Todd from San Jose
Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2007
- Messages
- 9
My top-3 non-Festool tools, the ones that just give me absolute pleasure to use, are:
1. My Lie-Nielsen #8 Jointer Plane. Wow, nothing like using an ultra-flat, sharp, well-tuned tool that makes child's play out of making any edge or surface flatter than any of my power tools can.
2. My Felder sliding table saw. If there was a stationary machine that is Festool-esque, this is it. With it's 9' stroke, you can cut a panel down in no time flat, and with no tearout thanks to the scoring blade. In fact, we cross-cut the ends of my friend's 300 lb, 8' long workbench top with it, without any noticeable deflection of the outrigger. This is the reason that my ATF55 is my least-used Festool.
3. My Grizzly 12" Ultimate Jointer. I honestly could not get a .001" shim under a 6' straight edge, layed across both the infeed and outfeed tables. This thing is built like a tank, definitely industrial and vibration free.
That's it- Nothing else really pegs the pleasure meter like my Festools. Now, for my top-3 Festools:
1. The Domino is an engineering work of art. Remarkably quicker and easier than my hollow chisel mortiser (for sale!) and the slot mortiser I used in a school, and the biscuit joiner has already been sold. 'Nuf said.
2. ETS 150/3 Sander. For the first time, I now actually enjoy sanding! I use hand-planes for all the course work, so I just need a fine sander before finish. This sander is just a pleasure to use.
3. OF1400 Router. Wow, this is my newest tool, just used it last time to edge-route a door. I cannot believe the superior dust collection this has! The last time I used my Bosch router, I had loads of dust in my face, my hair, all over my clothes, and my shop was a disaster. Not so with the OF1400- No clean-up necessary! I can't believe that I didn't buy one sooner. I need a little more practice to learn how to keep the router flat on the work, as I tend to accidentally rock it. I'll buy the wide base, to see if that will be the training wheels I need. Never the less, the dust collection, ergonomic ratcheting chuck, and other refinements push this to the top of my must-have tools.
-Todd
1. My Lie-Nielsen #8 Jointer Plane. Wow, nothing like using an ultra-flat, sharp, well-tuned tool that makes child's play out of making any edge or surface flatter than any of my power tools can.
2. My Felder sliding table saw. If there was a stationary machine that is Festool-esque, this is it. With it's 9' stroke, you can cut a panel down in no time flat, and with no tearout thanks to the scoring blade. In fact, we cross-cut the ends of my friend's 300 lb, 8' long workbench top with it, without any noticeable deflection of the outrigger. This is the reason that my ATF55 is my least-used Festool.
3. My Grizzly 12" Ultimate Jointer. I honestly could not get a .001" shim under a 6' straight edge, layed across both the infeed and outfeed tables. This thing is built like a tank, definitely industrial and vibration free.
That's it- Nothing else really pegs the pleasure meter like my Festools. Now, for my top-3 Festools:
1. The Domino is an engineering work of art. Remarkably quicker and easier than my hollow chisel mortiser (for sale!) and the slot mortiser I used in a school, and the biscuit joiner has already been sold. 'Nuf said.
2. ETS 150/3 Sander. For the first time, I now actually enjoy sanding! I use hand-planes for all the course work, so I just need a fine sander before finish. This sander is just a pleasure to use.
3. OF1400 Router. Wow, this is my newest tool, just used it last time to edge-route a door. I cannot believe the superior dust collection this has! The last time I used my Bosch router, I had loads of dust in my face, my hair, all over my clothes, and my shop was a disaster. Not so with the OF1400- No clean-up necessary! I can't believe that I didn't buy one sooner. I need a little more practice to learn how to keep the router flat on the work, as I tend to accidentally rock it. I'll buy the wide base, to see if that will be the training wheels I need. Never the less, the dust collection, ergonomic ratcheting chuck, and other refinements push this to the top of my must-have tools.
-Todd
Anyway she`s my beautifull newish baby and i love her :-[ She has changed my woodworking life. Now i actualy enjoy trying to get a good finish ;D
Gottsa love out tools 
