Matthew et al.,
Can we go "one better" and set something up regarding user manuals that is similar to Wikipedia so that a base manual could be written by whomever and others could chime in and update or add to the previously posted description. These could be named the "Festopedia" section. I recommend keeping a post of the original manual in its original form and adding a Festopedia version that can be updated, provided the holder of the copyright for the original grants permission. And if they do not grant permission, still enabling a new Festopedia version to be created from scratch and updated as user experience increases.
I do not know how Wikipedia is setup and how they administer access to edit what is posted. Recently I visited a site named Trackpedia which is dedicated to auto enthusiasts interested in HPDE and racing on closed circuits around the USA and Canada, and for some circuits in which I was intererested in learning more about I found they did not have any complete description of what those circuits are like from the driver's seat and the administrators were soliciting anyone to write an initial description which would be improved over time as it became revised by the inputs from others. For some circuits I found partial descriptions, works in progress.
Many times I am not interested "in the hunt" for information on this or another forum; I have a Festool job to do and want to quickly locate the user tips that I need. Many times this is frustrating because I know I have seen those manuals/tips someone on FOG or FestoolUSA's websites, but cannot remember where and cannot quickly relocate the ones of immediate interest.
Also, although the manuals that have been written by Rick C., Jerry W., Bill E. and many others have been uniformly excellent, still at times I find myself struggling to absorb some points and once I do, I wish that I could amend or annotate the manuals at those points to improve clarity or expand on some point of information. [I have annotated some of my printed copies of these manuals, which I keep in plastic comb binders.] Using Rick C's TS 55 manual [for which I am very grateful as the factory user manual supplied with the saw lack's much useful information] as an example, I would like to see added some photos of sawn boards showing the effects of proper and improper heel/toe alignment, different methods to check heel/toe alignment since not everyone has machinist tools or skills, and how to distinguish heel/toe alignment problems from other defects or misalignment errors, e.g. warped sawblade, loose pivot hinge that joins base plate to motor housing. [My TS 55 was delivered with "toe out" instead of "toe in" which Festool admitted to have occurred to some of their units.] While writing this I went to the FestoolUSA.com website and tried to locate Rick's manual for reference and could not locate it! I found lots of other manuals and tips links, but not Rick's for the TS 55.
Dave R.
