Livin' in a Festool world ... and lovin' it

[woodnerd]

I built a shop cabinet this morning.  As I was finishing it up, I realized that except for routing out some shelf dados, I had used only Festools.  TS55 to cut down the plywood, Domino for 90 mortises, T15 to drill a few dozen holes, RO90 to sand everything down, MFT/3 for multiple tasks & assembly, CT26 for dust-sucking.  Maybe a tablespoon of dust on the floor and most of that was from the drilling.

It's hard to explain to people who don't use Festools how nice it is and how much the change they way you do stuff.  For me, especially the MFT/3 and Domino.

 

[Jack Parks]

Woodnerd,

I know what you mean.  I bought my first Festool tools, the ATF55 with a CT33, in 2004 and it changed the way I approached woodworking.  Through the years I have added a lot more Festool and would not want to go back to my old ways of woodworking.

Jack

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I built a shop cabinet this morning.  As I was finishing it up, I realized that except for routing out some shelf dados, I had used only Festools.  ....

Dude!  Get the router! [big grin]

 

[builderbob]

If you do get the router, get the 1400!  You can thank me later!  Lol

 

[mouppe]

Yes, I've had great days like that where you look around the workshop at the day's end and the festools are all over the place.

Like the line in Yellow Submarine "Sky of blue, sea of green!"

 

[sancho57]

It has definately changed the way I do things. I started with the MFT3 and TS 55 and havent looked back. Since I got the CT 26, paralell guides another MFT3 and RO90 and 150 I just bought 3 systainers (one for the RO 90 Abrasives and the RO 150 )abrasives) and one with the storage for screws etc.

Ive been playing with getting the router for in shop routing.  Is the routers dust collection that good? I just did a mess of routing and still finding dust in the shop, it gets old cleaning it up and up and up...

 

[nclemmons]

Router dust collection depends on the bit and cut.  

If you're cutting dados, I've found it will pick up virtually all of the dust.  If you are doing edge routing and can put the 'cup' which comes with the router or the 'edge guide collector' which is an option on it does maybe 80-85% collection, assuming your bit is not too large to fit within the dust cup.  

I've had dewalt, porter cable, and bosch routers.  It beats all of them and i've found it to be excellent.

neil

 

[mouppe]

  The dust collection on the OF1400 is good but the downside is that you sometimes have to route blindly because of the clear plastic housing that connects the hose to the router (that is more opaque than transparent).
  For example, I was using the router to do some fine inlay work and I needed to see where the bit was cutting very clearly so I had to remove all the dust collection parts. The groove was only 1/32" deep so there wasn't a lot of dust anyway but nonetheless I would have preferred to be able to use it.

 

[builderbob]

My take is any router is suitable for edge routing...the dust collection is dependent of the type of rout that you're doing. The reason I would suggest the 1400 is if you're ever considering the LR-32...makes drilling pinholes simple and in my opinion the best router for the task. Granted it is heavier, but lines up to the LR-32 plate perfectly and pinhole away!

Bob

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

90 domino's? [eek]

 

[fritter63]

One of the things I'm facing now is that I have drawers of small tools that were purchased/designed with the intent of correcting the deficiencies of the non-festool way of doing things. Files for fine tuning tennons so they fit, etc. I find myself in a dilemma as to whether to keep them or clean shop.

Partially this is a problem due to my adoption of a more minimalist approach to life in general.

 

[Kevin Stricker]

I built a shop cabinet this morning.  A Domino for 90 mortises.

90 mortices for a shop cabinet???....You sure that wasn't a cage for an elephant you were building?

 

[PaulMarcel]

A friend of mine just made a small hanging cabinet for his shop and likely used 45-50!  As he said, it's so easy and fun he got carried away.  Personally, I was cringing at the glue-up!  [blink]  That's when the per-Domino cost actually isn't negligible.

 

[woodnerd]

90 domino's? [eek]

No, 45 Dominos, two mortises for each

I probably use to many, but it's so doggone easy I tend to think "better safe than sorry"