the cheaper G-clamp-style alternatives can't change the clamping depth quickly - you're stuck twiddling that little knob for the full adjustment...

 

[No skills]

Hadnt noticed a price drop, still recovering from the saw purchase (and will be for a while :lol: ).

Might scrape some cash together for the axi ones at a later date. Need to make a parallel guide set as well #-o

 

[Eric The Viking]

That's amazing. I have a pair of the Festool ones in the picture, the only Festool kit I own. I bought them because they were cheaper than the Makita equivalent. I'm sure they were only about £22 all in (for the pair, not each), but it was a couple of years ago.

Is it still worth shopping around, or have things really gone up that much?

E.

 

[petermillard]

No Eric, the screw clamps (like in the pic posted above) are still £20-odd a pair; it's the Festool lever clamps - these - that are £40 apiece - and actually down to £35-ish in some places now.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Ah, thanks Peter, that I understand!

What I don't understand is why Festool think that price will sell their quick release clamps.
After all, the screw ones I have only take seconds to set.

E. (who's supposed to work in Marketing!)

 

[petermillard]

What I don't understand is why Festool think that price will sell their quick release clamps.
After all, the screw ones I have only take seconds to set.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess; I'll take a ratchet clamp over a screw clamp anytime - and yes, I put my money where my mouth was a few years ago... :shock:

 

[JakeS]

I'll take a ratchet clamp over a screw clamp anytime

I'd take a ratchet clamp over an equivalently-priced screw clamp, just 'cause (leaving this particular example aside) screw clamps have a tendency to rotate around the workpiece when you get to their tightest and keep turning. But I'm not sure I'd pay more than twice as much for the privilege of not having to hold the back of the clamp when tightening up!

 

[Eric The Viking]

In this case you don't even need to hold the clamp. It runs in a slot under the rail so it can't twist.

I also wonder if the screw ones are a bit less likely to damage the work in this case, too. my guess is that it's harder to do up the lever clamps 'gently' as you don't get as much feel for how much pressure is being applied.

But then I'm often wrong...

E.

 

[No skills]

Donkeys for derbys, I'd imagine the ratchet ones are handy for awkward clamping - putting the guide rail on a hung door that needs trimming etc etc

 

[petermillard]

The lever clamps can be 'gently' applied, but obviously not with the infinite adjustment of a screw clamp. FWIW my pair of Axi lever clamps arrived today, and they appear to be *very* solidly made, so many thanks to the OP for highlighting them - I'll compare them to the Festool originals when I'm back in the workshop.

Perhaps worth mentioning also that I do this for a living, so whilst the cost isn't entirely irrelevant, it isn't always the top priority either. Savings are always welcome, of course, whether it's time or money - but you can never have too many clamps