Boom assembly, anyone got pics?

[bill-e]

Shane, yea, that's great.

You know that with the Festool stuff you virtually never have to worry about a dissatisfied customer because of quality but as a long time mail order consumer I think that it is very important to accurately describe the product so that I'm not surprised when I finally get the product and open the box for the first time.  No reason to spoil a purchase experience because of something silly.

 

[bill-e]

Shane,

By the way, I'm usually down in Lynchburg once or twice a year to blow up stuff out at NTS (formerly DTI) out on Candlers Mountain road.  I stopped by McFeelys once a couple of years ago but the reception area was empty...might stop by again this summer.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

It would be great to meet you, Bill.  Be sure to ask for me if you swing by.  Your review of the Domino is great!  Now I'm gonna have to get one.  And just when I thought I had all of the power tools I needed for a while.

PS - I completely agree with you about never being able to provide too much information about products on the web.  We spend a lot of time constantly updating our web content for Festool.  As you can see, whenever someone asks for more information we usually get it added to the website pretty quickly.

Take care.

 

[Tinker]

I just picked up my boom @ Woodcraft toy store yesterday and started assembly today.  A few assembly/disassembly/reassembly before finally figuring everything out.  I am thru for the day, but i think it will all be together early tomorrow AM.  I have a headroom problem in my cellar, but i think there is enough forgiveness in the design that I won't find a necessity to raise my house above the foundation.  It will sure be great to work @ the MFT without stumbling over all those cords and hose.  I can hardly wait.

In checking everything over and testing leverage overhead, i had about decided the feet were not necessary.  I thank those who have indicated such to be the case.
Tinker

 

[bill-e]

Luckily for me Woodcraft is 2+ hours away

 

[Tinker]

I finished assembling my boom with air hose and apermanantly fixed (Velcro taped) festool quick coupling power cord.  i set the boom so the back (verticle) piece is about 1" from the floor.  turned the mounting clips so they are off to the side instead of looking straight up above the boom, and i just skim my ceiling joists.  With the quick fix power cord taped to the top clips and leaving the lower clips open, i can use my older tools as well as my newer tools without the time consuming process of storing cords or walking over top of them.  I have checked the reach from my CT 33 to the extension of my cord & air hose, expecting to find a diminished reach for when i am ripping long lumber.  surprisingly, there seems to be a greater area I can reach; and I don't have to keep track of where i am putting my feet.  I have not eliminated ALL of the clutter, but atleast i can now use my ATF 55 and routers without the worry of tripp over the floor clutter.  (I now have to worry about hanging myself  ;D)  As a bonus, I can now reach across to the other side of my shop to capture router and saw dust when working opposite side from my MFT.  I just swing the boom, cord, air hose & all over my head and hook up to the tools over there.  i have eliminated one vac from my floorspace.  In short:  How have i survived without this boom?
Tinker

 

[Corwin]

There's two things I'd like to have at the end of the power cord, an adapter from plug-it to a standard 3 prong socket and a remote trigger vac switch.  I hate having to squeeze the trigger of my power tool while I have the vac in the other hand clearing debris.

Hey Bill,

I was just looking at how slick my new Boom Arm is and suddenly a light came on!  Festool, in their infinite wisdom, has incorporated cord hooks on either side of the hose brackets.  With a plug-it cord installed in the hooks on one side of the Boom Arm, the hooks on the other side are free for you to use.  If you were to place a Y adapter where the plug-it connects to the cord supplied with the Boom Arm you could then also connect an extension cord that can hang from the hooks on the other side.  Now, if you connect a light (or anything else with a switch) to the extension cord you have effectively added a remote switch!

This Y adapter will also prove handy for connecting tools without a plug-it cord, as a tool's cord can be quickly lead through the cord hooks to connect with the Boom Arm's cord.

Enjoy!
Corwin

 

[Greg B]

I used that other cord hook to hold the hose for my air tools.

GB

 

[bill-e]

Corwin,

Thanks.  I had already decided that I was going to do just that.  I haven't ordered the boom and handle yet for the simple reason that that I wont be home this week to receive them.  I'll probably order them so they arrive next Friday.

 

[Tinker]

There's two things I'd like to have at the end of the power cord, an adapter from plug-it to a standard 3 prong socket and a remote trigger vac switch.  I hate having to squeeze the trigger of my power tool while I have the vac in the other hand clearing debris.

Hey Bill,

I was just looking at how slick my new Boom Arm is and suddenly a light came on!  Festool, in their infinite wisdom, has incorporated cord hooks on either side of the hose brackets.  With a plug-it cord installed in the hooks on one side of the Boom Arm, the hooks on the other side are free for you to use.  If you were to place a Y adapter where the plug-it connects to the cord supplied with the Boom Arm you could then also connect an extension cord that can hang from the hooks on the other side.  Now, if you connect a light (or anything else with a switch) to the extension cord you have effectively added a remote switch!

This Y adapter will also prove handy for connecting tools without a plug-it cord, as a tool's cord can be quickly lead through the cord hooks to connect with the Boom Arm's cord.

Enjoy!
Corwin

Altho I have not tried it yet, those hooks seem large enough to accomodate atleast two cords each.  I have already installed, and taped with velcro, one quick fix cord for my newer tools.  The other set of hooks I am leaving open for quick attachment of my older ATF 55, router, sanders  and planer from Festool.  The newer tools will attach to the taped on cord mentioned.  There is still room on that set of hooks to mount a second cord set up as you have mentioned with a two way plug on the end for tools with shorter cords than on my Festools.  i had not thought about the light, but thanks for the great idea.
Tinker

 

[bill-e]

Here's what I did to attach a second power cord.  I will be plugging into the third outlet something which will remotely trigger the vac....possibly a light bulb.

 

[Dan Clark]

I'm going to do a brief review of the Boom Arm in the Reviews section.    Bill has some excellent pics and others have done reviews, so I won't try to repeat that.  I like it,  but have a particular perspective on Boom Arm.

Dan.