Favorite Festool Tip or Trick?

[ScotF]

So I thought it would be fun and a learning experience to hear from fellow Festool users about what their favorite Festool tip or trick is when using their tools.  This could be a feature on a tool that may not be common knowledge or it might be a creative way to employ something in the system that is faster, smarter or easier.  I have two things that I will share and I would love to read what other users have done.

1.  When using guide rails, I hate it when the plug it cord sometimes gets stuck in the top t-track.  The deflector does not always keep the cord from wandering over into this zone.  My trick is to use a guide rail connector to fill the void -- this prevents the cord from wandering into the groove and you can leave the connector extended a little out of the back to keep things directed to the deflector.  The screws keep everything in place and it is easily adjustable when you need to use a guide stop.  This was an "aha" moment in the router class for Brian Sedgley, so I thought I would share it here in case it helps.

2.  The OF2200 router's plunge mechanism locks and unlocks by moving the top of the handle that has integrated knob.  There is a mark on the handle and you simply need to move the knob to one side or the other of the handle to lock or unlock it -- it does not require you to torque the handle to lock in place -- one finger with light pressure is all that it takes.

So, what is your best tip or trick? 

Scot   

 

[ScotF]

I am surprised  -- no one has any unique/special tips or tricks to share?  ???  I guess they just appear in the various threads of the issue or tool discussion at hand.

Scot

 

[extiger]

this might be old hat to owners of the MFT/3. But I had mine for a half year and then went to a Festool tool demonstration at a dealer. They showed me how to slide various clamps into T-Tracks along the sides of the table. That was a neat trick in my eyes.

With clamps there, you can hold a board flat against the table sides upright to do things like cut dovetails or do work on the end. With clamps near the left and right leg, you can hold a board on edge bore mortise holes or work with the Domino.

Gary Curtis

 

[Tezzer]

I took the black plastic tabs off the domino fence so I can raise it to plunge in the centre of a 100mm post or board. Works a treat. 

 

[Wood_Junkie]

Making attachable jigs and storage add-ons for the MFT.  Several ideas put forth by other users and across the web.

I have found a few different varieties of “Feather Key” on the EKAT site.  These are the oval metal anchors that sit within the MFT track.  They’re ideal for attaching: a saw/jigsaw “holster”; extra little boxes for storing work tools, etc. Sure, a simple generic bolt and nut work, but they’re not adjustable with the stock allen key and/or Toolie.

Best newly discovered tip:
I have MFT1080s and MFT800s.  I frequently put the 800 butted up against the side of the 1080 to create an extended work table.  However, the bolt heads holding the guide rail assembly registration anchors forced me to leave a little gap and it was harder to line them up straight.  Also, if I wanted to clamp a board to the *front* of the MFT, to plane or sand the side, for example, the board would be bowed out by the bolt head.  It was workable, but annoying and not ideal.

At the Cabinet class I noticed that the MFT3 has headless screws in the registration anchors.  I found a part number for those little screws, ordered up a few from Bob, and changed them out last night. Bammo, I can now put my 800 and 1080s right up tight against each other.  This makes it easier to setup and lock in the table connector bars, with the MFTs properly aligned.
I can also now clamp to the front, and attach some of the above jigs and what-not without worrying about the position of the bolt head being in the way or protruding.

 

[ScotF]

Awesome tips, guys...keep 'em coming.  Wood Junkie, what is a "feather key"?  Do you have pics or the part number on EKAT?  Or better yet, any pics?  That sounds like a pretty useful idea.

Thanks!

Scot

 

[Tezzer]

I have posted a variation somewhere here before, but i will freshen it up for this thread. Its for "square" edged Dominos going into a round mortise in drawer sides.

What I do. Make my own out of some contrasting timber, I make 5mm for small drawers and 6mm for large drawers (because the 6mm cutter does not have the flare-out and you can go deeper into the sides for a stronger bond.

After i have glued and clamped the rebated drawer and its dry, I then plunge the Domino mortise to full depth according to the cutter used.

Example - If you plunge 28mm (Red line on the Domino) then cut your home made Domies around 32- 35mm lengths (Yellow line) Scribe a line all round 25mm up from the bottom (Blue line) and with sharp chisel, from the blue scribe line back down to the bottom, round over the edges to fit in the mortise. The 3mm left above the scribe (between Red and Blue) remains square, and that will force a square edge into the top of the round mortise, giving the illusion of a hand mortised joint.

Two tips -

1- On the rounded sides (green) chisel them round in both sides an extra 1.5mm, and just before you are going to fit them into the drawer mortise, put the Domi into an engineers vice (about 3 or 4 mm below the blue line) and give it a ¼ turn to slightly compress it. As it compresses for easy fit into the mortise, the sides expand slightly in width, that’s why you remove the 1.5mm from each side so it won’t get stuck.

2- Dont forget to put a clamp either side of the drawer where the mortises are, so when you tap in the Dominos the drawer sides dont split. This is a must because if it splits its easy to glue, but the glue line sticks out and looks terrible.

It looks so much better than a rounded machined Domi look. You still get a slight round if you look close, but its a great illusion for the casual observer for not much extra effort. 

 

[Wood_Junkie]

There are a couple of “Feather Key” parts.  All of them take a standard M6 thread bolt.  The length depends on your need and usage.  One nice thing about the Festool bolts is they are plated, so they don’t rust, as readily as hardware store metric bolts that I’ve picked up…

Here is the MFT1080/800 feather key:
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Here is the MFT3 feather key.  The headless hex screw ("Threaded Pin") is shown right next to it.
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And my new favorite.  I found this on the longitudinal stop. It’s ideal for hanging something that’s heavy.
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[ScotF]

Thanks, Wood_Junkie...makes sense. 

Tezzer - those joints look very cool.  Thanks for posting your tip.  Have you had issues with the Domino's breaking apart at all?  I suppose that there is not that much material, or to you square up the mortise in any way around the top edge? 

Scot

 

[Tezzer]

Tezzer - those joints look very cool.  Thanks for posting your tip.  Have you had issues with the Domino's breaking apart at all?  I suppose that there is not that much material, or to you square up the mortise in any way around the top edge?  Scot

Scot, i have probbably done around 30 drawers that way now and so far havnt had a complaint... Fingers crossed [laughing]