Festool End User Training: Advanced Router Techniques on March 8-9 in Las Vegas

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Yes, another end-user training event!  Thank you for your interest.  Please let us know if you have any questions.

Course Description:
We are now calling for entries for a 2-day class focused on the practical application of the Festool Router System.  The class will take place at Festool's Training Center in Headerson, NV (just SE of Las Vegas), and will be primarily geared towards professional applications.

In this class, we will cover the full Festool router lineup, including the MFK 700, OF 1010, OF 1400, and OF 2200, as well as key system accessories such as the MFS, LR32 Hole boring system, and FS Guide rails.  Participants should expect to walk away with a range of broadly applicable skills, with emphasis on panelized doors, circles and arcs, cabinet shelf pins and hinge boring, inlays, fluting, and edge-banding, among others.

Participants will leave with an improved understanding of advanced routing techniques as they apply to trim carpentry, cabinet work, and furniture construction.  Real-world, application-based exercises will enhance the participant's understanding of how to efficiently employ the Festool Router System in the shop and on the jobsite.

Since most of the two days will be spent in the shop actually using the tools, we request that registrants have some previous knowledge of the Festool Router System, and/or the basics of trim carpentry, cabinet or furniture construction.  

Though we expect to add classes geared toward novices in the future, this should be considered an intermediate to expert-level class.

What will I learn?

Precision in shop and on jobsite with Festool Routers
  • MFK 700 Trim router - Precision and flexibility
  • OF 1010 Plunge Router - Small in size, big on performance
  • OF 1400 Plunge Router - Our most versatile router
  • OF 2200 Plunge Router - A portable shaper

Enhanced efficiency with Festool System Components
  • Arcs, circles and raised panels with the Festool MFS system
  • Efficient cabinet construction with the LR 32 Hole boring system
  • Boring of hinge plates and shelf pins on cabinet sides
  • 35 mm Hinge boring on cabinet doors
  • Routing fluted columns with the Festool parallel guide
  • Clean and efficient edge banding with the MFK 700 and OF1010 plate systems
  • Routing grooves and slots with the OF 2200 and Plexiglas template
  • Precision routing with FS guide rails
  • Precision inlays with Festool Routers

How do I apply and how are participants selected?
If you are interested in participating, please click here to complete this online survey no later than next Monday, March 1st, 2010, and provide a few details about yourself.  If you have applied for previous end-user training events, you will need to re-apply for this one.

We will notify selected participants (as well as a handful of alternates) by email once selections are made. The one thing we ask of our selected participants is that you arrive on time and stick around for the full two days.  Since we're not charging for the class, you will lose nothing if you no-show, but it will mean that someone else misses out on a great opportunity.

Travel and Accommodations:
Participants are responsible for all travel and accommodations.  We will be glad to help you make hotel reservations at our preferred local establishment (Sunset Station).  And for those participants staying at that hotel, Festool will arrive for pick-up on both days at 7:30am.  

Festool will provide basic refreshments (bagels and coffee) in the morning at our Training Center, and lunch will be provided both days.   There will be an offsite group dinner on the first night.  Festool will cover dinner, but participants are responsible for any alcohol.

When & Where?
Class date:March 8-9
Class times:8am-5pm
Class location:Festool USA Henderson Nevada Training Center, 301 Sunpac Ct, Henderson, NV
Class size:6-8
Fee:$100

* Please note: Attendees will be responsible for all expenses related to travel and accommodations.

Class Feedback:
We plan to reserve at least an hour at the end of the second day to get everyone's feedback on the class.  We want to hear what you thought about the class structure and material covered, among other things.  

Festool training personnel in attendance:
  • Steve Bace, Tool and Application Trainer

There may also be additional members of the Festool USA team present periodically throughout the training event.
 
Chris Hughes said:
Are you really concidering an End Users Training class for advanced router in late April?

Yup.  We aren't accepting applicants yet but there will be one the last week of April according to our trainer.
 
Shane,
          I am a new festool user. I have a basic line up of Festools and I would be very interested in a class for beginners. I am located in the Southwest so Las Vegas will be perfect. Thanks in advance.

Eduardo
 
Eduardo, the end user training program is still very much in its infancy.  We will be adding additional types of classes over time.  You're not the first person to ask for a beginner level class.  So, that may very well happen at some point.  I will continue to post new classes on the forum as they become available.  Thanks.
 
If you're considering this course - GO FOR IT! I took the cabinet making class last week in Indiana and found it to be tremendous.

The cabinet making tips were excellent and all the little tips and tricks to make your Festools even faster and easier were remarkable. I arrived at the class with the belief that the tools were generally better than the competition, I left the class knowing that these tools are far far far superior to anything else you could consider.

That was nice.  Even more important though was the approach and genuine fun that Steve and Craig (instructors) impart to the learning experience. They know their stuff AND they roll with it when you make a mistake (and I made plenty).  Finally, they are genuinely interested in learning from the students. 

As an added bonus, we were able to meet and even play foosball with Christian, the president of Festool USA. I suspect he threw a few games to make us happy. More important he really wanted to hear what we had to say about Festools.

In sum - you should go. One warning - you'll end up buying more Festools!!

mac
 
Why is the survey closed already when you say we have until March 1st?  I just found out about it today and am very interested.
 
asmang said:
Why is the survey closed already when you say we have until March 1st?  I just found out about it today and am very interested.

The survey was closed because the class is full.  I will be posting about two more classes that are scheduled for April today or tomorrow.
 
Shane,

How is the class full when you specifically say, "We will notify selected participants (as well as a handful of alternates) by email once selections are made" and give a closing date of March 1st... more than a week away?  Clearly selections were made prior to the deadline.  Why even give a deadline or have people fill out an application?

In the future, why not post it as a first-come-first serve if you're going to close the course registration early?  ??? [mad]
 
You're right.  This was supposed to be listed as first-come and I failed to include that in the post.  My apologies.
 
It's really encouraging to hear the positive comments from folks who have been through some of these training sessions.

It makes it even more ironic that the books published on the Domino and TS 55/75 offer so little in the way of advanced applications that take advantage of unique Festool capabilities.

Any plans for future books or DVD's that share some of the techniques being taught in these classes?

Jim
 
Jim,

The books were done by an outside company, not by Festool.  They work in conjunction with us to some extent, but it was not a Festool endeavor.  Currently, I'm not aware of any plans for future books or DVDs.  There are plans to do videos for distribution on the web.

Shane
 
Hey fellas.  I am writing under this post, hoping someone interested in this training might know the answer to these questions:  (1) What is required to make the OF 2000 work on the LR32 system?  (2) can the LR32 base plate be used (pin raised) to replace the OF 2000 guide rail attachment?  Thanks.  mb
 
According to this Festool page
They are not compatible. I guess it is to do with the size of the bigger routers and an ease of use with the LR32 system.

Rob.
 
I don't know how large the base is on the OF 2000.  If it is 160mm across, or less, then you might be able to adapt the LR32 plate to fit.
 
Rob-GB said:
According to this Festool page
They are not compatible. I guess it is to do with the size of the bigger routers and an ease of use with the LR32 system.

Rob.

I do own and love the OF1010, the OF 1400 and the OF2200. I believe in LR32. One of my OF1010 is dedicated to LR32 hole drilling.

Besides the question of size, to my way of thinking the OF2200 is far more router than appropriate for LR32 use.

For sure pay attention to the Festool information. Now if you want to use the OF2200 with a guide rail for straight dado or similar work, there are accessories for the purpose.
 
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