As a hobbyist. Making tables and simple furniture. What do you recommend as a good starter kit for basic woodworking? I dont have table saw or much for tools right now. I have a festool carvex and cordless drill that is all. I can tell festool is far superior to other tools. So if I get tools I rather do it right the first time and not waste money on cheap tools that I will end up replacing down the road anyway. I was thinking a track saw with tracks is a must. anything else?
New festool owner. Help. What recommend as must have tools? Hobbyist
- Thread starter 00thos
- Start date
OOthos,
Welcome to the FOG.
Yes to the track saw.
Don't forget about dust extraction. For a hobbyist, the CT-26 is a good balance between size a capacity.
Can I also recommend a router?
I will let others with more furniture making experience put in the details.
Ken
Welcome to the FOG.
Yes to the track saw.
Don't forget about dust extraction. For a hobbyist, the CT-26 is a good balance between size a capacity.
Can I also recommend a router?
I will let others with more furniture making experience put in the details.
Ken
00thos said:
Welcome to the FOG! [smile]
What is your workbench situation? Probably an MFT. And you will want to have some type of large cutting surface even if it is just foam insulation board.
The OF1400 router is an excellent all purpose choice.
One of the sanders that will do a wide range of tasks...... ETS150/5 , RO150, RO125.
The Domino 500. It will enable you to build / assemble all kinds of things even if you don't have a lot of other tools.
One of the CT vacuums.
Seth
Thanks for the quick responses. I have built a pretty good workbench already just using a cheap skill saw. Also, my future father in law gave me his old bosch router. It doesnt plunge thou. As far as the tracks go. What size you recommend. I was thinking 2: 42' with connector. Or do I really need multiple sizes?
Personally I find connecting / disconnecting the tracks to be an inconvenience. It is doable and they can be connected very accurately. If the budget (and space) permits I would go with 55" (1400) , 75" (1900), and 118" (3000). Depending on which saw you get , the 55" comes with the TS55 and the 75" comes with the TS75, buy the other length. Lots of other permutations can be done and are workable.
Seth
Seth
UncleJoe
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I am a hobby woodworker and Festool changed everything for me. I have a tablesaw but it sits in the corner under a tarp. I make cabinets for my family and other furniture items. Drawers, doors and the rest. I have the tracksaw and 2 rails that I join when braking down plywood. One of my rails has the 32 mm holes and that works better than you can imagine for adjustable shelf holes and a bunch of other things. Routers are a must and I built a very nice router table and I purchased the Incra Jig system for making joints like dovetail drawers and such. The incra system is fantastic but be prepared to relax and just take your time with the first few pieces. I can now set it up for through dovetails in no time and have great results. Besides the router table you may want separate routers for hand work but you can easily convert back and forth is you have more time than money.
Keep dust collection foremost in your mind when setting up shop. If you do this hobby a long time proper dust collection and hearing protection will mean you can do it without the fear of causing health issues.
I have 2 festool sanders and I am thinking about getting a 3rd. Love those things. The models you choose will depend on what you want to do with them. I have and love my MFT. It is an important part on my shop. Not everyone needs a mitersaw. I bought one and I use it all the time. I can set it up and cut rails and stiles to length and know that everything is exactly the proper length. You can easily do the same with the MFT so the choice is how you want to work.
One piece of advice is buy good wood. If you have been making cabinets out of plywood step up to birch or oak. Even the variety sold at the box stores is a big improvement over regular ply. Everything just better with good materials. When you move from Pine to Oak to Walnut and Cherry you will know what I mean.
You said you have some cordless drills so I won't address that. I have and love the Kreg Jig and I am soon adding a Domino to my collection. I think the Kreg Jig is a real must have for someone just starting out. It will allow you to make strong and true face frames like a pro and once you build a face frame cabinet you will feel like a real carpenter. Then you can move on to other stuff.
Design your work area around dust collection and you won't regret it. I recently build some new cabinets for a mud room for my wife. 3 sheets of 4x8 birch and face frames and routed MDF doors. When I was finished with all the cutting and routing I had about 2 small dust pans of dust to sweep up. Most of the sawdust was picked up at the source and not left to float around in the air for me to inhale or end up on the floor.
Have fun
Keep dust collection foremost in your mind when setting up shop. If you do this hobby a long time proper dust collection and hearing protection will mean you can do it without the fear of causing health issues.
I have 2 festool sanders and I am thinking about getting a 3rd. Love those things. The models you choose will depend on what you want to do with them. I have and love my MFT. It is an important part on my shop. Not everyone needs a mitersaw. I bought one and I use it all the time. I can set it up and cut rails and stiles to length and know that everything is exactly the proper length. You can easily do the same with the MFT so the choice is how you want to work.
One piece of advice is buy good wood. If you have been making cabinets out of plywood step up to birch or oak. Even the variety sold at the box stores is a big improvement over regular ply. Everything just better with good materials. When you move from Pine to Oak to Walnut and Cherry you will know what I mean.
You said you have some cordless drills so I won't address that. I have and love the Kreg Jig and I am soon adding a Domino to my collection. I think the Kreg Jig is a real must have for someone just starting out. It will allow you to make strong and true face frames like a pro and once you build a face frame cabinet you will feel like a real carpenter. Then you can move on to other stuff.
Design your work area around dust collection and you won't regret it. I recently build some new cabinets for a mud room for my wife. 3 sheets of 4x8 birch and face frames and routed MDF doors. When I was finished with all the cutting and routing I had about 2 small dust pans of dust to sweep up. Most of the sawdust was picked up at the source and not left to float around in the air for me to inhale or end up on the floor.
Have fun
ShawnRussell
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Depend on if you have more time or money...
If time is on your side I would spend my money on a vacuum, track saw, and domino, sander, MFT3
If I have more cash I would start with track saw, vacuum, MFT3, domino, sander. You get the best deal buying a vacuum with a saw or domino.
Unless you are working outside the track saw and vacuum just makes sense to go together.
If you are buying S4S stock I would start with the ETS line of sanders. If you have rough wood I would start with the Rotex sander(this is assuming you are not hand planing).
And don't forget to buy or build a cover pad for the MFT, you want to keep saw marks to a minimum. [tongue] that is said in jest.
If time is on your side I would spend my money on a vacuum, track saw, and domino, sander, MFT3
If I have more cash I would start with track saw, vacuum, MFT3, domino, sander. You get the best deal buying a vacuum with a saw or domino.
Unless you are working outside the track saw and vacuum just makes sense to go together.
If you are buying S4S stock I would start with the ETS line of sanders. If you have rough wood I would start with the Rotex sander(this is assuming you are not hand planing).
And don't forget to buy or build a cover pad for the MFT, you want to keep saw marks to a minimum. [tongue] that is said in jest.
Birdhunter
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If you have a woodworking retail store in your area, like a Woodcraft, they can possibly hook you up with a club or guild that could introduce you to the hobby. Our Woodcraft and other stores have classes in a number of woodworking facets. I find experienced woodworkers like to share their knowledge.
You will receive lots of suggestions on "must have" tools. Every woodworker develops methods and tool preferences over time and they all believe theirs is the preferred method. You will acquire lots of tools, keep some, and get rid of others. Festool products are excellent and they are lifetime tools.
Woodworking tools can be very dangerous. I suggest you acquire really good safety glasses and put them on before you pick up any tool. Next, talk to experienced woodworkers about safety ... Especially with power tools.
Good luck.
You will receive lots of suggestions on "must have" tools. Every woodworker develops methods and tool preferences over time and they all believe theirs is the preferred method. You will acquire lots of tools, keep some, and get rid of others. Festool products are excellent and they are lifetime tools.
Woodworking tools can be very dangerous. I suggest you acquire really good safety glasses and put them on before you pick up any tool. Next, talk to experienced woodworkers about safety ... Especially with power tools.
Good luck.
Start by making a list of all the future projects that you can possibly think of making, then think about what kind of joinery each project will use. From there you will get a pretty good idea of what tools you will need.
As others have mentioned, get a dust extractor as it's the centre of the Festool system.
A track saw is another Festool favourite and is a very versatile tool. A must have.
Since you're building furniture, a router and/or a Domino would be a good choice depending how traditional you want to make the joinery.
A Festool sander is a must. Even if you're a hand plane/scraper purist there will always be a need for sanding, and Festool makes some of the best. The Rotex sanders are the most versatile, but you will probably want to add a dedicated finish sander at some point.
I'm fairly new at this hobby as well, but I wish I had started out with more Festool. I bought an RO90 first because I hated sanding; now I look for excuses to use it!
I also made a list of my future projects and was a bit surprised at how many sheet good projects I had. So I picked up a TS55R this year and am saving for a Domino next.
As others have mentioned, get a dust extractor as it's the centre of the Festool system.
A track saw is another Festool favourite and is a very versatile tool. A must have.
Since you're building furniture, a router and/or a Domino would be a good choice depending how traditional you want to make the joinery.
A Festool sander is a must. Even if you're a hand plane/scraper purist there will always be a need for sanding, and Festool makes some of the best. The Rotex sanders are the most versatile, but you will probably want to add a dedicated finish sander at some point.
I'm fairly new at this hobby as well, but I wish I had started out with more Festool. I bought an RO90 first because I hated sanding; now I look for excuses to use it!
I also made a list of my future projects and was a bit surprised at how many sheet good projects I had. So I picked up a TS55R this year and am saving for a Domino next.
fidelfs
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1. Routers are amazing. Start with the 1010 for almost any project. If you need more power get the 1400.
2. Sanders. You will need to decide 150mm or 125. I went with 125 for price (tool and sandpaper).
3. Domino. Get the big one, buy the adapter from seneca woodworking and you will get the 2 in 1 tools. You will be able to use with small dominos and the big ones. Yes, it is heavier and big, but it is more ergonomic and it is a pleasure to use.
4. MFT. Don't buy it. Build it. It is a great tool, but overpriced. The use you get from it is amazing, but if this is a hobby, you will be better make your own and fix all the shortcomings the MFT has. I bought it and I regret buying it. Search in the forum from different wayts to make your own.
5. Vacuum. Most of your tools need vacuum.
2. Sanders. You will need to decide 150mm or 125. I went with 125 for price (tool and sandpaper).
3. Domino. Get the big one, buy the adapter from seneca woodworking and you will get the 2 in 1 tools. You will be able to use with small dominos and the big ones. Yes, it is heavier and big, but it is more ergonomic and it is a pleasure to use.
4. MFT. Don't buy it. Build it. It is a great tool, but overpriced. The use you get from it is amazing, but if this is a hobby, you will be better make your own and fix all the shortcomings the MFT has. I bought it and I regret buying it. Search in the forum from different wayts to make your own.
5. Vacuum. Most of your tools need vacuum.
Some random thoughts from a DIYer:
RO90 is an incredibly versatile sander, I use it in more ways than I ever expected
Dominoes are fantastic. If you join wood together you'll love having this available. A pocket hole set up from Kreg is very helpful also in this dept
Got to get yourself a good drill driver. I use Milwaukee M18 fuel hammer drill driver and its been fantastic, but the Festool drills have some cool chuck features that I wish I had more than a few times.
Track saw guide rails: I got the 118" rail along with the 55 and 75 lengths and have never regretted it. The connectors are good to have in a pinch but I don't want to rely on them for stuff I do regularly. And don't forget the clamps and the vac hose/power cord guide thingy that slips onto the end of the track
The Fein multimaster has made my life so much easier on so many occasions, can't imagine not having one now.
CT vac is convenient but shop vacs work too. But for sanding the CT (or other vac with adjustable suction) is a must have, when it comes to sanding, one vac setting is a bust.
For routing I use a porter cable, but if buying new today I'd get a festool and will do so when budgets justify.
RO90 is an incredibly versatile sander, I use it in more ways than I ever expected
Dominoes are fantastic. If you join wood together you'll love having this available. A pocket hole set up from Kreg is very helpful also in this dept
Got to get yourself a good drill driver. I use Milwaukee M18 fuel hammer drill driver and its been fantastic, but the Festool drills have some cool chuck features that I wish I had more than a few times.
Track saw guide rails: I got the 118" rail along with the 55 and 75 lengths and have never regretted it. The connectors are good to have in a pinch but I don't want to rely on them for stuff I do regularly. And don't forget the clamps and the vac hose/power cord guide thingy that slips onto the end of the track
The Fein multimaster has made my life so much easier on so many occasions, can't imagine not having one now.
CT vac is convenient but shop vacs work too. But for sanding the CT (or other vac with adjustable suction) is a must have, when it comes to sanding, one vac setting is a bust.
For routing I use a porter cable, but if buying new today I'd get a festool and will do so when budgets justify.
I feel the need to emphasize what others have already said...if you buy multiple tracks for the tracksaw, get a variety of track lengths! Don't just buy two 55" rails. The 75" is probably my most used, then it's a pretty even mix between 32", 42", and 55".
Also, if you're buying a length that as the LR32 holes as an option, pay the few extra dollars for the holes. Then you can upgrade to the LR32 kit at anytime and not have to re-buy the rail(s).
Also, if you're buying a length that as the LR32 holes as an option, pay the few extra dollars for the holes. Then you can upgrade to the LR32 kit at anytime and not have to re-buy the rail(s).
mouppe
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I'd go with a tracksaw and a dust extractor to start with. With those, I'd build myself a workbench. Then, I'd pick up tools as required. You may find yourself buying things like clamps and hand tools before you need a router for example.
Basically, I'd let the projects you build determine what you need.
Basically, I'd let the projects you build determine what you need.
ear3
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Keep in mind that if you're trying to economize that a non-Fetsool vac can be coupled with its tools -- you just won't have the automatic start feature and ability to control suction with most of the alternatives. But I worked for a while with a Ridgid shop vac and found it a decent combo. If you get a Festool sander though, then the Festool vac makes a lot more sense.
If you're not getting a table saw, then you should probably get an MFT, especially if you don't want to get into the hassle of building a custom bench. Once you have the MFT you will then have the capacity to do precision guided routing, which is freaking awesome. The 1400 is my vote, since it gives you the capacity to use 1/2" bits, which the 1010 doesn't. If the Bosch has enough power, why not make it into a dedicated table router?
Domino may be essential depending upon your project lists, particularly if you're going to be making tables, but maybe you want to ease into it and start doing projects with combo of biscuit joinery and pocket holes, or using router for making mortise and tenons. Domino is not cheap, particularly since you will likely buy the set and the tenon assortment, though once you have it you can use it for almost anything.
If you're not getting a table saw, then you should probably get an MFT, especially if you don't want to get into the hassle of building a custom bench. Once you have the MFT you will then have the capacity to do precision guided routing, which is freaking awesome. The 1400 is my vote, since it gives you the capacity to use 1/2" bits, which the 1010 doesn't. If the Bosch has enough power, why not make it into a dedicated table router?
Domino may be essential depending upon your project lists, particularly if you're going to be making tables, but maybe you want to ease into it and start doing projects with combo of biscuit joinery and pocket holes, or using router for making mortise and tenons. Domino is not cheap, particularly since you will likely buy the set and the tenon assortment, though once you have it you can use it for almost anything.
SS Teach
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The first two things you are going to need if you want to go the Festool route is an understanding spouse and a great credit line. Because to paraphrase George Harrison, "It's gonna take money, a whole lotta money". Next realize Festool is a system and a slippery slope. The system revolves around the MFT, the TS, the CT, and guide rails. The saws and routers work with the rails. The saws, sanders, routers, and Domino should be hooked up to a CT, your lungs will really appreciate it. Plus clean up is almost nonexistent. Last but not least are the accessories, much too numerous to go into. The slippery slope well let's just say once you start buying Festool it's hard to stop. As others have said decide what your first project will be and get what tools you need. Watch YouTube videos to see the tools in action. Remember if you buy a tool and don't like it you have 30 days to return it. Welcome to FOG, and good luck.
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