I have been contemplating on ways to acquire a little extra space in my WW shop. For several months I have been reading comments about the possibility (or actuality) of creating a shop using only Festool toys. I have drawn up all sorts of scenarios for tool placement and have found the single largest space requirement is that area used by the Table Saw. With a minimum of wall space as well as no floorspace, that is the one machine that requires more space than any other tool or equipment. I cannot reach tool panel that is behind it. To rip a board over 4 feet in lenght, i must rearange practically the entire shop. It is nearly impossible to make room for crosscutting any thing longer than 3-1/2 feet. Because the TS is against one wall, my MFT has to be against the oposite wall which makes it nearly impossible for me to reach the only wall/tool panel on that side of the shop. I have considered removing my bandsaw, belt sander, drill press, thickness planer, or one of my work benches. I don't use the drill press or the sander very often, but when i need either one, there seems to be no alternative to replace. Neither one of those tools take up a whole lot of room. The sander can be placed on a work bench when needed. The bansaw can be stored against a wall and rolled out into open floor space (what little there is) and the bandsaw table is high above all other machiery and presents no moving problems to develope space. The planer fits into the Boss's laundry room and creates no static(SO FAR, SO GOOD), The Table Saw just does not have any options other than to take up space. To use it, more space must be developed some how, usually a very time consuming affair. After much deliberation, i am finally convinced the way to develope a little extra space and a whole lot of time saved will be to remove the TS. I'll put it out in the barn until the action has proven to be a sensible idea, but after reading all of the thoughts here, I believe I can work with my MFT and Festool saws and routers. It will only take a little immagination and thought to get the efficiency i should have. With the MFT setup in the midddle of the floor instead of against the wall, and the TS removed from the other wall, i should have instant access to the tool pannels and tools will be (hopefully) hung in proper places instead of piled on the nearest horizontal surface. With two MFT's (800 & 1080), I will have the ability to set them up in tandem or side by side to accomodate larger or longer suport requirements.
Of course, all this leads me to undrstand that i am just lubricating the "slippery slope" by making more space to pile systainers and another MFT. I am already typing up a list.
DO I NEED HELP???????
Tinker
