Impressed with the sanders, bought more Festools.

[tedzap]

Last year I bought an ETS150 and a CT36 in hopes it would make my boat projects cleaner and more enjoyable.    The results were just what I had hoped, and I became an instant fan of green tools.   There may be others which handle dust collection this well, but I don't know of them.

My hobbies usually involve machining and joining metal items, not wood.   However, when I was visiting friends over the holidays I was impressed with his built in cabinets and made a new years resolution that involves sawdust instead of sparks.

Projects I have in mind are a built in wall closet, a Murphy bed, and new kitchen cabinets.   If I get through these I have a fishing cabin on the Chesapeake which could use such projects as well.

Projects for me are really just an excuse to buy tools, so I began looking at how to build these items with Festool products.    My shop is full of "warm weather projects", so I am looking to build these cabinets in the house (with a minimum amount of mess).   The good news is that I don't have much in the way of woodworking tools, so I can get the good stuff the first time out.

On my way home I stopped by a Festool dealer, and as luck would have it he was phasing out the line and all of his remaining inventory was on clearance.   To make a long story short, I bought a TS75 track saw, the T15+3 drill, a Domino 500, and the MFT/3.  

My questions have to do with the tools I bought, what I don't yet have, and getting advice/tutorials on building such cabinets.

Anything I bought that I should have passed on?   Regarding the purchases, I am not surprised at the track saw and the drill, but the domino and MFT was a "spur of the moment" kind of thing.    The prices were quite good, considering these things never go on sale.

It seems to me that a router could be very useful for these projects, such as a grooving for a back panel and making doors.   Does a OF1400 have enough umph for making raised panels?    I suppose it would be OK with light cuts.    What about a router table, is that a requirement?    What about with the OF2200?      Any good alternatives to Festool in this area?

I have a Kreg pocket hole setup, which I have used for building shop items.  

Any good books on building cabinets I should get?   Other tools I should consider?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Peter Durand]

Like you I first saw a Festool at a demo of their sanders. The dust collection sold me.

Now, a number of years later I have replaced all my hand held power tools with Festool models. Expensive, but well worth it. And don't forget the Domino. That is a game changer for mortising things.

As far as raised panels are concerned, I would definitely stick with a router table.

 

[Kev]

The MFT will become a centre of activity for your woodworking - very, very useful.

The TS75 is a beast, you only need it's power and depth of cut less that 10% of the time ... the TS55 is a lot lighter and may become a target for you.

The Domino will be your best friend for joinery (500?) ... hunt down Paul Marcel's videos on youtube ... in fact watch them all ... as well as Peter Parfait's.

You'll probably find a KAPEX in your collection in the not too distant future.

Routers are an interesting one ... raised panel work (big cutters??) do need grunt and the OF 2200 is a beauty for this ... the OF 1400 is great too, but I wouldn't try and push it to far.

The CMS router table setup available in the US only supports the OF 1010 and OF 1400 routers (I don't understand why - the rest of the world can use the OF 2200 in the CMS).

If you start watching the various how to's and review videos (and if you're prone to be a little impulsive like me) you'll have more Festools than you have fingers and toes in no time at all.

Kev.

PS Don't use your Festools to cut off your fingers and toes !

 

[tedzap]

The TS75 is a beast, you only need it's power and depth of cut less that 10% of the time ... the TS55 is a lot lighter and may become a target for you.

Yes, I would have purchased the 55 if he had it in his inventory.   

The Domino will be your best friend for joinery (500?) ...

Yes, the one I purchased is a 500.   

The more I think about the built in w/murphy bed project the more I am leaning toward a faceless design, so maybe the LR32 and a 1010 router is my next purchase.