Fein users….Mesquite prep with which tool?

[gstuartw]

I have a question for the Fein users out there. I'm about to start a project making kitchen cabinets out of Mesquite. If you're not familiar with it, this wood has a lot of checks and voids that need to be filled with epoxy. I have to excavate each crack, hole etc to remove loose edges and make reaching hidden pockets easier for the epoxy. Is there a blade for that's best suited for this is or would a dremmel be better?

 

[Roseland]

I've never used Mesquite, but I do have a Fein.  The biggest problem is always starting a cut, as it's hard to hold the body firm enough to stop the blade jumping about.
The Festool Vecturo due out soon addresses this with a fence that you press up against the workpiece first.
I also have a Dremel, but I imagine this would be really slow work.
Have you considered a small router, such as the OF-1010 with perhaps a sign writing cutter?

Good luck!

Andrew

 

[jacko9]

I have a question for the Fein users out there. I'm about to start a project making kitchen cabinets out of Mesquite. If you're not familiar with it, this wood has a lot of checks and voids that need to be filled with epoxy. I have to excavate each crack, hole etc to remove loose edges and make reaching hidden pockets easier for the epoxy. Is there a blade for that's best suited for this is or would a dremmel be better?

While not a direct answer to your question, have you tried penetrating epoxy to fill the checks?  I just finished a rosewood table that had a lot of surface checks, etc and was pretty successful using West Systems Epoxy.

I'm currently working on a project made from boxwood where I took a few 8/4 and 10/4 stock and bandsawed it to a nominal 1".  These beams had been in my shop for over 30 years but they still surface checked like crazy.  I have been using a West System Penetrating Epoxy  ( http://www.westmarine.com/buy/--penetrating-epoxy--P015023724) that seems to be working very well with very good flow characteristics.  While this epoxy might be too thin to fill wide checks you can wet the check with this epoxy and then while wet fill it with one of the other West System epoxies.

A good resource for using penetrating epoxies is here;

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/penetrating4u.html

Jack

 

[humantorch]

I just finished 2 large desks using mesquite. I found the best 'excavation' tools were small chisels, long framing nails, thin files etc..
I'd be wary of using a power tool to get into some of those grooves only because one little slip and you're paying for it. I have both a fein and a dremel and didn't use either because of this. Nothing like good old hand tools. (However, I would think a dremel would be much more successful for this as well as more forgiving).
Best of luck!

 

[morogue]

Fein would work fine. Heh, heh, heh.

There are some nice small blades by Bosch: Bosch OSC38F 3/8 in. x 1-1/4 in. BIM Flush Cut Blade

Tips for successfully using the Multimaster:

Fresh blades are key.
Hold the tool with a "combat grip", two handed. Be ready for the torque induced by the offset of the blade. Always work with the blade on the thumb side of your dominant hand, as it's easier to handle. If necessary, rotate the blade.
Start the cut by rocking the blade into wood, heel (the end closet to you) first.
Draw a shallow cut to use as a guide for your deeper plunge. Keep the blade tipped up along the direction of your cut.
Do the outline of what you're cutting first. You can then nibble out to the border.

As for other tools:
You can use carving knives to start or finish off smaller or more complicated shapes, leaving the power tool to hog out the majority.