CMS Modules Belt Sander, Jigsaw

[Woodwork Wizard]

The Festool CMS belt sander module is very expensive and can only be used in its CMS module, whereas the BS-75 can be used anywhere as a hand held, plus the abrasives are cheaper too. Dust extraction with this works well as there was no fine airborne dust and just a bit left on the table after a 15 minute trial. Changing abrasive belts takes seconds from underneath the table and the sander can be removed for portable use in the time it takes to undo two M6 bolts that secure it in position. I also made a CMS insert out of polycarbonate for a Mafell P1cc jigsaw. Both the belt sander and the jigsaw have power switches that lock in the on position so the CMS power on/off control can be used. The jigsaw has two M6 threads in its base allowing quick and easy fixing to a table.

 

[Reokeane]

Looks good. Can we please see pics of how the belt sander is held in place underneath?

 

[Tayler_mann]

Please show how the jigsaw is held underneath as well if you could. I like the homemade CMS inserts as all of them are NAINA except he OF plate.

 

[Kev]

I don't know what the Wiz has done, but the belt sander has two threaded holes in the top for the feet that let you use it upside down .. I'd simply put some holes in the vertical board to hold it in place with bolts.

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

The belt sander is fixed in place with two M6 bolts that go through the batten on the topside. There is another batten beneath so the sander can go in to the aperture in the plywood and be supported on this batten on the underside. The 9MM BB plywood has a rebate on two sides so it sits flush with the CMS table.

The jigsaw has two M6 threads in its base making it really easy to mount upside down in a table.

 

[sancho57]

Nice WWW. I've been looking into adding modules to my CMS but for non festools.

Now out to the shop

 

[Acrobat]

Awesome work and a great idea.Got me thinking on it and the planer....

I'm interested to see how the wooden plate for the sander is secured to the CMS? Is it simply held in place firm enough by the weight of the sander? - I guess there's a groove tongue on the long edges that sits on the cms for support? Are there brackets to hold it as well? Is it easily lifted out and swapped in/out?

I wonder if one could do something like this with the large festool planer? i.e an insert for it in the cms table so there's more surface area to support the timber rather than it's tiny table and fence that the planer has. One problematic thing I can see is the planer needs feeding from left to right when in stationary mode, so the cms power switch with would be away from the user at the end of the table not front. I guess one could turn it around so the fence is on the left so the switch would be ok then.

 

[Kev]

Awesome work and a great idea.Got me thinking on it and the planer....

I'm interested to see how the wooden plate for the sander is secured to the CMS? Is it simply held in place firm enough by the weight of the sander? - I guess there's a groove tongue on the long edges that sits on the cms for support? Are there brackets to hold it as well? Is it easily lifted out and swapped in/out?

I wonder if one could do something like this with the large festool planer? i.e an insert for it in the cms table so there's more surface area to support the timber rather than it's tiny table and fence that the planer has. One problematic thing I can see is the planer needs feeding from left to right when in stationary mode, so the cms power switch with would be away from the user at the end of the table not front. I guess one could turn it around so the fence is on the left so the switch would be ok then.

[member=4404]Acrobat[/member] I was thinking about how I'd go about working an aluminium plate to fit. There is a CMS blank plate available through Ekat, but I think it's crazy $'s [sad]

Got to say, if Festool made an oscillating spindle sander CMS module with DC, I would buy it tomorrow!!

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

The DIY wooden insert for the belt sander and jigsaw drop in to the aperture of the CMS, so there's no catches or cams to lock, just gravity and a snug fit. They don't move in use and they both work very well.

It makes the CMS stand very versatile. Router table, table saw, belt sander, jigsaw.

I'd also recommend removing the legs and making a base for the CMS to make the whole thing solid. It worried me even when using the router lift mechanism that the whole thing was wobbling itself to death.

 

[Acrobat]

Snug fit only you say. Ok I would have thought it needed locking lugs.
I have the router module and the TS 55r module too, and yes I have made a cart for the entire cms table to sit in and wheel around, similar I think to yours from what I can tell. I found it cumbersome to lift it all around back and forwards to it's work and resting place in my garage. Much easier on wheels. I also have a small cart set to the same height I use for an outfield table of sorts. So it went from a small handy lightweight design to a larger heavier saw/router cart! Maybe I should just have gotten a nice big tablesaw with a router wing and be done with it. Just couldn't help myself. I do like the idea of being able to swap various modules in and out, makes the thing much more usable and central, if slow.
I would like the jigsaw module but as kev says crazy $ so if I get time I'll look at making a module myself out of whatever I have lying around. Just not elegant as the Festool module.Thanks for the pictures and ideas.

 

[bkharman]

Awesome work and a great idea.Got me thinking on it and the planer....

I'm interested to see how the wooden plate for the sander is secured to the CMS? Is it simply held in place firm enough by the weight of the sander? - I guess there's a groove tongue on the long edges that sits on the cms for support? Are there brackets to hold it as well? Is it easily lifted out and swapped in/out?

I wonder if one could do something like this with the large festool planer? i.e an insert for it in the cms table so there's more surface area to support the timber rather than it's tiny table and fence that the planer has. One problematic thing I can see is the planer needs feeding from left to right when in stationary mode, so the cms power switch with would be away from the user at the end of the table not front. I guess one could turn it around so the fence is on the left so the switch would be ok then.

This thread caught me off guard as I have been working on a spindle sander as well as a way to fit my HL850 into my CMS. I am still not there but will share the work of it succeeds or fails.

Glad to be part of this thread and look forward to a few ideas!

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

No locking cams, no modification made to the CMS top such as extra supports, the DIY inserts for the belt sander and the jigsaw just drop in to the CMS base. They both work very well, though I wouldn't trust a circular saw or the OF2200 to not be fastened down securely in its dedicated module, but for a belt sander or a jigsaw it's been brilliant. It's only 9mm BB ply that's had a rebate of about 5mm so there's only 4mm left, but it seems perfectly fit for purpose, though the back of the belt sander insert is reinforced by the top batten and the aperture for the sander is reinforced beneath by the batten that also supports the sander squarely in position, so once the sander is bolted to the top batten this thing is solid.

I did have the Festool Carvex jigsaw with its CMS module. It was very good and I loved how it magically sped up, but what I have now I really do prefer by a long way, but this really is not because of a DIY jigsaw insert...

 

[sancho57]

I cut out and mounted my 5" disk/ 4" belt sander combo to a scrap piece of 18mm ply. I didn't think about adding a rebate. Good idea. I'll add one the next time I'm in the shop. I agree it will make it set more securely in the CMS.

I'm also going to mount my keg jig to a module and the clamping plate to another module. With the CMS and the MFT both being exactly 900mm in height  the MFTs can support any longe / larger pieces I wish to joine using the keg jig.

Yes the CMS is pricey, but after the router and saw and jig saw modules there is some much more one can use it for with a little imagination.

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

Ron,

You say "I cut out and mounted my 5" disk/ 4" belt sander combo to a scrap piece of 18mm ply. I didn't think about adding a rebate."
The rebate required to mount a DIY insert flush in to the CMS top leaves only about 4mm of material to rest on the CMS, so I'd be very wary of rebating the insert and using it with anything heavy like a machine such as you describe. It's fine with a hand held belt sander or a jigsaw as they don't weigh very much in comparison to a bench mounted machine. Also the real benefit of using the belt sander in the CMS is being able to use the angle stop with the sliding table locked in position and being able to sand to the angle required with ease.

 

[sancho57]

Thanks WWW, I wasn't going for the flush mount. Just something to secure it in the CMS. I added a 9mm rebate. Makes it fit nicely and securely.

I find that the more ways to untilize things like the CMS the better. Storing tools like the sander combo and as mentioned the 850 jointer stand etc in a rack making it easy to just pop it in the CMS is. Huge time / space saver.

 

[Acrobat]

Hi yeah I agree, made a couple of insert DIY modules for the jigsaw and 850 planer and the belt sander too. It makes the CMS much more useful and very easy to lift out and plonk in for next module. I have simply made storage for them by using some shelf brackets so they are easy to store and get at. The sander is held in place as the original poster has, so I copied his idea, works a treat, and the jigsaw is easily removed as it's simply taken out if necessary, by switching the green lever that attaches the saw to the plastic base underneath the module plate. I leave the plastic jigsaw guide screwed in place and then when I need the jigsaw for any hand held use simply remove it and put on the standard base. I made an overhead blade guard / guide as I don't like the exposed blade, a bit of a work in progress so I will see how the thing works over the coming weeks. It's set for 90 degree cuts only but I have hardly ever needed to do angled cuts and if I end up with the need, I have the fancy angle base for it. For the 850 planer I made a small infeed table that's adjustable to match depth  the setting I set the planer to. It's small but it does help when feeding a longer piece in as the planers base is rather short anyway so anything will help. I'll see how this works and tweak it a bit and make a more final version at some stage but for now it works fine.

 

[sancho57]

Very nice well done.  The CMS is very a flexible system.

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

Very nice well done.  The CMS is very a flexible system.

Well done! Not even ze Germans have a planer in a CMS stand. Or me...

I know there was a Festo Basic (pre CMS) with a drum sander and a large disc sander that had a wacking great motor on it, but never ze planer. Nein.

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

Mr Acrobat,

The CMS on a stand - it's so much better isn't it? No wobbling. When I used to raise or lower the OF2200 in the CMS it would try to break-dance round the room. Now it is ultra stable. The MFT/3 is exactly the same.

Good stuff about the CMS planer. I want one now.

 

[Acrobat]

Thanks Woodwork Wiz. I got so sick of lugging the CMS table around when I needed it, so built that cart for it. I'll redo it at some stage as I should have left more space for the router systainer to fit,-  I just put some framing a tad too low. But it's so much better wheeling it to where I want now, fast becoming the centre of everything, especially with the modules.