DF 500 grip?

[mcooley]

This is for a future design I have to improve on the DF 500 handle during plunging. I am not talking about the handle on the fence but rather gripping the barrel. 

Curious then where most of you naturally grip the DF 500 barrel for both ease of use and accuracy? For example, there are a few places where your hand might naturally grab it and so I am curious under every day use where you find you have the most amount of control?

Thanks

 

[Sparktrician]

You'll get better control and better plunging accuracy if you grasp the DF 500 by the power cord connector and hose connector at the end of the barrel and plunge slowly. 

 

[Birdhunter]

I usually hod the barrel just behind the switch with my right hand. My right thumb rests on the switch. I make the plunge more with my body than with the arm. This gives me better control than just shoving the tool into the wood.

I apply a little downward pressure on the top of the barrel and the left hand all at the same time. I can feel the tool settle in to the correct position.

Hope this helps.

 

[mcooley]

Yes info helps thanks and I suspect if I get enough responses there will be a couple different camps as to where people like holding and plunging from.

 

[DynaGlide]

Position yourself so your hand is on the rear by the cord but you're pushing with your body around your hip. No need to go fast, even if it took 30s it's faster than any other method of making a mortise. When you're done plunging let it out fast.

 

[deepcreek]

Years ago, I called Festool USA after having alignment issues when first using the DF 500.

The product specialist called me back and said don't grip the barrel even though it seems natural.

He told me to keep a very firm grip on the handle by the fence and use a light grip to grasp the tool around the power cord connector at the end of the barrel.  Then be careful to push straight as you plunge.

This works!

 

[Dick Mahany]

Years ago, I called Festool USA after having alignment issues when first using the DF 500.

The product specialist called me back and said don't grip the barrel even though it seems natural.

He told me to keep a very firm grip on the handle by the fence and use a light grip to grasp the tool around the power cord connector at the end of the barrel.  Then be careful to push straight as you plunge.

This works!

Yes.  This is also what I have been doing although intuitively it really didn't seem right to be gripping a power cord connector.  I have had the best results with this method.  I also let it dwell for a few seconds at full plunge depth to assure complete dust extraction.

 

[Cheese]

He told me to keep a very firm grip on the handle by the fence and use a light grip to grasp the tool around the power cord connector at the end of the barrel.  Then be careful to push straight as you plunge.

+1  Position the tool, turn on the tool and place your hand at the rear of the tool. Plunge

Check this video out starting at the 2:20 mark.

 

[DynaGlide]

Since we're sharing Domino tricks. .something I learned in class: instead of pushing the power switch, pinch it with your thumb and index fingers. It keeps the domino from accidentally pushing forward and plunging when you don't want it to. This is especially useful for vertical plunges.

 

[ChuckM]

Position yourself so your hand is on the rear by the cord but you're pushing with your body around your hip. No need to go fast, even if it took 30s it's faster than any other method of making a mortise. When you're done plunging let it out fast.

Bold mine.

This (which gives me great control over the machine, keeping the fence registration steady) except that I hold the end of the barrel, not the cord plug itself, and let it out slowly, to prevent the machine from "springing" back violently. I do not hold the machine by the cord as seen in the Festool video above (2:34 or 2:49). I can't imagine how my thumb would feel after cutting 100 mortises with that kind of push! [eek]

By the way, I don't think the aux. (fence) handle is well designed for making vertical cuts. See my other post about using the anti-slip spray to increase registration grip when doing vertical mortising.

 

[sancho57]

make sure the domino is setting correctly on the piece. I have found if im not careful it doesnt sit all the way on the piece and get a badly placed mortise, hold the knob down while plunging and rear hand pushing by plug it cable at a very sloooowwwwww plunge rate. it seems to give a tighter fit when the plunge rate is slowwww.  While plunging keep a eye on the fence making sure its flush with the piece.

Dont ask me how I know these things

 

[mcooley]

I think a lot of people find balancing the machine from as far away from the fence as possible helps, hence, the idea of keeping the hand back near the cord. Problem is the machine does not intuitively tell you where to grip it. In fact, if anything one would assume gripping close to the dust shroud might be ideal but only to find that the balance is off and one's knuckles often interfere with the shroud when plunged etc. A smart ergo grip would serve a couple functions like better balance, more accurate forward motion when plunging and an easy way to keep the tool from spinning out when placed hastily on a smooth work surface (with the hose attached it often feels like the tool can end up on the ground in a split second). 

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

I’ve also found the most comfortable and best technique, is to grip at the back of the power cord. It’s also probably habit, as that’s how I operated the plunge on a biscuit joiner too.

 

[Cheese]

Interestingly enough, I found an early Festool video with the pin fence, and the demonstrator was gripping the DF 500 in the middle of the barrel, fairly close to the switch. [tongue]

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

Interestingly enough, I found an early Festool video with the pin fence, and the demonstrator was gripping the DF 500 in the middle of the barrel, fairly close to the switch. [tongue]

In that case Cheese, he was obviously a newby!  [big grin]

 

[Doug S]

Interestingly enough, I found an early Festool video with the pin fence, and the demonstrator was gripping the DF 500 in the middle of the barrel, fairly close to the switch. [tongue]

I grip mine round the barrel, if I hold it at the back I feel I have less control and more chance of slightly lifting or lowering it when plunging.

Mine is an early model with the pin fence though, maybe it changes the balance  [wink]

 

[Mario Turcot]

Horizontal application: From 0 to 45 deg I hold it like @4:20 in Cheese video. Two fingers on the connector. Apply 90% force on the fence and 10% on the plunge.

Vertical application: It's really situational and bit tricky to not say awkward. The most important is to get the board at the right height so you have full control of your body weight on the workbench/table. In vertical application I would rather hold the barrel, unless I am positioned in front of the tool instead of from the back.

 

[ChuckM]

Horizontal application: From 0 to 45 deg I hold it like @4:20 in Cheese video.
Snip.

Exactly, causing no potential damage to the plug itself or fatigue on the thumb.

 

[grbmds]

Everyone has their own way, but I have found that, when I hold it back where the connector is, I occasionally put downward pressure on the back end of the tool, thereby raising the cut a tiny amount sometimes. Therefore, with horizontal cuts, I the hand on the back is farther toward the cutting side of the tool. The other hand, of course, is holding the front down. Works for me best.

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

Maybe an extra handle option might have been a good design, like the grip handle on an angle grinder. The rear of the barrel could have a threaded insert, and a handle could be screwed on?

I know biscuit joiners don’t have these, but the the nature of a biscuit joiner requires slightly less pressure and prescision.

I get on fine with the 500, but I know some wrestle a bit and thought another handle might help, similar to how the 700 rear handle helps?