What Festool Did You buy Today?

Also make some zero-clearance backing plates for use against the fence. Be sure not to use material that is too thick, otherwise they will get in the way of the hold down clamps (if you use those). Speaking about those clamps, they are highly recommended. But do not clamp your material on both sides of the blade!

Download the supplemental manual for lots of good information from the Festool USA site.
 
I just received an MFK 700 that popped up on the Recon site. It looks brand new and has a mfg. date of 11/2021. I found the edge guide and the zero degree base locally yesterday which is great. I played around with it last night and it looks like it is going to be a great little router.

Even better, is that in the process of hunting down the zero degree base I accidentally happened upon an old, brand new Vac Sys system and bought it immediately. I see why people rave about these things. Now I just have to figure out where to put all this stuff😊!
 
Guys, all these posts about "i bought this, i bought that..." with no pictures 🤦🏾‍♂️. Come on, guys! 🤷🏾‍♂️
 
imdking said:
Guys, all these posts about "i bought this, i bought that..." with no pictures 🤦🏾‍♂️. Come on, guys! 🤷🏾‍♂️
This lack of photos comment also applies to many people who ask questions about things that are (super) clear to themselves, but hard-to-decipher to the readers. After several back-and-forths do people realize that they aren't really addressing the same thing! [eek]
 
ChuckS said:
imdking said:
Guys, all these posts about "i bought this, i bought that..." with no pictures 🤦🏾‍♂️. Come on, guys! 🤷🏾‍♂️
This lack of photos comment also applies to many people who ask questions about things that are (super) clear to themselves, but hard-to-decipher to the readers. After several back-and-forths do people realize that they aren't really addressing the same thing! [eek]
Pictures or it never happened!  [eek]
 
hdv said:
Also make some zero-clearance backing plates for use against the fence. Be sure not to use material that is too thick, otherwise they will get in the way of the hold down clamps (if you use those). Speaking about those clamps, they are highly recommended. But do not clamp your material on both sides of the blade!

Download the supplemental manual for lots of good information from the Festool USA site.

Good point! I've used ZCI but never the fence. I'll try with my Kapex when it arrives :)
 
Although I spend a fair proportion of my time in the shop building furniture, doors, windows etc. - most of my work is site-based out of the van. I’m sure everyone can identify with piles of small bits & pieces which just rattle around and have no permanent home. Me too. I fixed that today and bought a stack of 4 x dinky little SYS-MINI TL’s. I’ll get some labels printed up tonight. Judging by the number of nicks, bangs, scrapes, splinters and cuts I get on a weekly basis, I’m guessing that the First Aid kit will see the most action [big grin]

Kevin

Edit = photos posted especially for [member=73053]imdking[/member]  [big grin]
 

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Do you use any special lock to beef up your doors?

I see this kind on my neighbors' vans:

[attachimg=1]

 

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JINRO said:
Good point! I've used ZCI but never the fence. I'll try with my Kapex when it arrives :)
I made the ZC fence out of 5mm thick ply:

[attachimg=1]

I don't use it (slide the fences in) unless really necessary, because it reduces the dust extraction effectiveness. I find that sliding cuts (as opposed to chop cuts) usually produce clean and splinter-free edges.
 

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ChuckS said:
Do you use any special lock to beef up your doors?

For sure. The van has a high-security deadlock on the driver's door, and the factory option of no lock on the passenger door. The cargo doors are fitted with two separate high-level and low-level hookover deadlocks and anti-drill plates. The van also has;

* Anti-smash film on the cab glass which will take repeated strikes from a lump hammer and still not break
* Two independent alarm systems with PIR detectors in the cargo area
* A 'Ghost' immobilizer system which requires a PIN code to be entered before the engine will start
* An additional hidden manual killswitch for the fuel pump
* A steel cover over the OBD port
* A GPS tracking device linked to my phone app
* Fancy 19" alloy wheels, a roof spoiler, a trick exhaust system, and no signwriting. It looks like a hipster's day van and hides in plain sight.

It's cost me almost £2500 to get all this stuff fitted, and it all might seem hugely excessive to citizens of other countries - but the sad fact is that van thefts and break-ins are at stratospheric levels in the UK, with many hundreds of livelihoods destroyed every year. This isn't the lowlife looking for stuff to take to the pawn shop - this is full-scale organised crime. UK border control just last month intercepted three 60-foot shipping containers packed with stolen power tools on their way out to Eastern Europe. Because of this, insurance companies won't insure tools in vans any longer. Bottom line is that nothing's infallible or unbreakable, and if these scumbags really want it - they'll have it. You just have to make it as difficult as possible for them. My son's a police officer - he's regularly told me that they just want to get in & out as quickly as possible. If they see something with visible deadlocks and other security, it's almost certain that they'll walk on by and move onto the next one which looks easier to get inside. What a world we live in, when guys like me have to do this just to look after their families and put food on the table [sad]
 
woodbutcherbower said:
For sure. The van has a high-security deadlock on the driver's door, and the factory option of no lock on the passenger door. The cargo doors are fitted with two separate high-level and low-level hookover deadlocks and anti-drill plates. The van also has;

* Anti-smash film on the cab glass which will take repeated strikes from a lump hammer and still not break
* Two independent alarm systems with PIR detectors in the cargo area
* A 'Ghost' immobilizer system which requires a PIN code to be entered before the engine will start
* An additional hidden manual killswitch for the fuel pump
* A steel cover over the OBD port
* A tracking device
* Fancy 19" alloy wheels, a roof spoiler, a trick exhaust system, and no signwriting. It looks like a hipster's day van and hides in plain sight.

It's cost me almost £2500 to get all this stuff fitted, and it all might seem hugely excessive to citizens of other countries - but the sad fact is that van thefts and break-ins are at stratospheric levels in the UK, with many hundreds of livelihoods destroyed every year. This isn't the lowlife looking for stuff to take to the pawn shop - this is full-scale organised crime. UK border control just last month intercepted three 60-foot shipping containers packed with stolen power tools on their way out to Eastern Europe. Because of this, insurance companies won't insure tools in vans any longer. Bottom line is that nothing's infallible or unbreakable, and if these scumbags really want it - they'll have it. You just have to make it as difficult as possible for them. My son's a police officer - he's regularly told me that they just want to get in & out as quickly as possible. If they see something with visible deadlocks and other security, it's almost certain that they'll walk on by and move onto the next one which looks easier to get inside. What a world we live in, when guys like me have to do this just to look after their families and put food on the table [sad]

Some of these measures are eye-openers to me. Don't know if we can insure tools kept in vehicles in N.A., but I know shop tools in garages are covered (provided proper records are kept).

P.S. I recently drove in the UK (London & Scotland). Boy, you guys could really handle narrow streets, including going the full posted speed limit of 60mph (100 kph) on some narrow country side winding roads (I felt like already losing control at 50 mph - This from a guy who regularly drives between 120 - 140 kph on highways)! And the (multi-lane) traffic circles (round-abouts)? Crazy!

RE: Customer service we came across there: Excellent from car rental to grocery stores to transportation (buses and the tube).

 
[member=57948]ChuckS[/member]  [big grin]

Yeah - many US and Canadian visitors comment on how polite we all are [smile] and how a much larger proportion of folks in Europe are so much thinner. A New Jersey friend of mine came over last year, he ate like a hollow horse for two weeks, and lost 6lbs. It's because he'd eaten hardly any processed junk. Folks coming here also quickly realise just how young the US is - I took this guy out to dozens of local places which have buildings dating from the 1500's - he was astounded.

Anyways - for your next trip, make sure you get to drive in the centre of Paris, Milan or Barcelona.

Bring plenty of brown-coloured pants.
 
One observation: At Poundland (Dollarama or Dollartree in N.A.), one can find many British or EU-made items. Here 99% (90%?) of items are imported in the discount stores. Why can't we still have government policy in N.A. that supports domestic manufacturing?

These pads (one pound) are made in the UK:

[attachimg=1]

 

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woodbutcherbower said:
Snip.
how a much larger proportion of folks in Europe are so much thinner. Snip.

On average, I walked 5 hours a day during my stay in Britain; back home? 30 minutes or so as I live in a car city. In London, most people take the public transport or ride the bike. Outside some of the tube stations, I saw lots of bikes on bike racks (similar scenes in Copenhagen last time I was there). By the way, the citymapper app made going around by bus and tube or train a lovely experience!
 
ChuckS said:
I don't use it (slide the fences in) unless really necessary, because it reduces the dust extraction effectiveness. I find that sliding cuts (as opposed to chop cuts) usually produce clean and splinter-free edges.

I received my Kapex today! I made few cuts and wow it was very smooth operation :) I didn't try ZCI or a fence.  Few cuts gave me splinter at back side.  Is there any technique when sliding cut to reduce splinter without any aid of insert or fence? My Dewalt was giving me hard time with splinter but I expected much cleaner cut from Kapex. It is cleaner but I guess I want perfection :p
 

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woodbutcherbower said:
[member=57948]ChuckS[/member]  [big grin]

Yeah - many US and Canadian visitors comment on how polite we all are [smile] and how a much larger proportion of folks in Europe are so much thinner. A New Jersey friend of mine came over last year, he ate like a hollow horse for two weeks, and lost 6lbs. It's because he'd eaten hardly any processed junk. Folks coming here also quickly realise just how young the US is - I took this guy out to dozens of local places which have buildings dating from the 1500's - he was astounded.

Anyways - for your next trip, make sure you get to drive in the centre of Paris, Milan or Barcelona.

Bring plenty of brown-coloured pants.

Well, it's a vicious circle he. The Americans just got dominated more by the car lobby. They work more hours to pay for more cars, then have no time to make a healthy dinner. In the past 40 years their expenses for food and prescription drugs combined stayed constant as a % of income. But they reversed in individual %, guess in which direction.
 
Purchased a Festool 491986 12-Drawer Sortainer,Gray  on Amazon, received it today.
I could not get the picture to copy, but this is the 12 drawer parts systainer with dividers #491986.  Normal price in US is $199 but I purchased out of the UK with free shipping from Amazon.  Amazon was less than $115 plus tax with free international shipping.  A few days later it was back up to $199.  I now see this is back on the Amazon site item 491986 for $119.82 with free international shipping. With that many drawers, you would have an drawer to keep all the money you saved.  Always like to help others spend their money.
 
woodbutcherbower said:
Snip.
Anyways - for your next trip, make sure you get to drive in the centre of Paris, Milan or Barcelona.

Bring plenty of brown-coloured pants.
Been in Barcelona once, but not driving.

Some of the more "aggressive" drivers (including some taxi drivers) in Canada can probably be found in Montreal. but they still pale to others in Europe. Many side streets in London that I've been to seem to have one lane for two-way travel (cars are parked on both sides, leaving just one lane in the center). We rarely have those in Canada. Also here in Canada, we may have from zero to two or three speed bumps on a long 30 kph (20 mph) controlled street, but on the ones I drove in London, there seemed to have one speed bump on EVERY intersection!

If anything, Canadians driving in London shall expect to get honked because many people jaywalk, and we're mentally trained to stop for them as we do in Canada. Apparently, other drivers honked me because I wasn't expected to slow down for the jaywalkers. Jaywalking is probably 10x more common in London than in many cities here. (I salute all the bus drivers in London who have such a tough job of keeping to their schedules. Edit: One cool thing - they have cameras installed to catch people driving in a bus lane!)

Edit: One night, I was on a bus returning home, and was surprised to see so many people on the streets as we passed by Hyde Park. As it turned out, Adele had just finished her first public concert there.
 
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