Indianapolis Rockler Festool Interest Group (IRFIG) Launches Feb 16 --- Sanders

[RDMuller]

The Indianapolis Rockler store will be hosting a new meeting for people interested in Festool products (both current owners and prospective owners).  This group will be conducted as a "user's group" and will not be an intensive sales/marketing meeting.  Several meetings will be held per year at intervals and on topics yet to be determined.  Users will be encouraged to present.

The first meeting will be Saturday February 16 from 9 to 1.  A free lunch will be provided.  Rockler will need a registration to get an accurate lunch count and chair count in the facility (empty storefront next door).  Call the store at 317/578-9750.

The first session is on nearly all of the Festool Sanders and Abrasives.  Most of the sanders will be available for users to test HANDS-ON.  PARTICIPANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BRING THEIR OWN FESTOOL EQUIPMENT.  There will be an assortment of projects and materials to work with along with abrasives.  In addition, Brian Sedgely (national technical trainer) will be coming over to demonstrate the CMS Router Table and the Planex drywall sander during the lunch hour.

For complete details, see http://irfig.wordpress.com

This store services a large geographic area.  If you are coming in the night before, search for hotel pricing in the northeast area of Indianapolis (Castleton) or Fishers or Carmel. 
If the spouse is coming -- the store is in the Castleton Mall area.  The upscale Keystone at the Crossing and Fashion Mall at Keystone are just a few miles away.  Also, remember that the "boy-toy" sporting stores are all close by.    REI is 2 doors down.  Dick's Sporting Goods and Gander Mountain are less than a 1/4 mile down the street.

This training will be fashioned after the factory training at Festool.  I hope to see you there.

 

[ccarrolladams]

Hi Roger.

This sounds like a wonderful concept. More Festool dealers should borrow the idea for their own interest groups.

It is with regret that in Mid-February I am stuck in cold and damp Southern California. Seriously, this winter I know Los Angeles friends who flew to Indianapolis for the warmth!

Best always

 

[RDMuller]

Carroll:  It's cold here in Indianapolis now too.  I am glad you picked up on the name of the group being "Interest Group".  We did not make it "User Group" since that would imply it would be only for current users.  We hope to get more folks interested in Festool over time by doing this "Interest Group" concept.

The event is coming up in two weeks.  For more information:  irfig.wordpress.com

 

[Tinker]

I have seen/read quite oftenhere on FOG  how upset WW'ers have been with Rockler's lack of knowledge and handling of Festool requests.  Could it be that they have been lurking in the background?  [unsure]
Tinker

 

[peter halle]

I would bet that it was Roger's idea in response to comments read and his usage and enthusiasm for the product line.

Peter

 

[Theshipstore]

Personally I think this is a great idea, this type of group meeting is a great way to exchange idea's and make new friend in the world of festool.
Roger I wish you and this venture good luck

Sal

 

[RDMuller]

Thanks guys.  It's easy to get enthused about great tools that are very well marketed.  Especially when you live 18 miles from that green place in Lebanon In.  I hope we have a great meeting and others follow this model.

 

[Scott B.]

I'd stop by just to see the Sedge !

 

[Tinker]

Personally I think this is a great idea, this type of group meeting is a great way to exchange idea's and make new friend in the world of festool.
Roger I wish you and this venture good luck

Sal

Sal, you are a great example of just that.  i have been to several "events' where you have been most helpful to everybody around you.  if they aren't around you, you round them up.  It is guys like you, Roger and a few others who seem to enjoy getting out there who make it a lot of fun and interesting for a lot of the rest of us.
Tinker

 

[K119Phil]

Hey Roger!

Hello from San Francisco!  Duly noted on the idea of a Festool Interest Group!  I think I'll set up something similar for our clients here in the Bay Area soon too.  Festool heads unite! 

Wish you the very best on your event!

 

[RDMuller]

The IRFIG was launched today.
We had 18 registered attendees, 2 or 3 walk-ons, and a number of listeners for a portion of the 4 hour program.  Store management, myself and Brian Sedgely all felt good about the attendance. 
We had 3 professional woodworkers, 6 very serious non-professionals and the balance considering themselves hobbyists.  Nearly all owned at least 1 or 2 Festool sanders. Aside from the info we presented, these folks were all glad to compare notes with each other.

Since we had never done this before, we had no idea what to expect.   The questions were INTENSE throughout the presentations.  I am so glad I was not doing this by myself and had Brian Sedgely come over and give us his morning.  He is always good, but --  this was his BEST.  Questions were more of the "how", "what is best", "what am I doing wrong" type.
We never did get to the "Hands-On" session or the CMS router table session.  Brian took about an hour to go through polishing using sheepskin and foam on a Rotex 150  (along with some help from a 150/3).   He used the new polishing compounds Festool is marketing and polished out piece of cherry than had been coated with a satin polyurethane.

A few general comments from a facilitator's standpoint --- these things do take some time to put together.   But I learned alot about Wordpress for making the blog and InDesign for making the brochure.  Both of these were things I had wanted to do for a long time, but until you have a deadline, never happen.  I planned WAY too many activities for the time  allotted.
The actual day is very intense when the audience interest level is so high.   Continual questions keep flowing.  A number of member of the audience are very helpful in assisting both Brian and I with comments.    I will never try to do more of 2 hours of presentation myself with this large a group.  What if more would have shown up!!

Thank you Brian

Here are a few pictures.

There was universal agreement that the next IRFIG needs to be on saws, rails, parallel guides and extensions.  The comment was made --- good luck on keeping that down to 2hours.

Part of audience

Brian with finished piece polished out on one side

Roger addressing the group

.

 

[peter halle]

Sounds like it was a good time.  Best of luck with the entire program and please let us know how it goes.

Peter

 

[Brice Burrell]

Rodger, I have to commend you for going the extra mile to put this program together.  I do hope other dealers do something like this too.  Awesome job and keep us posted on the progress of the program. [thumbs up] 

 

[RDMuller]

FOLLOWUP:  We had a very enthusiastic group.  With all of the questions out there and the combined knowledge of Brian and myself, we could have had no program agenda and would have occupied the entire 4 hours.  Most of those in the audience owned at least one Festool sander.

Here's the published newsletter on the blog (at least for now -- more may come later). 

Look at the 2 links in the blog.  One pdf is a listing of the items that we covered, most of which are now going to be stocked in the store.  These  are for the most part all accessories and specialty sanders.

Then there is a pdf that covers the polishing demo that Brian Sedgely did on a piece of cherry plywood that had been sprayed with satin polyurethane.  You MUST see this.  He got there very fast with an ETS 150/3 with 800, 1200 and 1500 grant.  He then moved to a Rotex 150 in Rotex mode with the sheepskin, foam pad and two of the new Festool polishing compounds.

The finished picture  taken under hardware store lighting conditions does not do justice to the beauty of the piece he created.

The blog is at  http://irfig.wordpress.com

 

[peter halle]

Roger,  thank you for posting this.  That is an amazing before and after image.  Wishing you gays and gals all the best in Indy!

Peter