OF-FH, routing aid.

[Brice Burrell]

This is the OF-FH routing aid, routing aid attaches to the router's base to be used as a guide for routing mortises, slots and grooves. Made out of thick acrylic, the OF-FH fits the OF1010, OF1400 and OF2000 routers with included hardware. The two adjustable edge guides ride hold the router in line to make perfectly straight cuts.

You can see in this photo the center lines on the OF-FH.

Two built in scales read from the center line out, this allow you to set the distance from the center of the bit, making setup easy. 

Here is a shot of the 1010 routing a mortise in the edge of a door stile for my interior door. Check out the link to see the routing aid in action. Or for the whole review, OF-FH.

Text, graphics and pictures, copyright 2008, Brice Burrell

In the interests of full disclosure, this tool was provided by Festool for review purposes.

 

[Corwin]

Wow Brice!  Thanks for the nice review.  A couple of months ago I was looking at some of the router accessories in the catalog and thought that more information was needed.  Had I know more, I might have purchased an accessory or two...  Another little issue is being sure just which accessory will work with which router -- not always the same everywhere you look.

Anyway, very nice information!  And now I might just have to add this to my wish list.  Thanks!

 

[Brice Burrell]

Wow Brice!  Thanks for the nice review.  A couple of months ago I was looking at some of the router accessories in the catalog and thought that more information was needed.  Had I know more, I might have purchased an accessory or two...  Another little issue is being sure just which accessory will work with which router -- not always the same everywhere you look.

Anyway, very nice information!  And now I might just have to add this to my wish list.  Thanks!

Corwin, I happen to know for a fact that Festool USA has someone ( )working on getting more info, for the catalog and site, about its accessories.

 

[Dan Clark]

Brice, Brice, Brice...

Will you just QUIT!?!   Now I have one more thing added to my shopping list!    ;D :'(  (Mixed feelings here!)

OK, OK, it's a very good review.  But I have one question - how did you create the loose tenons?   

Thanks,

Dan.

p.s., one more thing...

 

[Overtime]

Nice, Did not even know about that one.  A better description and use of accessories (especially routers) in catalogs and web page = more sales. Your information is more complete than the manufacturer's. "OF 1400"  :

 

[clisbyclark]

mortise strikes in an existing door jamb that is already rabbited for stops/weatherstripping?  Thanks.  As usual I looked up the part# on the web site and it costs a mint-surprise, surprise.

 

[Eli]

The MFS will work for that Clisby, as an alternative.

 

[Lancashire Fusilier]

COuple of quickies - the part number and subsequent photo on the Aussie Festool site mentions and shows a 2000 so can we all agree that it will also work for the 1400? and I plan to route toung and grooves in 45mm thick cedar, ie channelin one and the tongue in the other. Could I use this to route the tongues too ie use it off centre? Very expensive piece of plastic at over AU$280  :-\

 

[Brian 57]

Thank you for a very clear review.
Regards

 

[woodshopdemos]

Brice,
   Great post. Thanks. On your website, you show it in use. Have you ever used the built in dust port or just the routers? I have found that the jigs port is too far away from the action and you cant beat the 1010's and 1400's built in.
   With the up-spiral bit, I do not route back and forth in steps. What I do, is set stop for the final depth and plunge all the way at one end and then all the way at the other end and then full holes in-between...all the way. At the end, then move back and forth fully plunged. This works well with the up-cut and wouldnt work at all with the usualy straight bit.

 

[Eli]

Lancashire Fusilier, Anthony at Ideal Tools has one of these. Give him a call, I'm sure he'll fill you in. I believe it does take the 1400. If I'm remembering your gear list right, you don't have a table saw? That might be an easier way to do the tongues if you do.

 

[Brice Burrell]

....But I have one question - how did you create the loose tenons?   

Thanks,

Dan.

The loose tenons are just 1/2 stock cut to 2 3/4"x5".

Nice, Did not even know about that one.  A better description and use of accessories (especially routers) in catalogs and web page = more sales. Your information is more complete than the manufacturer's. "OF 1400"  :

Patrick, I couldn't agree more, I think you'll see more info in the future.

mortise strikes in an existing door jamb that is already rabbited for stops/weatherstripping?  Thanks.  As usual I looked up the part# on the web site and it costs a mint-surprise, surprise.

Yeah, if you do a lot of work on doors, this is the ticket. While it is pricey, its well made and works as great.

COuple of quickies - the part number and subsequent photo on the Aussie Festool site mentions and shows a 2000 so can we all agree that it will also work for the 1400? and I plan to route toung and grooves in 45mm thick cedar, ie channelin one and the tongue in the other. Could I use this to route the tongues too ie use it off centre? Very expensive piece of plastic at over AU$280  :-\

It does indeed fit the 1400 and you can use it offset to make the tongues.

Brice,
   Great post. Thanks. On your website, you show it in use. Have you ever used the built in dust port or just the routers? I have found that the jigs port is too far away from the action and you cant beat the 1010's and 1400's built in.
   With the up-spiral bit, I do not route back and forth in steps. What I do, is set stop for the final depth and plunge all the way at one end and then all the way at the other end and then full holes in-between...all the way. At the end, then move back and forth fully plunged. This works well with the up-cut and wouldnt work at all with the usualy straight bit.

John, I agree, the Festool router's own dust extraction works a little better, but it nice to have the the port on the OF-FH in case you want to attach a non-Festool router.

Like you I've plunged a series of holes with an up-cut bit then come back to clean up the mortise. But I've also used a straight bit to make large (3/4") mortises with multiple passes. Both work, depends on what bits you have on hand as to how to best go at it.

  I have a few more small accessories that will be posted here soon.

 

[Dan Clark]

....But I have one question - how did you create the loose tenons?   

Thanks,

Dan.

The loose tenon are just 1/2 stock cut to 2 3/4"x5".

Brice,

Love it!  Maybe not quite as easy as Dominos, but it looks close! 

Thanks,

Dan.

 

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Thanks for the responses to me innane questions!

 

[Eli]

inane questions

The only bad ones are the ones you don't ask as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Brice,

I am belatedly getting around to reading your excellent posts here and at your site.  Awesomely clever and good demo!  I considered purchasing the OF-FH when I needed to repair and extend the length several interior doors but ended up doing it using Festool's edge guide with my 1400 router.  Other than the obvious time saving advantages of having built in scales, it seems to me that a double edge guide like that available from Pat Warner, or simply adapting Festool's edge guide by making a pair deeper fence extensions and positioning one of them on each side of the router (like the two parallel edge guide plates of the OF-FH) would also function well for the applications like those you addressed when making your panel & frame door.  The double edge guide also allows you to preset the built-in stops to the width of the mortise so you don't have to cut one bit width then reset the guide then resume cutting to widen the mortise.

Dave R.

 

[Steven in Iowa]

I like this idea a lot but am using another method with much the same design reasoning.  Invested in it before I knew about the Festool accessory.  The Micro Fence guide also doubles as an edge guide and is priceless when it comes to trimming Formica laminate.