I recently restarted my Remodeling company 6 months ago and have been researching tools and new products everyday since. I've read a lot on Festool but the price seemed high for me as I was just getting back into the swing of things. I also know that great tools can make money. A local tool supplier had their yearly sale yesterday so I went in to see what they had. I saw they had Festool and they even had a rep there. He walked over with his slick smile almost like he knew I would purchase something from him before I left. He asked what tool I was looking for so I told him I was looking at a track saw for cutting down sheet goods. He walked me outside and set up the TS55 REQ and let me make a few cuts. I was blown away at the clean cut and ease of use. The Vacuum that was on it started right up with the saw and I saw no dust from the cuts. He then showed me the domino and let me try it out. Once again I was blown away with the tool. I walked out of there with the TS55,CT Vac, Domino and a lot of extras for both tools. My wallet is crying, wife is in shock and I'm happier then a kid on Christmas. I'm not looking forward to all the hours I'll have to work to feed my new addiction but to late to turn back now.
New Festool Owner
- Thread starter Carverr
- Start date
First, [welcome] to the FOG!
Second, [welcome] to the world of Festool. By making a purchase you are entered into the elite community of people who want to work smarter, factor, easier. As the days go by you will become accustomed to your new tools and if you have questions we have a ton of guys - JUST LIKE YOU - who have started the same way. We joke here about the infectious nature of the brand, but in reality it is the realization that there is a system and commonality between work flows and different tools.
If we can be of assistance - just type away!
Peter
Second, [welcome] to the world of Festool. By making a purchase you are entered into the elite community of people who want to work smarter, factor, easier. As the days go by you will become accustomed to your new tools and if you have questions we have a ton of guys - JUST LIKE YOU - who have started the same way. We joke here about the infectious nature of the brand, but in reality it is the realization that there is a system and commonality between work flows and different tools.
If we can be of assistance - just type away!
Peter
oil trader
Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2013
- Messages
- 39
Bought my first festool, 55 REQ + 36 vac, in April of this year. My inventory now includes:
Carvex
CXS
1400 Router
LR 32 Kit
Domino
MFT/3
150 sander
plus all the accessories for the aforementioned.
And I thought AR-15s were addicting...
Carvex
CXS
1400 Router
LR 32 Kit
Domino
MFT/3
150 sander
plus all the accessories for the aforementioned.
And I thought AR-15s were addicting...
ccarrolladams
Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2010
- Messages
- 1,451
Carver,
Like Peter wrote, [welcome] to The FOG!
Like you I previously own a custom cabinet firm, a side-line to my career as a movie studio executive. That shop I started in 1959 using then state of the art equipment, such as power-fed table saws. But much to my regret, by 1990 the demands of my movie career decided I should sell the firm to my loyal employees. The firm owned many small tools the employees did not want, including routers going back to 1946 and several electric drills with power cords, not batteries!
Knowing I no longer wanted to be in the movie business in late 2005 I listened to former clients wanting me to resume custom making cabinets for them. I knew my small Inca table saw would not help me break down sheet material for the cases. I told a real estate broker to find me a shop. Then in January 2006 when my vacation started I visited the store of the friend who had sold me the Inca saw. I was prepared to pay for a large table saw, maybe even a slider. I had budgeted for renting enough space and buying a dust collection system.
Before my pal showed me expensive table saws, he asked me to try a Festool TS55 (new at the time) with a CT22 dust extractor and a guide rail. In minutes I concluded those Festools solved my sheet break-down problem and saved the rental of a lot of space. Next instead of buying a traditional line drilling system for the System 32 shelf pin holes, I bought a Festool OF1010 plunge router, a couple of rails with holes (Holy Rails) and the LR32 kit.
Those all have been successful investments. Between January 2006 and late 2009, working in space rented in the shops of pals, I made enough money to buy a 20,000 sq ft industrial building and fill it with a lot of CNC machines. I also moved my Kapexes, several other CT22 and stacks of Systainers into my current shop which remodel was completed in June 2010. Along the way I met 6 fantastic cabinet makers at lumber yards and tool dealers. They all shared my belief that it is a lack of work space and capital that defeats many shops.
We use the CNC machines when they make sense, to save us enough time we can build aspects of the cabinets where traditional craftsmanship is vital. For example, when parts need off angles and bevels we use guide rails and TS55. When only right angles are needed we use the CNC pressure beam saw, which is a super star at right angles and cannot make a bevel or miter. But if all of us did not have experience sawing manually and using routers free hand, we could not program the CNC machines effectively.
Should your wife worry about the cost of the TS55REQ with CT dust extractor, tell her that combo saved you 10% purchased together and will make you a lot of money. It makes sense to move the light-weight saw through the sheet material instead of moving the heavy sheet material through the saw. Even with the power feed, that only worked one way. We had to carry the material back to the in-feed side to make the next cut, resetting the rip fence. Sliding a guide rail over is so much less effort.
Like Peter wrote, [welcome] to The FOG!
Like you I previously own a custom cabinet firm, a side-line to my career as a movie studio executive. That shop I started in 1959 using then state of the art equipment, such as power-fed table saws. But much to my regret, by 1990 the demands of my movie career decided I should sell the firm to my loyal employees. The firm owned many small tools the employees did not want, including routers going back to 1946 and several electric drills with power cords, not batteries!
Knowing I no longer wanted to be in the movie business in late 2005 I listened to former clients wanting me to resume custom making cabinets for them. I knew my small Inca table saw would not help me break down sheet material for the cases. I told a real estate broker to find me a shop. Then in January 2006 when my vacation started I visited the store of the friend who had sold me the Inca saw. I was prepared to pay for a large table saw, maybe even a slider. I had budgeted for renting enough space and buying a dust collection system.
Before my pal showed me expensive table saws, he asked me to try a Festool TS55 (new at the time) with a CT22 dust extractor and a guide rail. In minutes I concluded those Festools solved my sheet break-down problem and saved the rental of a lot of space. Next instead of buying a traditional line drilling system for the System 32 shelf pin holes, I bought a Festool OF1010 plunge router, a couple of rails with holes (Holy Rails) and the LR32 kit.
Those all have been successful investments. Between January 2006 and late 2009, working in space rented in the shops of pals, I made enough money to buy a 20,000 sq ft industrial building and fill it with a lot of CNC machines. I also moved my Kapexes, several other CT22 and stacks of Systainers into my current shop which remodel was completed in June 2010. Along the way I met 6 fantastic cabinet makers at lumber yards and tool dealers. They all shared my belief that it is a lack of work space and capital that defeats many shops.
We use the CNC machines when they make sense, to save us enough time we can build aspects of the cabinets where traditional craftsmanship is vital. For example, when parts need off angles and bevels we use guide rails and TS55. When only right angles are needed we use the CNC pressure beam saw, which is a super star at right angles and cannot make a bevel or miter. But if all of us did not have experience sawing manually and using routers free hand, we could not program the CNC machines effectively.
Should your wife worry about the cost of the TS55REQ with CT dust extractor, tell her that combo saved you 10% purchased together and will make you a lot of money. It makes sense to move the light-weight saw through the sheet material instead of moving the heavy sheet material through the saw. Even with the power feed, that only worked one way. We had to carry the material back to the in-feed side to make the next cut, resetting the rip fence. Sliding a guide rail over is so much less effort.
RJNeal
Member
Welcome to the slippery slope Carverr!
Enjoy
Rick
Enjoy
Rick
builderbob
Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
- Messages
- 1,374
Welcome Carverr! Enjoy your new adventure in business and with your new tools!
Thanks for all the replies. Great community it looks like! I got to use the TS55 today on a job and was blown away at how easy it was to use and how clean it kept the area. That alone will save me hundreds of hours a year cleaning up as I do a lot of bathroom and kitchen Renovation. And time is money! I can already see how these tools can make a business money just from the dust free environment and less time to accomplish tasks. The Systainers alone will save me at least 25 minutes everyday getting setup. I've already been looking at the finish sanders and the Kapex for my custom work. The whole system really is amazing. As far as my wife she doesn't care what it cost to buy tools as long as it will save time and make her...errr us money [laughing].
nclemmons
Member
Nice to have you with us Carverr -
Share some pics of your work as you have time. And enjoy the new tools!
neil
Share some pics of your work as you have time. And enjoy the new tools!
neil
