OF 2200 - extended base, edge guide, and larger bits

[IKCES]

[size=14pt]Dear Festool,
This is a weird blunder of engineering, no? The maximum bit diameter of the OF 2200 is 3½", or something like that, right? It works wonderfully with great big panel raising bit I've got in it now. But, because of my application, I need to use it with the edge guide as well. However, I find two dumb hindrances: the edge guide doesn't work with the extended plate, and worse, the edge guide won't work with a bit of the maximum diameter! If there's ever a time when the extended plate is useful, it's certainly with a very large diameter bit. Making the edge guide to small to allow full use of the capacity seems like a pointless hindrance. Am I wrong? I can get by that by adding an auxiliary fence to it, but why should I have to do that? Is there a good reason for that? I've attached photos.

-ik

Ilo Kratins Construction
Expert Services

Sent from my phone. Please excuse brevity, misspellings, and poor grammar. Big fingers, small keys...[/size]

 

[luvmytoolz]

The panel bit doesn't have a bearing?

I can see for safety reasons why the edge guide only supports bits up to a certain size though, as with some users a cutter that large without a guide bearing could kick back something fierce (and dangerous) in inexperienced hands.

 

[tjbnwi]

Run the router on a guide rail. Make sure you clamp the rail.

Tom

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Run the router on a guide rail. Make sure you clamp the rail.

Tom

This ^^^^^^

If you bought the accessory kit and you’re using the baseplate from the kit, your guide rail adaptor is already sitting there in the box.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I would say that this is probably one of those cases where they just can't make everything work. You just can't see all scenarios or, probably more accurately, other uses take priority.

That said, edge guides are a funny thing anyway. Some of them are pretty basic, like the one for the OF1010. The OF1400 unit is more advanced, with sliding fences that will adjust to actually touch in the middle or spread out for stability.
Also, many of the cuts with an edge guide are not edge cuts, they are just referenced from the edge. This means that the opening is not important at all.
Most panel raising bits are bearing guided anyway, so that would change things too.

 

[petar73]

Usually these large (max) size bits are not and supposed to be used free hand.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

Usually these large (max) size bits are not and supposed to be used free hand.

This is what I was going to say. That large bit is made to use in a solid/heavy table mounted router. If something goes wrong the wood has issues rather than the spinning router.

 

[luvmytoolz]

Usually these large (max) size bits are not and supposed to be used free hand.

This is what I was going to say. That large bit is made to use in a solid/heavy table mounted router. If something goes wrong the wood has issues rather than the spinning router.

I would usually agree with the above, especially for straight runs, but as soon as you do anything shaped, I find it easier and safer to clamp the timber down and use the router free hand. This cutter left around 1mm space around the opening, but as it had a bearing it was perfectly safe to use, and worst case in an event the timber would get damaged.

The trick is to be aware of the grain and when approaching corners. This is where I think most people get into trouble.

Just as an aside, the OF2200 has to be the safest and smoothest large router I have ever used, it handled this bit like it was a puny 1/4" round over, like a hot knife in butter! It does help of course that the bit was a very good quality one.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

This is entirely objective and mostly based on the user and their level of experience. Which translates into what they are comfortable doing.
Tool to the material or material to the tool is mostly about size.

 

[luvmytoolz]

This is entirely objective and mostly based on the user and their level of experience. Which translates into what they are comfortable doing.
Tool to the material or material to the tool is mostly about size.

Dead right, I forgot to mention the size aspect, once the materials over a certain size it becomes dramatically harder to manage on a standard router table let alone doing it safely.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

Usually these large (max) size bits are not and supposed to be used free hand.

^^ This right there is the reason and the answer. It's not safe to swing very large tooling "hand held", even with an extended base, etc. The amount of force generated at the "tips" of the large diameter cutter is substantial.

 

[IKCES]

Because I had to make two passes, at different widths and heights, to get the right profile matching the existing trim in a 100 year-old house, including one beyond the post for the bearing, I had to use the edge guide. Using the track would have been prohibitively difficult and gained nothing shaping the edge of a 2½" wide piece of molding. I used both the edge guide and the track guide, on opposite ends of the rods, with a block of matching thickness to the stock keeping the tool level. It worked in the end, but there's more flexibility in the rods than was hoped for. I've had that damn panel raising bit for decades and never used it (raised panels are ugly, lol) because I couldn't get it to match anything it was needed for. This time, I found I would match if only I could get it fast enough in, so bye-bye bearing, post and all.
Here's the response from Festool.

Hello,

Thank you for the information and pictures. The OF2200 does not have its own edge guide, it shares the guide from the OF1400 with a different top for compatibility. The options were for the OF2200 to not have an edge guide or share it with the OF1400. It was decided to accommodate for an edge guide with a few compromises including the small opening that has a maximum opening of 2-1/2”. At this point Festool does not have an edge guide for the OF2200 that accommodates the additional plates completely.

Best Regards,

_________________________

Festool USA LLC

400 N. Enterprise Blvd.

Lebanon, IN 46052

 

[squall_line]

The OF2200 does not have its own edge guide, it shares the guide from the OF1400 with a different top for compatibility. The options were for the OF2200 to not have an edge guide or share it with the OF1400. It was decided to accommodate for an edge guide with a few compromises including the small opening that has a maximum opening of 2-1/2”. At this point Festool does not have an edge guide for the OF2200 that accommodates the additional plates completely.

This is the reason why you need to carefully inspect a potential edge guide if you are purchasing one used; it is quite possible to think that you are buying (or selling) an edge guide for an OF-1400 while you are in fact selling (or buying) one for an OF-2200.  I have at least one extra OF-2200 edge guide because of this mistake in a listing on eBay.