Recommendations for completely outfitting a makerspace

[msj1]

Hello everyone!

I currently run a makerspace that has a dismal selection of tools. This is my first year here so I have been waiting until the end of the school year to completely update our tool selection and it is finally here!

My previous makerspace had a great set of festool tools including a dust extraction system, jigsaw, orbital sander, and rail saw. Unfortunately, since I was not the person to order all of that I'm not sure where to start with all of the options Festool has. I'm looking to get a similar set of tools for my new space.

In terms of priorities, the most important factor is safety. Many of the people using these tools will be high school students who don't even know how to use a power drill yet. Second would be effective dust extraction since we do woodworking and electronics in the same space which isn't really ideal. Third is probably price. Space isn't really a major issue.

Please share any thoughts and recommendations that you have!

 

[ben_r_]

Download or stop by a local retailer that sells Festool and pick up the latest catalog. Thatll give you a great idea of everything they offer in the US.

 

[Billedis]

You might want to reach out to Festool in Indy and see if they can assist in any way.

 

[Gregor]

• Dust collection is a must, I would suggest at least CT 26 size so you don't have to change bags that often. Depending on how many machines there will be, possibly more of them.
  
  This would be my shopping list
  • DC(s) as needed
  • TS 55/75 + FS 2424/2-LR 32
  • MFT/3
  • OF 1010 or 1400
  • LR/32 + 20mm router bit
  • Rotex 150
  • battery drill, CXS or C/T18
  • some clamps (the bessey MFT compatible ones for said use and REVO KVR to build cabinets/boxes)
  • a pile of reasonable quality 19mm multiplex, a bottle of blue and a box of screws to build cabinets and MFT style tables
  
  If extra $ available:
  • Domino
  • Kapex*
  • a 150mm finishing sander (so you have only one kind of paper)
  • more clamps, clamps, clamps
  
  Should money be left over for non-festool stuff:
  • router table with good fence and lift
  • thickness planer
  • drill press
  • band saw
  • jointer
  • thickness sander
  • Cyclone based dust extractor for the big machines
  
  With deep pockets:
  • CNC portal router with reasonable (bigger is better) bed size
  • shaper origin
  
  * I'm in 230V land and have no fear of burnout.

 

[lwoirhaye]

Young people tend to want to build things like electric guitars, skateboards, cutting boards, archery bows, subwoofers and stuff like that.    They'd probably have fun with a band saw, oscillating spindle sander and an edge sander.  A drum or wide belt sander may get a lot of use.     

 

[pingvinlakrits]

More important than anything is supervision and instruction.

Even something as benign as a belt sander can turn ugly if you are not instructed on the simple physics involved when applying pressure to a short end against a rapidly moving part without support.

No long haired metal heads building a guitar getting their hair caught in the spindle sander - or in the drill press! Tuck it in and keep it simple - no operating machines without two sets of instructions: how the machine works and operates - and then also what can go wrong and how to avoid it...

 

[sancho57]

First I would go to the bank and see about refi-ing my house to get the money :>D

Well as we all know Festool is a system. The basics of the system is a TS55, CT and MFT

You'll the MFT accessories ( clamps) and various lengths of guide rails including holy rails (which you can just get the holy rails instead of both)

  Sanders you'll need at least one of them to be a Rotex. I suggest the 150.

You'll want to have a router, the 2200 combined with the 1010 should give you what you need.

LR 32 for shelf pin hole drilling, thus the 1010.

Im sure you'll need mores stuff but thats what I would start with