Bringing TS and Carvex inserts for CMS to the States

[impecunious]

Hi guys,

I'm fairly new to Festool and also fairly new to woodworking.  I have roughly 220 sq.ft. of space for my shop (the third bay of a garage), so space & mobility for me are must-haves.  For that reason, several months ago I "went the Festool route" in getting the basics for my woodworking hobby... the track saw, MFT, Kapex & UG cart, and the 1400 router & CMS set.

This is probably old hat for most of you, but my understanding is that Festool does make - but is apparently not allowed to sell here in the States - inserts for the CMS that allow you to use the TS upside down as a small table saw, or the Carvex as a bandsaw.  The concept of this is huge to me, again due to my space constraints.  I would absolutely love this.

As it happens, I travel to the UK and Germany fairly often.  In theory, this means I could potentially bring back these inserts with me as checked baggage if this is a route I decided to take.

So one question I have is basically this:  Is this approach doable?  That is, I only need these inserts (I'm not sure whether there's just one of each or multiple options here) and no other accessories to magically end up with a mini tablesaw and bandsaw?  I'm just a little nervous about asking a friend of mine in one of these countries to pick up these inserts if, in the end, something won't turn out right.

From a woodworking perspective, my other question is whether these solutions are good fits for the hobby woodworker.  I know this may depend to a large extent on what kind of woodworking I do (which I'm still figuring out!  ;D), but I'm just curious in general whether these are legitimate quasi-replacements for the traditional tablesaw and bandsaw alternative or more gimmicky than anything else.

Thanks!

 

[bkharman]

You can definitely use the inserts on the US versions of the CMS (GE and VL options). It is not something Festool allows and I believe it will void your warranty. The main reason for them not being here is based on UL approval.

That being said, they all work well in the CMS tables. For the TS 55 versions... There are two different types, one for the 55 ebq and one for the R version.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[dsweetser]

You will also want a "stopper" or as we know it a rip fence. There are two sizes. For the cms- vl you want the LA-70. For the cms- ge you want the LA-50. These rip fences and the inserts are not usually stocked and have to be ordered. My experience in purchasing these was I needed a local address and local credit card. Good luck

 

[weekendwarrior]

[member=59050]impecunious[/member]: did you get the CMS-VL or CMS-GE?

 

[impecunious]

[member=59050]impecunious[/member]: did you get the CMS-VL or CMS-GE?

I have the GE.  I'm curious about the previous post's mention of this rip fence, the LA-50 (which I assume is for the tablesaw approach).  I'm assuming that the fence that came with my GE kit alone won't do the trick?

 

[bkharman]

[member=59050]impecunious[/member]: did you get the CMS-VL or CMS-GE?

I have the GE.  I'm curious about the previous post's mention of this rip fence, the LA-50 (which I assume is for the tablesaw approach).  I'm assuming that the fence that came with my GE kit alone won't do the trick?

That is correct. The fence that came with the 1400 mounts to that plate. You need an adjustable fence to align for ripping and such.

I have the VL and made a fence system based on the Incra LS system. It works very well but isn't an option on the GE.

Let us know how you get on!

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[Kev]

Do your parts hunting on a UK (or even Oz) Festool website.

I went with the TS75 for a little more cut depth and oomph! There's 3 different TS inserts, all slightly varied depending on TS75, TS55 or TS55REQ.

I think you'd be surprised at the number of CMS TS inserts that have snuck their way into the US [big grin]

The rip fence and table extensions, sliding table, etc are all positive additions. The GE takes the shorter of the two rip fences.

A combo that's proving popular is using the VL and having an Incra fence mounted to an Incra positioner on an adaptor plate, sitting in the MFT holes.

The jigsaw insert works nicely with Trion or CARVEX .. I got an extra Trion just to leave in the insert.

You will likely find that you'll want an extra CMS station if you end up with 3 inserts. Having the VL on the MFT and a separate GE does work out pretty well and (apart from break down and setup effort) the VL is great addition to the MFT ... giving a bit more space and stability too! For me the GE is the only one I tend to pack away now.

 

[impecunious]

You will likely find that you'll want an extra CMS station if you end up with 3 inserts.

Now my wheels are really turning... this could be a good idea.  I had originally dismissed the VL because I wanted to maximize my space and wanted the flexibility of the standalone GE, but I can see how having three CMS inserts can be potentially annoying at times to swap in and out, so a VL added on to my MFT might be handy.  On the other hand, taking a minute to swap out an insert once every now and then while switching operations may not be that big a deal... and more importantly, it's definitely better than not having the insert at all!

Thanks guys.

 

[Kev]

On the other hand, taking a minute to swap out an insert once every now and then while switching operations may not be that big a deal

[member=59050]impecunious[/member]

Keep telling yourself that - you're bound to believe it eventually! [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]

... meanwhile, take a peek at this thread ...

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-jigs-tool-enhancements/it's-finally-here-the-precision-plate-for-incra-positioners!!/

... just for interest's sake! [wink]

 

[bkharman]

Kev...

As you know I am a fan of that thread!  ;^)

Hit me up with any questions guys. I love my setup.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[jimbo51]

There is also the issue of VAT. If you can buy the inserts yourself, you should be able to get a VAT refund when you leave the country.

 

[Tayler_mann]

Watch out for customs or you will have to pay a hefty import tax. The reason we have most of our stuff from China is we pay no import tax on it. Now you order something from the UK or Germany and the taxes basically double the purchase price of what you order. I deal with some international trading for my job and I am absolutely forced to order from China to keep the costs down.

However if you bring one thing at a time you might luck out and hit a small enough allowance as to not have to pay the tax. I haven't traveled outside of the states for a long time but there is a certain amount you can spend and bring back for free.

 

[sancho57]

Put them with yout check in luggage

 

[Tayler_mann]

Put them with yout check in luggage

...and bring one back for me.  [big grin]