Creating Sawdust

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Stuart

After yesterday’s post, I decided to see just what I could do about it, even if in a very limited way.  One of the ideas was the computer-controlled side of woodworking – laser or CNC, but neither are particularly affordable.

Dropped into Carbatec, if nothing else than to have a bit of a tool-fix.  Picked up (as in literally, rather than purchased!) some Festool tools, such as the XL Domino and the TS55, played with the Kapex for a few secs.  I know, desperate stuff.  I might see if Carbatec would be interested in lending me a machine for a while – be a good way to experience the CNC Shark (or similar).

Chatted with the manager for a bit, who remembered some kits from one of their recent open days – for a bow saw they had made one Saturday of which they still had a spare.  That’ll keep me out of trouble for a little bit.

So this evening, I went into the garage, and after a spot of mountaineering was able to uncover enough of my woodturning tools to be able to do some pen turning.  About the only thing I couldn’t uncover was my pen mill.  I also can’t get to the drill press, so blanks have to be pre-drilled, and I still have some left over from Carrolls Woodcraft – some purple heart blanks from the Ballarat wood show in 2012.

Found an extension cord, and got the Nova DVR powered up.  Boy, is it a quiet machine!  I know I haven’t found everything, because other than the pen mill, the Nova Titan chuck is still MIA, as is the tailstock for the Nova Comet II.  I know they are in another box, as they were in a different part of the shed during the mad pack.  I wasn’t too worried about that at the time, but then I wasn’t expecting to be shedless even for this long.  They will resurface, just not at the present.

Made a little sawdust – have obviously forgotten everything (again), especially all the techniques Robbo showed me, so I was back scraping instead of cutting, but at least good timber was being reduced to shavings and scrapings.  It is a start at least.

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There isn’t much room, trip hazards everywhere, tools lost in the detritus.  I feel right at home!

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Driving Miss Daisy

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Stuart

I have now had the Festool CXS Cordless drill/driver for 6 months now (give or take a week) so it is worth a revisit.

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I have been using the CXS extensively in that period, both while getting the old place ready, and since moving into the new one, so have really had a chance to experience its features, capabilities and limitations.

To start, I have heard criticism that this is just a screwdriver.  Of course it is, and no it isn’t on so many levels.  But this will come out as we progress.

The CXS is pretty light – not as much as one of those powered screwdrivers, but then they don’t have the range of features on offer.  I initially took the clip off (comes off easily once the battery is removed), but have since reinstated it.  It doesn’t interfere when you are not needing or using it, and particularly useful when you do.  It is able to be placed on either the left or the right, so a matter of personal preference.

The battery has an impressive longevity, and you can complete a lot of jobs before needing a recharge.  Even so, it comes with a second Li-Ion battery for when the drill stops drilling, and the light flashes (indicating the battery is finally flat).  The charger takes about 20 minutes, so if diligent about charging your battery when it does run down, you’d be hard-pressed to find yourself short.

The front of the CXS has two slots that look like they are there for a bit of styling.  That may be the case, but they are also magnetic to hold an alternate bit (or 4), or the next screw or two.  Above that is a small light, which as previously mentioned indicates when the battery has run down.  The real reason for its existence is to illuminate the are just in front of the drill, particularly useful when working in confined spaces.

To the main function – drilling, and driving.  This isn’t an impact driver, so has no where near the maximum torque of those devices, but there again, that is often a lot of overkill (ideally, your toolbox would have both).  The Centrotec driver holder is not very useful if you don’t have a set of Centrotec bits.  Still, I use the holder as it is easy to rapidly interchange the different heads using the FastFix system.  If you want to fit a traditional hex bit and not use the magnetic extension supplied, you can remove all the heads, and insert the bit directly into the shaft.  Also a method to reduce overall length if you need to get into a confined space.

The drill chuck is also easy to interchange (also FastFix), so it isn’t too much of a hassle to switch between drill bit (for a pilot hole) and the driver.  It is limited to a maximum of 8mm, which seems a bit low.  However, I can understand the rationale behind this – larger will start to push the overall capacity of the driver.  It can still manage drill bits up to 12mm in wood, so long as they have a smaller shaft at the end (bits like this are readily available).  This is not a high-torque tool, and you can find its limit.  The advantage of an electronic motor is it senses the load, and will cut out when it hits the max.  Unlike my last drill, you can’t burn this one out by overloading it!

The shaft autolocks when doing toolless bit changing.  About the only frustration is if you remove the chuck without removing the drill bit – not a big deal, but you can’t remove the drill bit when the chuck is not attached!

You won’t use it as much, but that right-angle adapter is genius when you need it.  Fit either driver bits or the drill chuck to the end, to be able to reach in and around, and still deliver the bit to the work.  Very clever, much quieter than expected, and when you need it, you’ll love having it.

There are 12 torque settings (I rarely remember to use), and two speed settings on the gearbox.

Around this place, I have already forgotten the number of jobs I have used the CXS for.  Drilling and screwing a gate together (metal frame, self tapping screws), building (or reassembing) a bunch of Ikea furniture, and attaching various units to the wall, building a cat run (self-tapping metal screws), and I can’t remember what else – it has almost become a permanent attachment!

So the positives and negatives.

Convenient size and weight (900g)
Able to reach where others cannot
Great battery life and quick recharge
Comfortable ergonomics
Variable speed and torque (although would have preferred a bit more)
Drills and drives. Having additional Centrotec bits would be a real benefit.

Bottom line – having now experienced one for a decent run, would I want one if I didn’t have the one I currently have?  You bet.  I enjoy using this tool  It feels right, it works right  It is spot on for the job it was designed to do.  I love that it comes in a Systainer, not that it gets to see its home very often!

Have a chat to Anthony from Ideal Tools if you want one too. (My Festool supplier of choice :) )

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It has begun!

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Stuart

After two solid weeks of painting, cleaning, rubbish clearing etc, I got into the shed on the final day before returning to work (on Sunday) to begin the great pack.

8 boxes later, and you could not see any difference at all.  So on Tuesday night, I tried again and got another 8 boxes packed, and still – hard to see where it all has come from – just an inkling in one corner that something might be happening.

This is going to be an “interesting” experience.

I had a removalist company out to quote on moving the house and shed contents, and the price came in at  (drumroll please), $6200. So that put paid to that idea.  I would rather put $6k into the construction of the new shed (that’d get the electricals well sorted and then some, or pay for much of the slab etc etc).  For that sort of money, I could buy a really good trailer ($2k), and a pallet truck ($400) and still have heaps left over.  If I had that sort of loose change, I could get a pretty awesome setup of Festool!

So onto plan B.  Doing it ourselves.  It may be hard work, but I will be able to remind myself at every step that this effort is saving us a significant penny.

The shed pack will take a bit to get through the place, but with regular trips out there, it should move on at a pretty steady pace.  Now that I know I will be moving the contents, I can adjust my perception on how I am packing as well – more things can just be dealt with at the time rather than having to ensure that it is well packed 100% before the move date.

Still, I think there will be a bit of a shortage of storage boxes in the world by the time I’ve finished!

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Festool in the House

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Stuart

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Ok, so it doesn’t have the same ring as Ali G, (and I suspect there are very few who even get the reference!  Oh well).

My Festool CT36 has managed to find its way inside, and it looks a bit out of place – when you get it in a small room, you realise just how large it is (particularly combined with the Oneida cyclone and Festool Boom arm).  If I hadn’t cut down the height of the boom arm by 6″ or so when I got it to fit under the shed rafters, it wouldn’t have been able to get through the doors either (without lifting and tilting the whole setup that is).

I have bought it inside as I am doing some patching and plastering, and wanted to sand without dust.

Speaking of dust, before I bought it inside, I gave the unit a quick once-over with compressed air, and emptied the bags.  Well that is not strictly true.

My Festool has the Oneida Dust Deputy Ultimate II on it from Professional Woodworker Supplies.

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Dust Deputy Ultimate II

I hadn’t checked it for a while (other than to quickly confirm if the bin was full or not), but certainly hadn’t checked how much carry over there had been.

The Ultimate II has a small tube that provides suction to the bucket, and as such means the bin can have a plastic bag for dust collection.  This is very convenient, and a significant improvement over the Ultimate (I). So I was able to lift this bag out, and it was full of the worst kind of dust that your parents warned you about.  Not the sort of dust you want to bring home to meet the folks.

The dust that had been collected was so fine, that if thrown onto an open fire (or ignition source), it would create a serious fireball.  It is all about the surface area of the fuel, and the abundance of oxygen.  Not the sort of stuff you want to be breathing.

So then I went and tried to empty the Longlife Festool dust bag.  I tried, but there was nothing to empty.  It had all be captured by the Cyclone.  If there was any carryover, it was too fine to see, or capture easily in the vac bag, and would have then been caught by the HEPA filter.  What was going in was definitely not coming out!

So bad news for the Longlife bag – with this system, you can stick with a disposable bag, and even that for a long time.  You don’t actually need the capacity of the large vac either if that isn’t as important.  It also makes emptying much easier, as you are not lifting off the whole motor to get access to the dust bag.  Not to say that the Festool vac is redundant – having a combination of autostart or direct power through ports on the vac, boom arm, combined power lead and hose, variable speed, HEPA filter etc etc, still sets the Festool Cleantex apart.  The Ultimate II just makes it even better.

It was a pretty convincing demo of the Ultimate II cyclonic dust separator.

Well I was impressed.

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Tool specialisation

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Stuart

Rather than trying to be all things to all people, or in LDVs terms, a “Universal Man” (a concept straight from the Renaissance (LDV – Leonardo da Vinci)), specialising lets you discard, or not realise a number of other skills, and instead really focus on being the best possible at the task at hand.

This absolutely carries across to tools as well.  How many tools have you seen boasting “3 in 1″, “6 in 1″, “21 in 1!!!”?  How many are actually decent tools? Or “it’s a router table, it’s a table saw, it’s a lathe, and makes cups of tea”

The point is, when you build a tool to perform multiple functions, you have immediately had to compromise each of those functions.  When you build a tool to a price, you had to compromise.

When you buy an expensive tool, designed to perform a single task, you are expecting big things, and impressive performance.

So with all that in mind, I was expecting to be particularly impressed with my latest purchase: the Festool OFK500Q

Festool

Festool OFK500Q

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Operating end

First thing I noticed, was unlike the commercial photo, the bearing retaining bolt is not proud, so the roundover bit can really get into some tight spaces.  I call it a roundover bit, and Festool call it a Ogee bit.  Looking closely at the profile, I think we are both right.  That shiny base was one of the things that really caught my eye.  The last thing you want is a base that is going to catch on rough areas and protrusions, and instead you want one that will slip over the surface.  Have a look too, at the clearance between the router bit and the base (or lack thereof).  These are unquestionably designed to work together.

Festool-1

Circles and troughs

To try it out, I rounded over the outside of a piece of Tassie Oak.  This has a tendency to splinter, but no such problems here at all.  Either routing against the bit, or climb cutting.  Climb cutting is generally regarded as a “no no”, but I had absolutely no trouble controlling the tool in either direction.  There was no feeling of the tool trying to run away at all.  Holding the tool was also an interesting experience.  Unlike traditional routers, where the position you hold the router is some distance above the cutter, this Festool allows you to hold the router right around the knurled section of the base, only mm above the cutter itself.  This give an impressive sense of control.  The tool itself weights 1.4kg, so although heavier than some trimmers, it is not unreasonable.

There are no controls for speed (nor any need for there to be so), nor is it a plunge router.  Stripping away all the multipurpose functionality has left a single purpose tool, which does one job exceptionally.

Festool-3

Depth Control

The trimmer still has depth control, just very precise depth control (as you’d expect).  Each notch you can see here (the green lock has engaged one), is 1/10mm.  If you make a test cut or two, and the result is just out, you can precisely dial in the adjustment.  The knurled ring is the height adjustment.

After routing around the outside edge of the piece, I tried rounding over either side of the dado (trench) as well.  This would not have been possible with my normal roundover bits, as the bearing (and specifically the retaining bolt) would have bottomed out.

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Chamfer bit

The router bits this trimmer takes are rather unusual.  Instead of the traditional 1/2″ or 1/4″, these are a hollow shaft that has a threaded shaft with attached bearing that fits down the centre of the bit, directly into the shaft of the trimmer.  There is no collet.  It is a very positive, precise mounting method that ensures a minimum of runout and slippage.

Other pieces of timber were equally at risk of being rounded over, with the same precision. Holes, edges, end grain, corners all got the same attention.  I haven’t tried the chamfer bit yet, and will also get the 2mm radius roundover (which Festool also call an Ogee) where I want to break the edge in a less obvious way.

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Dust Extraction

Typical of Festool, they also have concentrated on dust extraction, and it works exceptionally well.  While the plastic extraction is in place, it blocks the port on the underside of the baseplate, so all the dust is collected by the attached vacuum hose.  Interestingly, and I am not sure why, there is a spring-loaded plastic rod that pushes on the top of the bearing, preventing it from free-spinning.  The only real reason I can think that is done is to prevent any opportunity for the bearing to spin to the full 28000 RPM that the router bit spins at.

Purchased, as always, from Ideal Tools. Tell Anthony I said hi!

Oh, and at the moment you can get a genuine Festool Esky for $10 with your purchase!  Hey. Where’s my esky?!

Cooler_Box_Blue_Eski_-_smlr

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Robertson Screw

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Stuart

I am going to paraphrase (aka butcher) the history badly, but there are plenty of websites providing a fuller history.

Around the turn of the 20th century, an inventor called Robertson came up with a cold forming method for producing a screw head with an internal square drive, with a tapered socket.  It would have been huge, especially as it was initially very popular with Henry Ford, and the fledgling car industry.  They would save considerable time in manufacture.  The taper makes it very easy to use the screws one handed, and means they stay on the end of the driver easily.

However, Robertson was not prepared to license the screw design to Ford, so they went with the Phillips instead.  I guess Henry was a relative of Steve Jobs!

The Robertson is the screw of choice in Canada, but did not get much of an uptake elsewhere (particularly the US) – either because of the Ford thing, or simply because Phillips is local, and Robertson is “foreign”.

In more recent times, Kreg have been making the screw increasingly popular with their pocket hole jig.  Certainly that is where I first came across them.  They have been my screw of choice for a while now, leaving flats, Phillips and Pozidriv stripped and in the dust.  I am a definite fan for a number of reasons – they don’t strip.  I use them over and over with jigs, and they screw in and out time and again.  It isn’t that I am being thrifty, (although why waste a good screw), but it also means I don’t need to try to extract a screw that has stripped out.  Even if a Robertson is painted over, you can extract it easily.

Can’t say I have ever driven one by hand though – I’m always using an impact driver (or drill) to drive them.  They mount on the end, don’t fall off, and drive superbly.  Unlike Phillips, these don’t cam out under high torque, and that is what really kills Phillips screws.

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The latest application was all the way along the front fence.  I made it a number of years ago, and since then the pickets have become hard, and brittle.  I initially tried to use a pneumatic nail gun with galv nails, and every single nail split the picket in half.  Take 2, I tried to use the original galv nails I used when first making the fence, and each nail bent.  So Take 3, and out came the Robertsons.  The Festool CXS drove screw after screw, smooth as you’d like.  Not a single stripped head, not a single one fell off the head of the driver.  That alone saved time, and aggravation.  While one was screwing in, I was already able to reach into the box to pull out another handful to continue with.  You can see why they would have saved ol’ Henry so much production time.

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Breaking Edges

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Stuart

One of the problems with having to rush to finish the Christmas present for my daughter (the toy kitchen), is that I had to skip some steps to get done in time.

As I was designing as I built, I wasn’t sure which edges would end up being the outer areas of the finished product, and thus needing to be rounded over.

Rounding edges over have a couple of benefits – the obvious one is removing sharp edges and corners, making them more child-friendly, and overall nicer to the whole tactile experience.  The other benefit is it reduces the chance of splintering of the edges.

I normally like a 1/16″ roundover – the object retains the overall concept of the square edges, but with a good rounding.  I normally use a plane to achieve this – the Fastcap Artisan Radius Plane (from Professional Woodworkers Supplies).

Fastcap

Fastcap Artisan Radius Plane

It is a great little plane, and works really effectively.  When I first got it, no edge was safe!  Unfortunately for this project, as I had already assembled it, this plane is no good for getting into corners and therefore wasn’t a real option.

Onto plan B.

I thought a Dremel may do the trick, even found some Dremel roundover bits in Masters.  Unfortunately I didn’t read the packet, and it turned out that the bits were specifically for the Dremel Trio.

The idea of using the Dremel high speed rotary should have worked, but I have not been able to find any round-over bit that fits.

So then I decided to look at the Dremel Trio – it isn’t too expensive, and seeing as I had the roundover bits, that might have been a reasonable outcome.  However, once I looked at it closely, I was disappointed in the build quality, especially of the base.

Dremel

Dremel Trio

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Trio Foot

It was really the mechanism for adjusting the base that was really cheap – not the quality that I associate with Dremel, and it really put me off buying it.  With the cost of the Trio, and the set of router bits I needed to get the desired roundover, that started becoming a reasonable portion of much better tools.

It was about now that I was kicking myself for selling the Triton Spin Saw.  Not that I have needed it until now, and holding a tool for years to finally find an actual purpose is obviously not worthwhile.  But it would have fitted the Dremel Router bits, and performed as a large version of the high speed rotary.

I have an old GMC Laminate Trimmer, but found that both for the size of the base, and the extension of the bearing section of the router bit, I couldn’t get into the areas I needed to.

So next, I had a look at the Bosch Blue laminate trimmer, or what the actually call (and more appropriately), the Palm Router.  This has the benefit of taking 1/4″ router bits, and is the machine of choice for the CNC Shark & Shark Pro. A pretty good endorsement on its own!

Bosch

Bosch Blue Palm Router

It is a very nice-looking tool, and doesn’t try to “bling-out” to create a sale.  My only experience of Bosch is a corded drill I bought about 14 years ago, and despite my best efforts I haven’t managed to kill it yet.  Says something about the brand.  Not sure about the height adjustment on this either – seemed a bit difficult, but they may have been inexperience with the tool.

Festool

Festool Laminate Trimmer

Finally, I considered the Festool OFK 500 Q.  There are larger trimmers from Festool, but getting into tight areas is key.  The base looks promising, and the cut-off area from one side allows it to get into pretty tight areas.  There is one ‘interesting’ feature of this tool – it takes proprietary router bits.  However, it does come with what Festool calls an Ogee router bit, which everyone else calls a roundover bit, so that is a bonus.

So those are the choices I am considering.  The Festool is the most expensive, but as I was already willing to get the Dremel (plus the router bits) which came to $200, that is a reasonable amount off the price of the Festool, so it is more justifying the difference.

Got some thinkin’ to do.

 

 

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Sinking Deeper

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Stuart

Once the initial parts for the sink were glued up (the large U shape sections), it was time to make the actual components.  Ideally, I wouldn’t have had to take the previous step, but I am working with a limited stock size, partly as a bit of an exercise, partly because I have the timber, and don’t feel like buying something else.  The redgum is being salvaged from the ugliest, oldest sleeper you would have seen in a long time.  Always surprising just how much good timber is hidden behind a rough façade.

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Creating the sink template

To cut the individual sections out, I created a template from MDF.  It is easy to draw up and shape to the required profile.

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Template attached

In this case, I didn’t have to worry about screw holes, so it was easier and less problematic to use screws (Kreg square drive).  You may wonder about the amount of timber wasted here inside the sink.  It won’t be going to waste, as I intend to use this again in the same way to produce some other (as yet undecided) kitchen appliances.

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Bandsawing around the template

To remove the bulk of the material, the bandsaw works exceptionally well.  Cutting near to the template reduces the load on the pattern copying router bit.

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Routing to shape

Over to the router table, and with a pattern bit (a straight cutter with a bearing on top), each piece of the sink is routed to shape.  (The photo above has the piece upside down)

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Glued and clamped

Next, each piece is glued and clamped together to form the body of the sink.  The ends have also been cut using the same template, but obviously only the outside is cut and routed.

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Spindle Sanding

The spindle sander is next, and is the perfect tool for this job.  It may not get the full depth, but flipping the workpiece over a few times keeps things pretty even.

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Fine sanding

The size of the sink just allowed me to get the ETS150 inside, but it isn’t ideal for sanding around corners…..except I have a soft sanding pad (from Ideal Tools).  This has hooks on one side, and loops on the other, so it acts as a spacer between the original sanding pad and the sandpaper.  With this, it is really easy to sand all sorts of concave and convex profiles.

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Soft sanding pad

This is the soft sanding pad – a very useful addition for the ROS.

***Update: it is called an interface pad, and can be found here

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Attaching the sides

With the inside done, the sides of the sink can be attached.  This (and the next image) were actually photographed before the glueup, but it gives you the idea.

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Laminated sink

So that is how I make the laminated sink, still ensuring that the entire project can be made from timber.  Not sure if I will be able to maintain that ideal for the entire project, but I am still working towards it.  Very pleased I used contrasting timber this time – might as well make a feature of the laminations!

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Enter, the Router Table

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Stuart

Taking the first components off to the next stage of the process involves the router table, and the rail & stile plus raised panel bits.

Cutting the interior profile

After some test cuts, the router table was set up to run the rails and stiles through the first router bit.  I use MagSwitch featherboards to hold the timber against the router table fence. They are so easy to position, and hold fast to the cast iron top of my router table.  Make you think it fortunate my router table is cast iron, but it came about in the reverse order.  I made the router table out of cast iron so that I could use MagSwitches on it.

Woodpeckers Coping Sled

After changing to the complementary router bit, it was time to cut the end grain of the rails.  If you ever wonder how to remember which is which, think about rails being horizontal.  They certainly are for trains! The stile is the other one.

The Woodpeckers Coping Sled is awesome for this task.  It holds the rails perfectly, and perpendicular to the direction of travel.  If I had taken more care, I would have used a sacrificial backing.  Probably should have – hardwood tears out a bit too easily. I’ll make sure I do when cutting the doors for the sink unit.

I just checked – the coping sled is still available from Professional Woodworkers Supplies.  They now have a mini one as well, but given the full sized one is on special, I’d still go with that one (the one pictured above).  There is so much more with this one, it is worth the difference.

Sanding the panels

After removing the panels being glued up in the Frontline clamps, I used the Festool belt sander to do a final flattening (including removing any glue squeezeout).  The large sander weights 7kg, and when coupled with the sled means you can hold the handle, and, well, hang on – letting the tool do all the work.  The work is clamped up using brass dogs on the vice, and dogs in holes in the table.

Panel bit

Once sanded (not the final sand – more a sizing sand than a finishing one), it was back to the router table, this time with a raised panel bit.  I don’t have a raised panel bit with a cutter for the back yet, so have to adjust it manually. This is not the final pass, but an intermediate one to check fit.  Best to do the crossgrain first, then the longgrain.

Panel bit

This is a monster bit – pretty much at the limit that a router can (or rather should) drive.  The run at the slowest speed still gets a decent tip speed.

Test fit

A quick test fit showed I was close, but still needs another pass to get it there.  Looking good though.  Will look even better when I do the 3D routing into each panel!  Once that routing is done (next session), then I can glue the panels up.

Thicknessing undersized stock

One thing I have been surprised with so far, is the lack of waste.  I’d always try to use timber to maximise yield, but there is always waste.  So far I’d not have enough offcuts to fill a 10L bucket – the yield is exceptional.

Even these thin panels that were ripped off the 19-20mm thick boards.  They will be perfect for the back of the units.  I wanted to run them through the thicknesser, but it just doesn’t go thin enough.  To solve that problem, I clamped on a sled.  The boards would not feed initially, but with a quick rubdown with Sibergleit, the boards fed through smoothly and easily.  I wouldn’t do this with any timber, or to go too thin, but it will get you out of trouble.
So a good session.  Progress seems slow, but this is always the slow part of any project.  Once the items are cut, and some preliminary joinery done, it usually flies together.

 

Some good news and bad news.  The good news is that I am documenting sessions on video.  Bad news is I am not planning on releasing the video until the project is complete!

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Festool on the Doorstep

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Stuart

What better than coming home to find a brand new Festool tool sitting on the doorstep?

I ordered the Festool CXS cordless drill (plus) in a systainer. This version comes with the right angle adapter. The XS indicates its purpose: extra small. It weights 900g. It is designed to get into tight ares (such as when doing cabinetry), and although rated for 10.8V, its brushless motor offers more torque than a brushed motor of similar size.

If I need massive torque, I’ll use my old corded drill, but it can’t get into the tight spaces this one can, and drill around corners when it can’t.

It is also worth knowing Ideal Tools currently have these on special at $150 off.

It is the sort of styling I love in a tool- no fancy bits of inlay rubber without a purpose, no Battlestar Galactica Cylon look, just a tool designed for one purpose- to be an exceptional tool.

It also comes with 2 batteries, and a 20 minute charge time, so you should not run short when you need it. Recently upgraded to a 1.5Ah (from 1.3) Li-ion battery. It has the typical Festool driver chuck, and a standard Festool drill chuck for drill bits from 1mm to 8mm. This doesn’t mean you cannot use larger bits, but it just needs a set that has a smaller diameter shaft (or a hex shaft).

There has been quite a bit mentioned that you can only use Festool driver bits because of a different hex size, and although this is true for the FastFix chuck, if this is removed, there is a standard hex size behind. And in any case, the bit holder takes standard driver bits (with magnetic hold).

Let’s face it- you can either buy a brand that has taken the output of a Chinese factory and rebadged it/enshouded it with a pastic case of their design, or take a tool designed but then sent off to,the cheapest bidder to have it made, or buy quality from the ground up- design and manufacture, and German engineering is still revered.

I’ll report back once I’ve had a chance to really put it through its paces.

Filed under: Manufactures and Suppliers, Tools | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

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