DOH! What's your worst/stupidest/most embarrassing Festool moment yet?

Well, I've done the "didn't attach the vac hose" dance a couple of times, most recently with the Domino and wondering why the chips were getting all over the place!  ::)

But my worst was similar to Bob Marino's. Wife's mother had an old freezer that was going rusty on the exterior. Determined to sand it back and re-paint it, I packed up the RO150 and CT-22, and Deltex 93 and drove 6 hours to Virginia, only to discover on unpacking that I had forgotten the adaptor pigtail for the CT22 that allows it to plug to 15 amp circuit!  Way out in the country, so no quick trip to anywhere for anything!

Just sanded it down without DC (Ugh!) and used lots of damp rags. What a mess.  :D :D
 
Trevor,

The RAS mistake isn't that hard to make. Just let the little green lock come loose and that shroud can start working its way down towards the pad. How do I know? Well that's because this qualifies as my worst/stupidest Festool moment. The tool is so aggressive and used under more violent circumstances that it is not as easy to realize something isn't right. A 150/3 it ain't.
 
My most embarrassing moment was just slightly connected to the use of Festool. I needed a drawer chest to fit in a corner of the room, under a table top. It was a wooden frame with 6 drawers in various heights, made of multiplex. Because of the multitude of pieces to saw, I put all parts in an Excel sheet. Every part was to be calculated from a few main dimensions. I just had my first Festool equipment, a TS55 and a CMS table. So a good oppurtunity to test the tool. In a record time all was sawn and was very precise. When all was assembled I had the impression it looked smaller than I had anticipated. I placed the chest in the corner where it should go and indeed, it was too small. Stepping back I discovered where it went wrong. I had placed the wrong main dimensions in the Excel table. I put in 400 mm deep and 500 mm wide and it should be 500 mm deep and 600 mm wide. I started with the wrong dimension and knowing, the second one was 100 mm less, messed all up. On the plus side: the Excel spreadsheet performed perfectly. With the correct dimensions, I had a new set of dimensions in a jiffy.
 
So, if I'm understanding correctly. We've done hundreds of dollars worth of loss and damage, endangering ourselves and stuff. You made a perfect table that was too small. Your standards are way too high my friend.  ;D ;D
 
Shortly after purchasing the Rotex/CT combo, I discovered absolutely non-existant dust collection while sanding.  For some stupid reason, the vac was not starting with the tool.  Following extensive troubleshooting, the tool was plugged into the wall outlet and not the vac.  I am sure that I am the only one to ever have done this. ;D
 
Rotex 150. My first Festool purchase years ago. I was removing the finish from a small table top using 80 grit Rubin. It was working just OK, when I decided to use the rotex mode.

I was unprepared...

It torqued out of my hands and dropped on the floor. I swear it started chasing me...bouncing and writhing around like a mad beast! Scared the crap out of me! I ended up jumping over it and unplugging it from the wall (no CT at the time).
 
I Have a new one in my collection  ::)

I was in the middle of doing some polishing with the Rotex going through the different grit of coumpounds and polishing pads.  In one of the steps I forgot to put the felt pad actually applying the stick fix pad directly to the workpiece. Needless to say that I had some cleanup to do...
 
Peter Teubel said:
Rotex 150. My first Festool purchase years ago. I was removing the finish from a small table top using 80 grit Rubin. It was working just OK, when I decided to use the rotex mode.

I was unprepared...

It torqued out of my hands and dropped on the floor. I swear it started chasing me...bouncing and writhing around like a mad beast! Scared the crap out of me! I ended up jumping over it and unplugging it from the wall (no CT at the time).
Click to expand...

Peter,

Thanks for sharing.  Your story is the funniest (to me) I have read so far.  I could easily envison that "mad Rotex" hopping and charging at you!!

Dave R.
 
I've done so many dumb things, it's hard to keep track of 'em all.  ;D  However, here's an example... 

Several months ago (pre-Boom Arm), I was cross cutting a long board (18') on my MFT after ripping it.  Being a lazy, I didn't move my CT22 closer.    I lined up the cut very precisely, placed my TS55 on the rail, and leaned in close to make sure everything was reallllly perfect.  I pulled the trigger...

And got a face full of sawdust!  (Actually it pretty much covered me from the waist up.)  Said I, "What the @#$#!?! What happened to the @#^!$#@$ dust collection?!?" ???  Then I looked down and noticed that the hose had caught on something and pulled out of the saw! ::)  I felt like my IQ had dropped 40 points. :-[

Dan.
 
Peter Teubel said:
Rotex 150. My first Festool purchase years ago. I was removing the finish from a small table top using 80 grit Rubin. It was working just OK, when I decided to use the rotex mode.

I was unprepared...

It torqued out of my hands and dropped on the floor. I swear it started chasing me...bouncing and writhing around like a mad beast! Scared the crap out of me! I ended up jumping over it and unplugging it from the wall (no CT at the time).
Click to expand...

This is another off topic but it does relate to Peter's experience.  It was fall and we were into leaves cleanups.  The property the crew was working at had a long way to move the leaves and I had described the method I  wanted them to use so the leaves would be moved quickly.  My method required that the leaves be broken up with the large mowers and then blown a small section at a time across the road into a hollow where we had permission to put them.. If they tried to move them all at once and without breaking them down sufficiently, they would make a huge unmovable pile in the middle of the road.  Well, about two hours after the job was started, i returned to a horror sight.  There was a huge pile of leaves about 3 ft high and wide and about fifty feet long right down the middle of the road.  The two workers were using a couple of inefectual backpacker blowers and trying to move the pile.  The leaves were just blowing into the air and settling right back into the pile.  They had already loaded the mower onto the truck and I jjumped out of my truck yelling to "get that blank blank mower off the truck"  We're finished with it" the young lad argued.  I went about three feet in the air and repeated my previous order in a little more forcefull attitude.  By the time the two of us went round and round on this, the kid finally dcided if he were going to live thru the day, he had best get that mower over to me.  I have moved many piles of leaves with my riding mowers with no problem.  The leader of the crew knew how to do it, but when he saw me coming, he conveniently disappared to the far side of the house.  The walkbehind was a new mower with a hydraulic drive that I was not used to.  I knew all about the old belt drives that we were replacing and i was very soon going to find out how differeent they handled.  I grabbed hold of the mower and started down the backside of the pile moving it as I went.  With my rider, i would just back up, moving the pile as I backed, but found the walker moved too slow so i turned it around, shoved the speed control all the way forward and ran up the road as fast as I could run.  As I got to the end of the pile, I clamped down on the left lever expecting to have to pull back a little on the handle to make the quick turn.  Well, that new mower had a mind of its own.  when I clamped down on the handle, the beast just pivoted in place and there I was, trying to stop the machine by holding tight to the handle as the angry beast just chased me around and around.  I ended up on one knee, still trying to stop the machine as we both spun round and round.  With every revolution, my truck came closer to being a casualty.  I also noticed out of the corner of my eye that the owner of the propery was trying to get past the other end of the leaf pile.  I had been thinking that to stop the machine, i somehow had to get hold of both control levers as it was the way to stop it.  I just could not get enough speed out of my knees to catch up.  i finally realised I would have to change tactics and finally let go of the handles completely at a point where I hoped the monster could fly past the side of my truck without hitting it.  I was successful and once I finally let go, the machine righted itself and headed up the road.  i was then able to run it down and get hold of both levers and stop it.  I turned the mower around and walked it back to the kid, took it out of gear and said, "That's the way you run these things." and got into my truck and left.  The poor kid just looked at me with his eyes like saucers and his jaw bumping his kneecaps, and white as a ghost.  That afternoon when the guys brought the mowers back to the yard, I happened to be there.  When the lad got out of the truck, i could tell he was real nervous.  He looked like he was afraid he'd be shot or fired.  I unloaded some of the tools as he just stood and watched, not knowing what to do.  I dropped the tailgate and looked him right in the eye, saying, "You know, you will have to take that mower off.  I just don't have a clue of how to handle it."  It was like i took a ton off his shoulders and he started laughing.

Tinker
 
Tinker,

I have come to the conclusion that the best way for anyone to find balance in life is to be able to laugh at himself, and really enjoy it.
 
While fixing drywall in the bathroom this evening, my deWalt cordless drill died. It sounded as if the gearbox had gone completely. Then, music to any ones ears, SWMBO, having heard the horrible sound coming from the drill, commented that it sounded broken, I would have to get myself a Festool one to replace it. I just nodded. I mean, what else was there to say. I daren't mention what it would cost, and as far as I was concerned, I had permission to go out and buy a festool drill.

Then I did the stupidest thing imaginable. I pulled apart the deWalt, found out what the problem was, and fixed it. It turned out that the speed selector was getting jammed between speeds from sawdust that had accumulated inside the case.

Now, do I tell SWMBO that it is fixed, bearing in mind that she doesn't yet know about the domino. That I just couldn't resist. It had sat on the dealers shelves for longer than he liked, and he wanted to move it. I got the domino and a systainer of dominos for 2/3rds the cost of the domino alone! So long as I don't have more than two systainers together in one room at any one time, she doesn't get to count them all!!!

 
The way I remember it, you didn't fix the Dewalt until after you had purchased the C12. Unfortunately it isn't returnable, because it was on special.

But the "part" to fix the Dewalt turned out to be pretty cheap. So you actually saved everybody money.

I go the opposite way by having enough systainers that it's confusing to count them. That way a new one blends right in. She hasn't started counting roller boy dollys......
 
Eli said:
The way I remember it, you didn't fix the Dewalt until after you had purchased the C12. Unfortunately it isn't returnable, because it was on special.

But the "part" to fix the Dewalt turned out to be pretty cheap. So you actually saved everybody money.
Click to expand...

That's class! :D :D :D

You don't work in either advertising or sales, by any chance? ;D
 
I'm just a soldier for matrimonial harmony. What she doesn't know she doesn't have to know. I worked in the Film business, so technically could be classed as "Professional Liar"......

And about the Domino, Suth'n Guy. Start cranking out furniture, and convince her that the only reason for your increased productivity is "the wonder machine".

 
I have two (well, probably more, but let's start with two)...

The first one occurred when I first bought my MFT and was still learning.  I was cutting in various spots on the table.  Somehow, I cut into the MFT fence.  To be honest, I don't even recall why I was doing this.  But here's a photo to illustrate it:
[attachimg=1]

The second blunder happened with the ETS 150/5.  I was in the shop around 1:00 AM, and I decided to go forward with the sanding part of my job rather than call it a night.  I figured, "hey, sanding is pretty safe...can't cut my finger off or anything like that with a sander.  What's the worst that can happen?"  Well, I hooked my sander up to the CT 22, set the speed, and started sanding.  After a couple of minutes, I noticed black streaks on the wood surface.  Dumbly, I stopped and looked at the wood surface trying to figure it out.  Seeing nothing wrong, I started up the sander again, and again noticed the black streaks.  Finally, after stopping and checking on the third time, I just happened to turned the sander over.  Yes, I learned that the hook-and-loop pad doesn't do a very good job sanding.  I had been sanding with a disk installed earlier in the night, and because of the time-warp effect of working too late I forgot that I had taken the disk off.  Sorry, no photos of this one (good thing, or I might have destroyed my camera the way I was going).

Matthew
 
Eli said:
I'm just a soldier for matrimonial harmony. What she doesn't know she doesn't have to know. I worked in the Film business, so technically could be classed as "Professional Liar"......

And about the Domino, Suth'n Guy. Start cranking out furniture, and convince her that the only reason for your increased productivity is "the wonder machine".
Click to expand...

Eli, When i am ready to go for the Domino AND Kapex, i will call you for advice.  A friend of mine (Army buddy) used to say he would rather climb a tree and lie than to stand on the ground and tell the truth.  8) ::) ;D
Tinker
 
Matthew Schenker said:
Finally, after stopping and checking on the third time, I just happened to turned the sander over.  Yes, I learned that the hook-and-loop pad doesn't do a very good job sanding.  I had been sanding with a disk installed earlier in the night, and because of the time-warp effect of working too late I forgot that I had taken the disk off.  Sorry, no photos of this one (good thing, or I might have destroyed my camera the way I was going).

Matthew
Click to expand...

Hey matthew check my post above. I did the same thing doing some polishing with the Rotex. It was not 1am in my case though  ::)
 
I still haven't bought any Festools does that count?

Thanks for posting all your blunders, gives me something to look out for. ;D
 
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