unwanted parf guide system

[djellworth]

Hi there.
Ive been a lurker for sometime and have benefited from your collective wisdom.
I've now just signed up properly.
And what better way to start than with a slightly ridiculous question:
I have just inherited my late father's parf guide system - he'd never used it and I've made myself a couple of workstops but now have no use for it. ( I do think it is brilliantly designed and engineered kit for its purpose.) Now on one hand I'd like to keep it as you never know what happens in the distant future - but realistically it will probably never get used again and just gather dust and use up space.
1) should I just stick it on ebay/sell it?
2) would it be ridiculous to try and "rent it out" for a weekend locally
In the past Ive been put off buying it myself as the cost was prohibitive - but I'd have been happy to hire one for a weekend.
Anyway, I hope my future posts will be more worthwhile.
Thanks in advance.
DJ

 

[Sideways]

Possible uses :
Upgrade your workmate with jaws made of birch ply or maple. Drill dog holes in the jaws.
Make yourself an outfeed / assembly table or paulk style torsion boxes. Dog holes in these tops.
Drill a couple of lines of dog holes down your workbench to hold planks etc while planing.
Same for your portable / mini 'bench on bench'
Vertical line of holes on the bench leg to support the other end of planks or doors on edge in the vice.
Make small drilled worktops to go on top of your systainer / toughsystem / lboxx toolboxes for quick jobs out and about.
Make an MFT style top out of a sheet of mrmdf to throw on trestles for when you're working in the back yard in summer.
If you have a walko workmate, make yourself a couple of spare drilled worktops

By now you'll have got lots of value for money out of it and can sell it off to save space

 

[ScaredyCat]

2) would it be ridiculous to try and "rent it out" for a weekend locally
In the past Ive been put off buying it myself as the cost was prohibitive - but I'd have been happy to hire one for a weekend.

This ^^^ So much this. I don't want to pay that sort of money because I'd rarely use it, but to use for a weekend it'd be great. The 'new' version is £190 (if you include the chamfer tool) - makes me want to weep.

You could use it to drill out a few templates for poor people like me to use instead...


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[Alexfn]

3d printed version can be had for 25 quid, they are having a laugh with the price of this

 

[user22161]

Stick it on ebay, I may be tempted to bid if cheap and postage available.

 

[user22161]

3d printed version can be had for 25 quid, they are having a laugh with the price of this

Do you have a link?

 

[Sideways]

I bought one when they first came out. Price was more like £120. I consider Axminster overpriced but at that price I reckon i've had fair value from it and it is clearly capable of drilling many tops before wear will become an issue. It's always a gamble bringing something new and specialised to market. I would not pay £190 though.
Also, the rules are obviously precision, the jig is strong, the TCT 4 wing cutter fits the bush perfectly and cuts very clean holes. I wouldn't compare this with anything 3D printed.

 

[Doug71]

I would like one but can't justify the price when you can buy ready made MFT tops for about £30.

It is a nice bit of kit though and I would find one useful. It's the kind of thing you could buy between four of you and take turns when you need it.

 

[user22161]

I bought one when they first came out. Price was more like £120. I consider Axminster overpriced but at that price I reckon i've had fair value from it and it is clearly capable of drilling many tops before wear will become an issue. It's always a gamble bringing something new and specialised to market. I would not pay £190 though.
Also, the rules are obviously precision, the jig is strong, the TCT 4 wing cutter fits the bush perfectly and cuts very clean holes. I wouldn't compare this with anything 3D printed.

They're still £149.95 on Axminster site. I'm going to build a Paulk bench with dog holes but, although MFT tops can be bought cheaper off the shelf, they're Festool size and I want 6' x 4' ( 2 - 6' x 2') My "dirty work" bench has hand drilled dog holes which are fine for holding things in place but they're not accurate enough to use for perfect cuts with a track saw, which I'm also looking at.

Any suppliers doing made to order sizes? If not, the Parf jig is the way to go.

 

[ScaredyCat]

They're still £149.95 on Axminster site.

That's the 'old' version, while stocks last etc.. and £25 for the chamfer tool as an extra.. It's still expensive.

I suppose something like this is another option.

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[Sideways]

It is handy to be able to whack holes through birch ply, MRMDF, valchromat, board and stopped holes into solid timber tops - whatever you like and can gets hands on. Sharing would be a good way to go.
Not knocking the value of those CNC drilled tops at all though. I've bought from the bloke in Wrexham who does a bundle with some alloy dogs and his service is great.

 

[djellworth]

Hi - Graham F sent me a PM - I am afraid either I am too stupid to find the reply button (and sadly I work in IT...) or do not have enough posts to be allowed to? Either way I cant reply - apologies.
DJE

 

[MikeJhn]

How did I ever get on until Parf Dogs came and rescued me from a life of mediocrity. :roll:

 

[Sideways]

I've just been bitten by the old problem that I see has been around for at least a couple of years.
I've been working happily with some aluminium dogs bought on ebay in a package deal with a CNC top. Beautiful snug fit in the predrilled top and in the tops I have made with the parf guide system.
I have just (tried to) upgrade to some Veritas stainless steel dogs - two long and two short - to use on a new outfeed / assembly table top I'm setting up behind my tablesaw.

The Veritas dogs are a lousy fit in the holes on my table ! So sloppy ...

So I measured them up and they are pretty consistently 19.90mm according to a mitutoyo vernier caliper. The alloy dogs are I've been using are 19.98-19.99mm
I won't comment on absolute accuracy of the vernier as it isn't calibrated but it's clear that Veritas are still machining their dogs "on the small side", now that I read back through a few years of internet comments.

It's surprising how sloppy that 1/10th mm feels when you're waggling the end of a "long" dog. And since everything else flows from accurate squares and measurement, they'll have to go back. Grrr !

I can see that UKW has debated this in the past. I must have got lucky first time around so it was new to me.
A quick heads up then to any other fussy so-n-so's like me when you're shopping for tops and dogs to fit. Cheers.

 

[user22161]

7/8" (22.2mm) stainless bar costs around £26/m and would make quite a few dogs if you have access to a lathe. Could be a nice little earner for someone.

 

[ScaredyCat]

Someone's worked that out, you can get 6 dogs for £28 (2 x 40mm + 4 x 12mm)



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[user22161]

Axminster has some "seconds" parf guides on the bay, only fault is bad colour finish on anodising. £119.95 delivered. Just ordered one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UJK-Technolo ... 1438.l2649