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.

 

[Neil Lickfold]

I used a cast iron engineering angle plate for mine. Yes it is heavy, but on the DF700, it counterbalances the weight of the machine nicely that it won't fall off the edge. I have a M8 T handle coming for it, and will put a slot into it for looking at the alignment mark on the machine base.
The longer side is parallel to the cutter face, and the shorter side connects to the machine base. In the Picture, I have a 9.3mm thick acrylic sheet as my spacer to get the 9mm centreline for the 18mm stock I was using at the time.
It is about the same price as a Bigfoot and weighs about 4.5 kg. it is 145mm wide, 110 high, 122mm long. The 122 long is on the work face, which will get the T handle at the front of it. It is Vertex brand from Taiwan.
I am also going to make some eraser rubber inserts in the plate to act a grippers, like what is on the front face of the Domino machine.
It does not easily fit into the Systainer box safely. At the moment been keeping it with the clamps and the Extension arm set for the Domino system.
Edit dimensions for angle plate. 145mm wide, 110 high , 122 long, Vertex brand, from Taiwan.

 

[PaulMarcel]

I like it for the handle. The handle on the 500 itself is awkwardly close to the body, at least for me. It's a "nice" not a "required".

 

[luvmytoolz]

@Neil Lickfold I have the Bigfoot and love it as I use it heaps, but that idea of using the angle is great, that'll stop any adverse movement when plunging!