End user Training.......UK

[Phil Beckley]

Hi
  End user training UK is the title but input from all will help  [smile].....so what would you like to see when attending an End user Session (s)?
  I have been looking into this for some time and have several schedules I have designed to work from that I believe would work but input from the forum would be a help of course.

rg
Phil
 

 

[sancho57]

The essentials class that they have in the States is awesome. Its a over view of the many different festools. Steve spent a long time on the domino.

The drawer and door class and the bookcase class with the arched face frame are a couple of them that  Ive been wanting to take when I return.

The cabinet making course was pretty good to.

 

[tjbnwi]

A basic/essential class is a must. There are many nuances to various Festools that most miss or don't know about. In person is best for going over them.

Tom

 

[joiner1970]

Would Festool UK be able to set up say a solid surface course using their tools. I know companies like CD UK (corian) do them but I thought if festool were to do anything that would be a good one.

 

[Phil Beckley]

The essentials class that they have in the States is awesome. Its a over view of the many different festools. Steve spent a long time on the domino.

The drawer and door class and the bookcase class with the arched face frame are a couple of them that  Ive been wanting to take when I return.

The cabinet making course was pretty good to.

.....an introduction to the 'system' is on the scheme  [smile]
rg
Phil

Ron when does the US welcome your return?

 

[Phil Beckley]

Would Festool UK be able to set up say a solid surface course using their tools. I know companies like CD UK (corian) do them but I thought if festool were to do anything that would be a good one.

....sure, a pro class on solid surface will come a bit later in the programme from cutting, moulding, sanding and polishing
rg
Phil

 

[Phil Beckley]

....do you think evening short session courses would be attractive?
rg
Phil

 

[Phil Beckley]

....would the preference to be to make something or 'chalk and talk'........my preferred method of training is demonstration then practical by attendees even on a one day session....let me know your thoughts  [wink]
rg
Phil

 

[sancho57]

The essentials class that they have in the States is awesome. Its a over view of the many different festools. Steve spent a long time on the domino.

The drawer and door class and the bookcase class with the arched face frame are a couple of them that  Ive been wanting to take when I return.

The cabinet making course was pretty good to.

.....an introduction to the 'system' is on the scheme  [smile]
rg
Phil

Ron when does the US welcome your return?

June next year. Then I'll be haunting Steve Base hehehehe

 

[sancho57]

Oh Phil since UK is big on ward robes which is different then the states. A ward robe building class would be nice, you would be able to cover the major of the main festool line, MFT including set up, parallel guides for the sheet goods, LR 32 holes and door hing mortises, conturo  for edge banding. It will be a lot to cram in a class but you wouldn't have to make a full size one wardrobes are basic cabinet with some add ins that don't have to be part of the class.

That would be a unique Europe class

 

[Stone Message]

Hi Phil

A friend of mine is an apprentice furniture maker and he has recently had to produce his "apprentice piece" for a stage of his college course. In the one piece he had to incorporate all the usual joints, a hinge and one or two other features.

Could you devise a one day project for your attendees that would take them through "the system" to include sawing, sanding, jointing and maybe even finishing?

I know that when we have had our little chats at various shows you have always given me insights into the various tools that could not be found in a manual. Rick Christopherson's US Supplemental Manual contains a lot of extra detail as well so I wonder if there is scope to include these little gems in your teaching plan.

Peter

 

[bobfog]

For me I would never attend a training course to be shown how to use a relatively basic handheld power tool, the likes of which Festool provide, to be taught how to use it. As a professional I can figure that out for myself through reading the manual or more often just playing about with the tool.

Similarly I would never attend a class on building a particular piece of furniture.

However, where you may temp me is by offering a class that doesn't teach the basic "this is the front and this is the back end of the tool" but assumes I know how to use the tools related to the course and you teach me how to maximise my workflow and efficiencies so I earn more money doing common tasks more quickly. Maybe centred around the MFT, MFS, etc.

 

[Roseland]

....do you think evening short session courses would be attractive?
rg
Phil

It would depend on where they were.  Not many people live near Bury St Edmunds.

I've driven the 130 miles to Axminster for a couple of day courses, but I wouldn't go for an evening.

Andrew

 

[RC]

If there were the much praised US style courses with hands-on how-to get the most out of our Festool tools and have them as multi-day courses I might be persuaded to even fly over to the UK from mainland Europe to attend, but then they should preferable be near one of the major airport hubs like London or Manchester to attract international audience. Ideally over the weekend courses or extended weekend ones Fri-Mon would be the best considering lost work time. 

Also I attended one very badly failed attempt by Festool Finland once on 'Advanced Router' -course which ended up being a for pay sales pitch of Festool routers and no hands-on time at all. So please do yourself a favour and keep them very much on an advanced hands-on type of courses.

 

[CrazyLarry]

For me I would never attend a training course to be shown how to use a relatively basic handheld power tool, the likes of which Festool provide, to be taught how to use it. As a professional I can figure that out for myself through reading the manual or more often just playing about with the tool.

Similarly I would never attend a class on building a particular piece of furniture.

However, where you may temp me is by offering a class that doesn't teach the basic "this is the front and this is the back end of the tool" but assumes I know how to use the tools related to the course and you teach me how to maximise my workflow and efficiencies so I earn more money doing common tasks more quickly. Maybe centred around the MFT, MFS, etc.

Although "this is the front, this is the back" style is a total waste of time, I suspect an overview '50 top tip bullet points to take away' like the yanks suggest would hit the mark on the workflow / efficiency front. It's often those little things 'using marks on part A when clamped to part B, then machine both' that really make a difference.

A day course seems much more viable than an evening one, I also agree that a location(s) more central than Bury is going to have much better appeal for most of us. reducing the ratio of travelling to learning.

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I might be interested in a minimum 2 day course. Travel time by plane for me would be relatively short, if the course could be located within 1 1/2 hour of airport with flights from EU I'd be interested.

 

[sancho57]

""However, where you may temp me is by offering a class that doesn't teach the basic "this is the front and this is the back end of the tool" but assumes I know how to use the tools related to the course and you teach me how to maximise my workflow and efficiencies so I earn more money doing common tasks more quickly. Maybe centred around the MFT, MFS, etc.
""

Thats exactly what the basics class is. The cabinet , door and drawer building etc are the same way but geared towards the particular class.
Ive attended a basics/ essentials class in the states,I will attend it again. At the begin of the essentials class and all other festool classes, Steve Base would have written on a chalk board in the front of the room, 58%. He would say the average person only gets 58% use out of their tool. By the end of the class You know he's right because He proves it. Coming here there are things that people come up with that aren't taught in the class witch is further proof. Overtime Ive taken a cause and Ive taken 3 of them he shows different things about the same tool. He learns from people in the classes as well from other trainers in their train the trainer program.

Its well worth your while to take a essentials course believe me