SLIDING RAIL CLAMPS

The integral Rail Clamp and Rail Stop make using the Universal Tool Trolley a breeze to use. Simply place a rail clamp on the rail opposite the side where the Trolley is placed. Slide the Rail Clamp up to your work piece and position the L- bolt under your work piece and with a simple turn of a wing nut the Rail Clamp is attached.

A perpendicular L-bolt and wing nut tightens the rail to the clamp. This dual clamping process ensures that the rail will stay firmly in place. Using the perpendicular L-bolt enables using the Rail Clamp as a Rail Stop. A Rail Stop limits the starting and ending point of your saw or router cut such as when using a shuttle to route mortises

Rail clamp can be attached to a work piece up to 2 1/2" thick
	The Rail Gage uses a Universal Bearing and a clear piece of Lexan that is attached to the bottom of the bearing to create a cutting template that clearly defines the cut-line of a circular saw attached to the Universal Trolley. The Rail Stabilizer uses the same approach but uses a 1/8" piece of hardboard (Masonite) or other similar material.
Make two Rail Gages and place one at each end of the guide rail when setting up the cut. Tighten the Rail Gage onto the rail using the 2" L-bolt. Position the rail on the work piece using the Rail Gage to set the distance to the cut-line. Attach a Rail Clamp and a Rail Stop as appropriate. Proceed with the cut.
Rail Stabilizer Stabilizer attached near the  point of the Rail. The Stabilizer is used on extended rails to restrict any sideways deflection of the Duplex Rail.  Go to Rail Flex to see the results of the Duplex Rail flex testing.
	Use the Lever & Fulcrum method of clamping in the mid region of the rail when it is necessary to hold down the work piece(s), such as when cutting multiple pieces at one time.
This picture shows 10 door rails clamped across their width using a bar clamp and a lever and fulcrum clamping method to keep each piece firmly in place on the work surface (Tool Trolley Workbench).  This view shows the clamping side of the rail that has had the tenon cheek cut completed.  The set-up is in place for cutting the cheeks and routing the tenons, which takes place on the business side of the rail.   Go to the Videos web page and select Cutting Multiples Tenons to see live action of this operation
	Rail Stop is  placed on the same side of the Duplex Rail that the Trolley is placed on
Rail Stop - The Universal Bearing when used with the 2" L-bolt in the horizontal hole and a capture bolt (flange bolt) in the vertical holes makes an effective Rail Stop. Placed on the same side of the rail as the Trolley Carriage, the Rail Stop blocks trolley movement thus, limiting the length of the cut. Fully seat the Rail Stop onto the guide rail and tighten the L-Bolt and capture bolt securely on the guide rail.
The Universal Bearing can also be used to clamp a rail to a work surface where no means exist for accessing the backside of the work surface to attach a rail clamp. Such is the case when cutting an opening in a wall or a floor. In this case the method used is to remove the 4" L-bolt and screw the bearing directly to the work surface. This can be done if the surface that the Rail Clamp is being attached to is not part of a finished surface (i.e. underlayment); simply screw the rail clamp to the surface and secure the rail in place using the 2" L-bolt.
The Rail Stabilizer and Lever & Fulcrum are two techniques for attaching a Rail Clamp mid-way on a rail as in the picture above. A Rail Stabilizer is made exactly like the Rail Gage but the length of the attached stretcher is long enough to reach across the work piece to the rail. The stabilizer acts to restrict any sideways movement of an extended length rail and is used when close tolerance (i.e., 0.010") is desired. The Rail Stabilizer does not apply any clamping force.
How to extend the length of cut when the cut line is longer than your rail.
The Lever & Fulcrum extends the clamping force to the Rail Clamp. It is the preferred method of applying a clamp on a rail that does not reach across the width of the work piece.  In such a case, a Rail Clamp is applied to the rail at the front edge of the work piece and a lever & fulcrum clamp is applied at an intermediate point on the rail. The lever & fulcrum holds the rail in place and as cut is made approaching the end of the rail.  The saw is stopped and kept in place.  The front clamp is removed and the 2" L-bolt in the lever and fulcrum clamp is loosened to al;low the rail to slide through the mid point clamp and trolley bearings to extend the rail to the end of the work piece to finish the cut

The double tubular shape has another unique advantage :

DOUBLE TUBULAR EDGE DOES NOT DISTORT WHEN CLAMPED ON A BENT OR WARPED WORK PIECE

Modification to the Universal Tool Trolley Rail Stop

The Tool Trolley Rail Stop as it was originally configured could be jarred loose when the trolley made contact with it. The rail stop has been modified to include a capture bolt. The capture bolt is a flange bolt extends into the channel that was molded into the bearing. When tightened, the flange head of the bolt makes contact with the bottom of the rail, effectively securing the rail stop to the rail. The combination of the flange bolt and the L-bolt effectively locks the rail stop in place.

The linear bearing was designed to fully capture the edge of the rail and ensuring a smooth and accurate cut. The full height of the bearing enables the bearing to function as a rail clamp, yet allowing the rail to slide through the bearing for an extended cut. However, when used as a rail stop, it is necessary to remove a small amount (1/16" to 1/8") from the bottom of the bearing to allow the flange bolt to make contact with the bottom of the duplex rail. When trimming the bottom of the linear bearings please follow these safety instructions.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS: Cutting the bearing is best done by hand using a fine tooth backsaw in a miter box, or with a hacksaw or a Japanese pull saw. Using a radial arm saw, bench saw, or power miter saw is not recommended unless the bearing is fully constrained in a fixture enabling a hands free cut. The small size and lubricated surface of the bearing makes it very difficult to hold by hand when making the cut with a power tool, thus; risking injury to the operator.

To use the rail stop, tighten the horizontal bolt (white nylon wing nut, then tighten the capture bolt.