Festool and mafell

[Steven Owen]

The smallest size is 3mm but Mafell does not recommend with the DD40P as the speed is too slow.  The 3mm bit is suitable for the DD40G. The smallest I have used is 5mm and it works great.  The largest I have used is 12mm.  I will not go to 16mm dowels as the bits are over $100 each and that size dowel is very expensive (more expensive than 14mm dominos).

On the Triton; my only advice is caveat emptor.  The Triton could not do accurate joinery.  For me, the Triton is absolutely the worst power tool purchase I have made in the past 45 years and that includes a lot of tools.

For me I would love to have both the Mafell and the DF 700 Domino.  There’s no point getting a DF 500 if you can buy the Seneca bit to run 500 dominos using the DF 700.

You don’t gain anything by buying two domino machines in a small shop.  The Mafell provides some good jointing options for things like TV stands and small furniture.  The longer dowels will create much stronger supporting joints than 500 dominos on angled pieces.

 

[stvrowe]

The smallest size is 3mm but Mafell does not recommend with the DD40P as the speed is too slow.  The 3mm bit is suitable for the DD40G. The smallest I have used is 5mm and it works great.  The largest I have used is 12mm.  I will not go to 16mm dowels as the bits are over $100 each and that size dowel is very expensive (more expensive than 14mm dominos).

On the Triton; my only advice is caveat emptor.  The Triton could not do accurate joinery.  For me, the Triton is absolutely the worst power tool purchase I have made in the past 45 years and that includes a lot of tools.

For me I would love to have both the Mafell and the DF 700 Domino.  There’s no point getting a DF 500 if you can buy the Seneca bit to run 500 dominos using the DF 700.

You don’t gain anything by buying two domino machines in a small shop.  The Mafell provides some good jointing options for things like TV stands and small furniture.  The longer dowels will create much stronger supporting joints than 500 dominos on angled pieces.

Given you have already indicated you don't own any of them, from whence did you gain all your experience and knowledge to offer advice on the aforementioned tools?

 

[Steven Owen]

The smallest size is 3mm but Mafell does not recommend with the DD40P as the speed is too slow.  The 3mm bit is suitable for the DD40G. The smallest I have used is 5mm and it works great.  The largest I have used is 12mm.  I will not go to 16mm dowels as the bits are over $100 each and that size dowel is very expensive (more expensive than 14mm dominos).

On the Triton; my only advice is caveat emptor.  The Triton could not do accurate joinery.  For me, the Triton is absolutely the worst power tool purchase I have made in the past 45 years and that includes a lot of tools.

For me I would love to have both the Mafell and the DF 700 Domino.  There’s no point getting a DF 500 if you can buy the Seneca bit to run 500 dominos using the DF 700.

You don’t gain anything by buying two domino machines in a small shop.  The Mafell provides some good jointing options for things like TV stands and small furniture.  The longer dowels will create much stronger supporting joints than 500 dominos on angled pieces.

Given you have already indicated you don't own any of them, from whence did you gain all your experience and knowledge to offer advice on the aforementioned tools?

I’ve used the domino before on several outdoor table and chair projects in a class.  The DF 700 and DF 500.  A lot of colleges hosting wood working courses have them.  I’ve been taking night classes after work at different trade colleges to improve my skills.  I never used the Mafell.  Because not very many people or colleges in Canada have any Mafell gear.  Festool is more readily available.

I own and use the Jessem dowel jig all the time.  Dowels are dowels.  The Mafell is simply a much faster way of installing dowels.  The Senca bit works very well.  Aside from being lighter, there’s not much reason to buy a 500 unless you find the 700 heavy.  I like the added weight of 700 over the 500.  That’s a personal preference.

I’m not buying the Mafell next year.  I’m buying the DF 700 first.  I’ll put it through the paces on several indoor and outdoor projects.  My opinion will probably evolve at that time with more projects under my belt.

I’m not spending my 2018 tax return on a DF 700 because I don’t have any faith in the product.

 

[Holmz]

The smallest size is 3mm but Mafell does not recommend with the DD40P as the speed is too slow.  The 3mm bit is suitable for the DD40G. The smallest I have used is 5mm and it works great.  The largest I have used is 12mm.  I will not go to 16mm dowels as the bits are over $100 each and that size dowel is very expensive (more expensive than 14mm dominos).

On the Triton; my only advice is caveat emptor.  The Triton could not do accurate joinery.  For me, the Triton is absolutely the worst power tool purchase I have made in the past 45 years and that includes a lot of tools.

For me I would love to have both the Mafell and the DF 700 Domino.  There’s no point getting a DF 500 if you can buy the Seneca bit to run 500 dominos using the DF 700.

You don’t gain anything by buying two domino machines in a small shop.  The Mafell provides some good jointing options for things like TV stands and small furniture.  The longer dowels will create much stronger supporting joints than 500 dominos on angled pieces.

Given you have already indicated you don't own any of them, from whence did you gain all your experience and knowledge to offer advice on the aforementioned tools?

I’ve used the domino before on several outdoor table and chair projects in a class.  The DF 700 and DF 500.  A lot of colleges hosting wood working courses have them.  I’ve been taking night classes after work at different trade colleges to improve my skills.  I never used the Mafell.  Because not very many people or colleges in Canada have any Mafell gear.  Festool is more readily available.

I own and use the Jessem dowel jig all the time.  Dowels are dowels.  The Mafell is simply a much faster way of installing dowels.  The Senca bit works very well.  Aside from being lighter, there’s not much reason to buy a 500 unless you find the 700 heavy.  I like the added weight of 700 over the 500.  That’s a personal preference.

I’m not buying the Mafell next year.  I’m buying the DF 700 first.  I’ll put it through the paces on several indoor and outdoor projects.  My opinion will probably evolve at that time with more projects under my belt.

I’m not spending my 2018 tax return on a DF 700 because I don’t have any faith in the product.

The flow of ideas is a bit staccato with ideaoids and factoids, and hence I cannot as easily follow it as many others probably can.

You say you are buying the DF700 first, and then close with not buying a DF700 beciuase do not have faith in it... These concepts seems contradictory?

 

[peter halle]

[member=40772]Holmz[/member] , He said that he was planning on buying the 700 next year and then giving it a try.

Hope this helps.

Peter

 

[Holmz]

[member=40772]Holmz[/member] , He said that he was planning on buying the 700 next year and then giving it a try.

Hope this helps.

Peter

Did I read his closing sentence wrong?
That was my question...

...
I’m not spending my 2018 tax return on a DF 700 because I don’t have any faith in the product.

 

[peter halle]

I believe you did.  My translation would be that he wouldn't be spending his money on the 700 if he didn't believe in it.  That was re enforced by his previous statement.

Peter

 

[Michael Kellough]

[member=40772]Holmz[/member] , He said that he was planning on buying the 700 next year and then giving it a try.

Hope this helps.

Peter

Double negative equals positive...
Did I read his closing sentence wrong?
That was my question...

...
I’m not spending my 2018 tax return on a DF 700 because I don’t have any faith in the product.

 

[Steven Owen]

I believe you did.  My translation would be that he wouldn't be spending his money on the 700 if he didn't believe in it.  That was re enforced by his previous statement.

Peter

Peter has it right. 

I want to make my own bedroom furniture.  I also wanted to make my mom a rocking chair.  The DF 700 is the right tool for the job.  The 700’s connectors are critical in making a bedframe that can breakdown easily.  Most of the upcoming projects I have planned are a better fit for the DF 700 dominos. 

The Mafell doweller is a wishlist item. 

 

[Trosey]

A previous poster stated that " Dowels are dowels."

I think I can agree with that statement.

 

[Holmz]

A previous poster stated that " Dowels are dowels."

I think I can agree with that statement.

Tautologies are certainly easier to follow than sentences without punctuation

 

[semenza]

A previous poster stated that " Dowels are dowels."

I think I can agree with that statement.

Tautologies are certainly easier to follow than sentences without punctuation

    dowels are not dowels i can not agree with that statement

Seth

 

[Holmz]

A previous poster stated that " Dowels are dowels."

I think I can agree with that statement.

Tautologies are certainly easier to follow than sentences without punctuation

    dowels are not dowels i can not agree with that statement

Seth

Youre driving me into a comma

 

[vege-mity-mite]

On the Triton; my only advice is caveat emptor.  The Triton could not do accurate joinery.  For me, the Triton is absolutely the worst power tool purchase I have made in the past 45 years and that includes a lot of tools.

I have to agree with this.  The Triton I have isn't machined to any accuracy - joints come out crooked and off by a few mm in all directions and by an inconsistent amount each time.  No amount of shimming could make up for the machining and excessive play.  There is no comparison to the mafell doweller I bought afterwards - it's a pleasure to use.  Buy once, cry once!

 

[Steven Owen]

On the Triton; my only advice is caveat emptor.  The Triton could not do accurate joinery.  For me, the Triton is absolutely the worst power tool purchase I have made in the past 45 years and that includes a lot of tools.

I have to agree with this.  The Triton I have isn't machined to any accuracy - joints come out crooked and off by a few mm in all directions and by an inconsistent amount each time.  No amount of shimming could make up for the machining and excessive play.  There is no comparison to the mafell doweller I bought afterwards - it's a pleasure to use.  Buy once, cry once!

We all make bad tool buying decsions.  I’m glad that was someone else’s Triton.  Aside from being slow, the Jessem dowel jig created superior joints to the Triton. 

The DowelMax is accurate but you watch your hair turn grey trying to use the DowelMax for a large number of joints. 

By the time you accessorize the DowelMax you’re nearly half way to buying the Mafell Doweller.

The Mafell track saw has a lof great design elements you wish more track saw makers would implement. 

The power planer.  I prefer hand planes over power tools for planing.  It’s hard to justify spending 5 grand on a powered hand planer.  I could see the Mafell planer getting a lot of mileage for guys building high-end decks.

 

[MrToolJunkie]

The power planer is designed for processing large beams that cannot be surfaced easily any other way.

 

[Steven Owen]

The power planer is designed for processing large beams that cannot be surfaced easily any other way.

That’s why I mentioned decks.  The guys on the HGTV series “Deck Out”, use the Mafell on large beams for pricey deck projects they work-on for wealthy people. 

A lot of tool companies make power hand planes.  I’ve yet use on I’ve ever liked using.  Many of them make your hands numb with vibration. 

 

[DB10]

The power planer is designed for processing large beams that cannot be surfaced easily any other way.

That’s why I mentioned decks.  The guys on the HGTV series “Deck Out”, use the Mafell on large beams for pricey deck projects they work-on for wealthy people. 

A lot of tool companies make power hand planes.  I’ve yet use on I’ve ever liked using.  Many of them make your hands numb with vibration.

I've got a corded Bosch and a cordless Makita power plane and have never noticed any vibration on either of them, today I was levelling out a stud wall with the Bosch hooked up to my midi and no shavings or sawdust to clear up. Imagine the mess if that was done using a hand plane.

 

[Steven Owen]

The power planer is designed for processing large beams that cannot be surfaced easily any other way.

That’s why I mentioned decks.  The guys on the HGTV series “Deck Out”, use the Mafell on large beams for pricey deck projects they work-on for wealthy people. 

A lot of tool companies make power hand planes.  I’ve yet use on I’ve ever liked using.  Many of them make your hands numb with vibration.

I've got a corded Bosch and a cordless Makita power plane and have never noticed any vibration on either of them, today I was levelling out a stud wall with the Bosch hooked up to my midi and no shavings or sawdust to clear up. Imagine the mess if that was done using a hand plane.

For field work and construction they make sense.  I was using a different brand, Rigid on cypress deck boards.  It worked but hands were numb from the vibration coming off the Rigid.  Emerson killed this product off it was so bad.

 

[Michael Kellough]

The power planer is designed for processing large beams that cannot be surfaced easily any other way.

That’s why I mentioned decks.  The guys on the HGTV series “Deck Out”, use the Mafell on large beams for pricey deck projects they work-on for wealthy people. 

A lot of tool companies make power hand planes.  I’ve yet use on I’ve ever liked using.  Many of them make your hands numb with vibration.

The Festool 850 is pretty smooth.