![]() ![]() However these other systems rely on a handheld drill, whereas the LR32 uses a router, with a drill you may end up with a slightly off 90 degree hole, but then again they are not very deep in the first place, so not sure it really matters- Also the LR32 uses a 55" or 95" rail, so you can do a lot of holes with one setup. Kreg has a nice little jig as well, I used mine recently with good result. ![]() ![]() If you plan on using the 32mm system and are a Festool user then I would think that this would be definitely at the top of the list.Rockler, Lee Valley and others have less expensive alternatives to the LR32 shelf hole drilling system. The dust collection, integration with the rail system and clean holes were all pluses. The big reason that I went with the LR32 was the fact that it was part of a system of tools. (There are plenty of suggestions here on FOG.) This was a cost trade-off decision that I made given that the rail I purchased will cover off 80% of my needs. This means that I will need to devise a means to align the LR32 rail with a regular guide rail. I only did a short cabinet this time but for a taller cabinet the guide rail I have is not long enough. (Note the guides are easy to use and are pictured here on the far side of the guide rail.) Shown below are the guides that I need to spend more time with to get more comfortable with regarding design/placement options. In fact Kreg’s videos convinced me that it can be easy and I have no doubt the next time I use it that I will be more comfortable. That said, FOG has a lot of resources to help me overcome this. The placement of the guide rail and holes is something I need to learn. Every other Festool is so well designed that the use seemed intuitive. I also found that unlike other tools used during this project that the LR32 felt a little unnatural to me. At the moment I am doing some trial and error to see what hole placement works for me. This is related more to operator error and learning curve but I need to develop a better understanding of the 32mm system. (I also used the tip from Brice/Kreg to work from the far end of the guide rail so that the dust collection hose did not get caught up.) Hole drilling was fast and the mechanics to drill, click and move to the next hole were surprisingly fluid and easy (once I had the guide rail set.) This was my big question about the LR32 and it passed with flying colours. I am still not on speaking terms with it but I was pleasantly surprised. Prior experiences with MDF had led me to think that MDF and I had a hate/hate relationship. I worked with MDF as this was what I had on hand for my prototype. I got a kick out of watching the dust swirl around and get sucked away. ![]() Although this is not directly related to the LR32 guide the de facto router for the LR32 is a Festool router. (I will come back to this in the conclusion.) When I was making my decision to buy I did take into account the financial cost of the various alternatives. I have not had any experience with any of them so I cannot do a comparative review. Looking in the market there are many alternatives to the Festool LR32. Given that we want something more functional with shelving we need some way to provide shelving and even better the ability to flexibly adjust the shelving as our family storage requirements change. So when we last left our fearless hero, namely me, he had used his trusty TS55 to cut the required stock for a prototype built-in. ![]()
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