OF1400 Metric "stickers"

[SoonerFan]

If one was using gauge blocks, couldn't you just remove the sticker altogether?  I know that every time Sedge uses a router in one of his videos, he pretty much says to ignore the scale on the thing and uses a domino (4, 5, 6, 8, or 10 mm thick) to set the depth gauge.

Not quite the same as the TS55, of course, but the original post was about the OF1400.

Gauge blocks are great if you're trying to hit a specific depth, for instance a groove, but for more "coarse" work it's an extra step to dig out the gauge blocks, so it's preferable to have an on-tool scale to reference. My memory is that Makita and Bosch utilize dual-unit scales on their machines, I wonder why Festool went "all-in" on the conversion to Imperial, versus going with a dual scale?....

I don’t understand why they went all in on Imperial either.  Frankly, I find this vey disappointing.  I have all metric except my TS75.  I wanted that in metric as well but it was some ridiculous cost so I skipped.  Dual scales are not hard or costly. 

 

[PaulMarcel]

I don’t understand why they went all in on Imperial either.  Frankly, I find this vey disappointing.  I have all metric except my TS75.  I wanted that in metric as well but it was some ridiculous cost so I skipped.  Dual scales are not hard or costly.

My older metric TS75 has teeth under the scale so the depth stop locks in. The teeth are in millimeter increments. I'm guessing the conversion from imperial meant a new housing as well.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I don’t understand why they went all in on Imperial either.  Frankly, I find this vey disappointing.  I have all metric except my TS75.  I wanted that in metric as well but it was some ridiculous cost so I skipped.  Dual scales are not hard or costly.

My older metric TS75 has teeth under the scale so the depth stop locks in. The teeth are in millimeter increments. I'm guessing the conversion from imperial meant a new housing as well.

Can someone with an Imperial labeled TS75 confirm that the internal depth adjustment mechanism is no longer metric?

 

[John T.]

Is there any newer update on this, can you get the stickers from Festool USA support at a small cost, or is there a suitable 3rd party stick on scale?

Does the micro adjuster adjust in 1/10 mm increments? The Festool product page implies that it does and it's not an imperial specific part.

As an aside does anyone see an updated OF1400 coming in their crystal ball? They released the light module for the OF1010, I would hope if they add one for the 1400 it would be an add on module and not an entirely new module with it built in? I have been holding off without a need for a router bigger than my trim router but now I need one that can take 1/2" shank bits.

With a category-leading 2 3/4" plunge depth, precise to 1/256" (1/10 mm), this router gives you the power, precision, depth of cut, and dust extraction capabilities that will simplify your routing tasks.

 

[John T.]

Found on a Rockler Q&A there is this scale part festool FES462622. Can't find it in the US Festool parts website though so maybe it has to be ordered from overseas.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Another fun thing is watching people add up measurements, like 57&5/8" plus 39&13/16"

Even though I would really prefer to see the shop switch over to metric, the chaos that would follow would be unimaginable. As has been stated, fractions are hard enough for people who have lived with it their entire lives. I am constantly amazed by the lack of mathematical abilities, especially with new-hires.
Why would someone even apply for a job like this, with that vital missing piece?
I know it sounds "old guy-ish" but I was taught this stuff young, learned and applied decimal equivalents as a machinist. I regularly alternate between them all.

Adding the fractions is not so hard. The 5/8 is equivalent to 10/16, which is easy to add to the 13/16.
23/16 just needs to be reduced, since it is over 1. Subtract 16 from 23 and you get 7. This is 1 7/16.
Add that back to the original whole numbers (57+39) + 1 7/16, all togther  =97 7/16

OR decimal 57.625 + 39.8125 =97.4375  also 97 7/16

They feel sorry for us dealing with fractions.

Not really.  I enjoy watching someone figure out how to divide a board that is 58 and 929/2000 inches long into nine equal pieces.  [big grin]

Even with a silly, "non-normal" measurement fraction, it's not that hard either. That is close enough to 15/32 to be real. (though you could even go for 1/2 at that point)  the answer would be 6.496, so close to 6 1/2 to not matter, in woodworking.

 

[Mini Me]

I have very basic mathematical education but the one thing I bless my teacher for is he made mental arithmetic a subject and taught us shortcuts that make it easy. my children and their generation do not appear to be able to do that and I think it is a nearly essential skill I am lucky enough to have.

 

[MikeGE]

Not really.  I enjoy watching someone figure out how to divide a board that is 58 and 929/2000 inches long into nine equal pieces.  [big grin]

Even with a silly, "non-normal" measurement fraction, it's not that hard either. That is close enough to 15/32 to be real. (though you could even go for 1/2 at that point)  the answer would be 6.496, so close to 6 1/2 to not matter, in woodworking.

My silly, non-normal measurement fraction was an extreme example of a real-life project I did using metric.  I had to fill a 1,485mm space with nine equally-sized panels.  Since I live and play in the metric world, it was a trivial task for me to measure the space and divide by nine, then make the 165mm panels.  If I lived and played in the imperial measurement world, I would have likely been happy with 6.5 inch panels.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I have very basic mathematical education but the one thing I bless my teacher for is he made mental arithmetic a subject and taught us shortcuts that make it easy. my children and their generation do not appear to be able to do that and I think it is a nearly essential skill I am lucky enough to have.

I guess that rules you out as over qualified for a checkout chick job then! ;-)

 

[PaulMarcel]

I have very basic mathematical education but the one thing I bless my teacher for is he made mental arithmetic a subject and taught us shortcuts that make it easy. my children and their generation do not appear to be able to do that and I think it is a nearly essential skill I am lucky enough to have.

I had a grade-school teacher do mental math tests. Big long arithmetic sequences spoken, not written down. Would have been so much better if he did like yours where he showed shortcuts and tricks. Still was very useful