TSO Bigfoot Alternative

[ULTRA77]

Hello, I am looking for an alternative to TSO's Bigfoot. Apart from being unavailable on their website ATM, their shipping to my location is prohibitively expensive and bordering on ridiculous. Coming in at 74% of the cost of the product that is a definite deal breaker for me.

So does anyone have any suggestions of a viable alternative to this product?

 

[guybo]

Hi, if you have a printer or someone you know or for hire, there are several of these one can print https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4789534

 

[squall_line]

Since you mention shipping being prohibitive, it may help to know what your location is, so as to avoid giving alternatives with similarly eye watering shipping and/or customs fees.

 

[ULTRA77]

Australia

 

[luvmytoolz]

Put a wanted ad on the (Aussie) www.woodworkforums.com forum, I'd be surprised if someone local'ish didn't have one for sale.

The marketplace is pretty sensational there, well worth keeping an eye on.

 

[TSO_Products]

Australia

[member=82122]ULTRA77[/member] -
your timing is perfect: TSO is readying an opening Dealer Order to airship to Australia.
email us your address with contact information and TSO product offerings you are interested in so we can connect you directly [smile]

email to: info@TSOproducts.com

Hans

 

[ULTRA77]

Thanks [member=61691]TSO_Products[/member]

email sent  [wink]

 

[derekcohen]

Ditto

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[HighlandMarine]

Thanks [member=61691]TSO_Products[/member]

email sent  [wink]

I’d definitely put in for all the products you want down under. The GRS is standard kit for the rails, the CSC SYS 50 kit they make is also fantastic. (Don’t forget the folding parts tray either.)

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Is there something that is significantly wrong with the on from Festool? I don't use mine in that orientation often enough to have major concerns, but the one from the set works. It even has indexing pins.

 

[raylaray]

my alternative - just 1/2" mdf glued and pinned. Reused the knobs that come with the festool base attachment. After drying, make sure the table on your belt sander is square and hit lightly with the sander to ensure the faces are at 90 degrees. Works well, plenty strong and square.

 

[ChuckM]

CRG,

Although I don't have the big foot, I can tell it offers larger registration surface and hence stability when there's a need to hold the machine vertically on the a flat surface. I've fashioned a handle to my Festool support bracket to do the same.

However, you did point out one significant feature that the support bracket has but not the big foot: the integrated index stops that allow you to do repeated registration like the paddles on the machine. I've used the index stops in several projects. Perhaps the only reason why I don't buy a big foot.

Etsy has some big foot alternatives in plastic but none carries the index stops either.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

You're absolutely right [member=57948]ChuckS[/member] the Bigfoot is indeed bigger, but does that matter? Once it is "big enough", more doesn't do anything. The handle? I can see that, if it is important to you.

 

[ChuckM]

The support bracket has no handle. When the fence is in its default position, it is awkward to try to hold the front handle, which is close to the body, to keep the machine from moving when a vertical plunge cut is made. The big foot's handle at the back/base of the machine doesn't interfere with any part of the machine.

Yes, other than that, the support bracket is fine by itself. It'd be an improvement if the support bracket came with a handle so the machine could be held down at the front or the back, depending on the situation.