Intelligent Workshop Tools BLOG

All Festool Dust Extractors come with a 27mm hose. This is great for most of the smaller power tools such as the Rotex, Domino or Carvex. However, the larger power tools benefit from a larger hose. The D36 Hose allows more air flow and increased capacity, improving the performance of your dust extraction. When you buy the Festool D36 hose, it comes with a larger suction nozzle that will not fit the smaller tools mentioned above. It will fit the larger tools such as the Kapex, OF 2200 Router, TS 75, etc. To solve this problem you can use a step down adapter from Festool. The 498528 D36 to D27 Suction Nozzle reduces your D36 Hose to the same end as the D27 hose and will now fit all Festool Power Tools. The downside of this is that you loose some efficiency on the larger tools, as the nozzle will now fit inside the dust port instead of around it. Though for maximum flexibility, this is a good compromise, as you still get the benefit of having the increase air flow. I have done this on my 36mm hose and have found it a great upgrade. Below is a video explaining all of this. Stay tuned for more posts on the Festool Dust Extraction System.

We have just had our delivery of the NEW TS 55 R Plunge Saws from Festool. This new saw features some simple but innovative new features that are aimed at making your life easier. This isn't just a few new bells and whistles, some parts of the saw have had a complete redesign. The right side of the saw has been upgraded to improve dust extraction and also allows cuts up against a wall. This will be great for trimming flooring to within 12mm of the wall. Also now at the front right of the saw there is a removable window that give you full viability at the point in which the blade is plunging. A great feature for cutting openings or cut outs. If you need splinter free cuts on the right of the cut, you just take out the clear window and insert the green splinter guard that prevents the material from chipping out. The saw will now tilt to 47 degrees, giving you more flexibility when cutting mitres and scribes. Finally the upgraded riving knife improves safety by plunging before the blade to offer protection from the wood pinching the blade. We think you will love the new features. The Festool TS 55 R is in stock in our Festool Tool Shop.

I just came across a video on YouTube of a company called SolidLine who are doing interesting things with Corian. They use a plethora of Festool tools to achieve a very high level of finish.

Also check this one out from the same company, using the MFS 400 routing jig to cut out a hole in corian for a circular sink.

This is one company who know good tools when they see them!

Late last year I came across a design collective led by a guy called Jory Brigham. His work is very modern and contemporary and fuses different materials to achieve quite a unique look. He has just posted a video that shows the making of one of his benches, named 'The Comfortable Silence'. The whole video is in the stop animation style and shows the entire process from start to finish in under 5mins. It includes some concrete form work, as well as plenty of woodworking. See how many Festool Power Tools you can spot? List them in the comments if you like ;) There's even a bottle of Titebond Wood Glue near the end!

The Comfortable Silence from Jory Brigham on Vimeo.

Festool just released information on the upcoming new release of the TS 55. Now called the TS 55 R, this new Festool Plunge Saw includes some great new features. I wondered how they could improve on the very popular TS 55 saw, but they really have come up with some clever innovations. Probably the biggest change in the design is the new flat body, which allows you to cut up against a wall or other vertical surface. This means you can make a clean cut between 12mm and 43mm close to the wall. Other features include a new clear window where the blade is cutting, improving visibility for scribe cuts or captured plunges, and a new riving knife feature that protects against kickback. But easily my favourite new feature is the blade depth control. I've always cursed Festool for not including a scale that allows for the thickness of the guide rail. Well now they have! Now the TS 55 R has a scale for on or off the guide rail. It also has a micro adjust for dialling in exact cut depths. Check out the promotional video below. We'll have more on this new saw as soon as we get our hands on it!

The South East Woodworking Show
Kent County Showground, Detling
Fri 9th & Sat 10th March 2012

This event is fast approaching and we are looking forward to it. I think it's important to support our local woodworking shows and with this one right on our doorstep, how could we not be there? On our stand we will have our local Festool rep, demonstrating the full range of Festool power tools and accessories. Also we will have our new range of Bessey Clamps, Titebond Glues and some new Digital Measuring Tools. Various show discounts will be on offer. If you would like to come along and try out the tools for yourself, whilst enjoying a lovely day out, come and see us!

The name of the company has changed over the years, but Festool's ethos has remained the same. Building innovative and reliable power tools that out perform their competitors has always been what Festool strive for. Since the company was formed over 85yrs ago by Fezer & Stoll, the company has moved and changed with the times, but never faltered in their mission to constantly innovate and improve on their product line. Festool users are incredibly enthusiastic about their power tools and remain loyal to the brand. Take a look at this video celebrating 10yrs of the Festool name, showing the time line of Festool's history and their contribution to the power tool industry.

But Festool Power Tools right here from Intelligent Workshop

Well with the best will in the world, sometimes a project can become all consuming and we have missed photographing some of the steps.  In this post we will see the table finished with the Festool SurFix system.  But first was to make up the bracket that supported the bottom of the table.  This was made from solid oak with a 45 degree joint in the middle to avoid grain orientation issues.  The steps to creating the bracket where very similar to making the curves in the back.  I made a template up from a piece of 9mm mdf and used it to draw and outline on the two pieces of 22mm oak.  I then stuck the template on and trimmed them with a flush trim bit.  To add strength to the joint, a domino was used in the centre of the mitre.

Again, we used the fixed clamps on the Festool MFT to apply the right about of pressure in the right direction.

To round over the edges of the bracket, I used the Festool OF 1400 router and then smoothed everything with Granat sanding sheets.  The bottom of the table was simply a veneered MDF board with solid wood edging.

The final glue up was another interesting arrangement of clamps.  The bracket had dominos on both edges and the upright back was also joined with dominos.  So it had to go in a certain order to make sure it all fitted.  Add glue to the mix and you have a pretty hairy glue up!

As you can see, we propped up the table on a couple of blocks to get the clamps in.

When the glue had cured over night, it was onto the finishing process.  I spent some time deliberating over which finish to use.  This table will be used in our living room with little people, so it will inevitably get some knocks and spills.  Lacquer would probably have been tougher and more resistant to spills.  But it's very hard to repair if the film of the finish gets damaged.  Obviously we had the Festool Surfix oil system at our disposal and this would be a good chance for me to test it personally in a home environment.  So I chose to use the Heavy Duty SurFix oil.

Before I could apply the oil I needed to have a final sand of all surfaces. For this table I decided on a smoother finish and went up to 240 grit.  I used a mixture of the RO 90 orbital sander and the Festool Hand Sanding sheets which have a padded backing.  I will do a specific blog post on the Surfix system, but the basic procedure goes like this:  Apply oil with the Surfix applicator, leave for 15mins and use the green vlies pad with the RO 150 (or RO 90 in this case) to work the oil into the surface.  This step also acts a little bit like grain filling, making for a smooth base layer for the next coat.  Festool recommend leaving the first coat 6-8hrs before gently cutting back with a finer grit than your last grit.  After quickly sanding the surfaces lightly with 320 grit, I could apply the 2nd coat.  This coat is applied quite thinly and care needs to be taken not to leave too much excess on the surfaces.  After 15mins the white vlies pad is used to polish the surface.

Here's the finished piece.

The table turned out to be more than a quick project, but never the less it's turned out better than I could have expected.  We learned a lot along the way and, as any project should, it sparked many ideas and inspiration for other projects.  Simon and I where designing coopered corners into everything!  The pictures show a some colour between the back and top.  This was probably a mixture of the studio lighting and the oil still being a little wet.  Now that it's had a few days to calm down, you wouldn't notice it.  I will post a picture of it in-situ which shows that it's really only the top that will ever be seen.

I hope you liked this blog series.  There will be more to come, so stay subscribed.  Please email me if you would like to discuss any part of this project.

 

 

Once the top joint had set I did a little sanding with some of Festool's Granat padded sanding sheets that come on a roll.  These are great for hand sanding and seem to last a long time.

Then it was onto the back piece.  I decided the back needed a little 'interest', so I set about putting a curve in it's sides.  As the curve would be the same on each side, I thought it best to make a template.  Digging around in Simon's offcut bin, I found a sheet of 3mm MDF that was perfect.  Using a set of french curves, I set about drawing the curve.

I don't know of a magical formula for this.  It's all about trial and error.  After a few revisions I landed on a design I liked and could move on to cutting it out.  As I was working with a small sheet of 3mm MDF, I didn't like the idea of hanging it over the edge of the MFT to cut.  So I took some blocks and clamped it up high enough that the blade did not contact the MFT top.  This meant I could clamp the workpiece on both sides and keep everything rigid.

Taking a bit of extra time with this setup allowed me to have full concentration on cutting to my lines.  The Carvex Jigsaw makes it very easy to see what you are doing with it's strobing light, which makes the blade seem as if it's stationary.  For this cut I used the cordless psb 400 jigsaw which allowed me a little more flexibility and control, not having the lead to deal with.  However, I did obviously suffer from not having dust extraction connected.  It's a bit of a shock once you get used to such good dust extraction, when you don't use it.  Dust?  on my MFT? How Rude!

Taking it slowly and carefully with a good Festool Fine Tooth Jigsaw Blade, I managed to get a pretty clean curve.  But to perfect it, I turned to sandpaper.

The Festool Hand Sanding Block HSK-STF-46x178 has a flexible nose on the front, which really helped conform to the curve and achieve a uniform continuous flow.  It didn't take a lot of work and then it was onto using it to make the curves in the back of the table.

I used the template to mark out the curve on both sides of the back panel.  As before, I used the MDF blocks to clamp the board high so I could work on top of the MFT.  This time I used the multi-purpose Festool Trion jigsaw blade (S 75/4 FS/5).

After each side had been cut I stuck the template to the board, leaving about 1mm revealed all along the curve.  Using a flush trim bit in the OF 1400 router, I set the bearing to run along the edge of the template.  This allowed me to quickly pass the router along the edge of the board, trimming it flush with the template.

This produced a lovely clean edge on both sides of the board, ready for edging.  We prefer to use the thicker 3mm real wood edging, as it leaves a more durable edge and also looks better.  In Simon's cabinet making workshop, he used a commercial edge bander.  But for the purposes of this project, we used TiteBond II and masking tape to glue the edging.

I left it over night to cure properly.  To flush trim the edging to the board, we used our MFK 700.  This little trimmer makes light work of this task.  It's so simple to just run it along the panel and quickly get a smooth edge.

Next was milling the dominos to join the back to the top.  I held the curved top up against the back and marked for 3 dominos.

Milling the slots for the back panel was simple enough

But the curved top was a little trickier.  After some thought, we clamped the curved top to an MDF board.  This allowed us to use the MFT to reference the joint and keep the slots true.

Another tricky glue-up ensued.  For this joint we decided to use a 24hr epoxy, as it's the area most likely to fail.  Using an epoxy meant that the wood would break before the glue joint.  Clamping the joint called for some thought.  We re-used the upright board idea in the previous picture.  Setting back at the far edge of the MFT, we could add clamps to hold it down to the table and then used the fixed MFT clamps to apply pressure towards the joint.

Here's how it looked once we had got the epoxy on and clamped it up.

Apologies for the delay on this post.  We have had various website issues over the past week or so.  The site is still due a few tweaks and upgrades, but everything should hopefully run smoothly now.

 

After the glue had cured it was on to shaping the curve.  There were a number of ways we could have done this.  Obviously hand tools could be used, such as a goose neck cabinet scraper or curved soled wooden hand plane.  The most basic method would have been hand sanding with a flexible sanding block.  But why make work for yourself when you can get the job done easier, cleaner and a whole lot quicker?  We chose the Festool RO 90 to take the angular joints down to create a pleasing curve.  This little sander is very useful.  It's my most used sander at the moment.  It's bigger brother, the Rotex RO 150, is used almost continuously downstairs in our cabinet making workshop.  The RO 90 is obviously much lighter and is really comfortable in the hand.  It still contains all the great features as the other 2 Rotex Sanders, such as Multi-Jetstream, unrivaled dust extraction and two grind patterns.  It also has an extra trick up it's sleeve.  This little sander can also take a delta pad, which means you can use it as a detail sander.

I started sanding the under side of the curve.  Clamping it onto the MFT with the fixed clamps, it was incredibly easy to get access to all parts of the curve.  To start off I used 80 Grit Rubin discs.  This course abrasive is particularly good at hogging out waste and shaping.

The sander made quick work of it.  On a flat panel, you should never tip the orbital sander up, to use the curve, as it will create divots and unevenness.  But in this situation it really helped us achieve the correct curve.  Obviously this technique will wear the edge of the disc faster than the rest.

The other side was also quite a simple task.  We used the mock up MDF coopered panel to rest the workpiece on.  This meant we could get right around the edge of the curve with out the sander hitting the MFT top.

Once the hard lines had started to smooth out, we could start going finer with the sanding discs.  After 80 Grit Rubin, we went onto Granat Sanding Discs  This new sandpaper from Festool lasts much longer than most sanding discs.  It contains a combination of Ceramic and Aluminium Oxide with a lubricating ingregient that is designed to minimise heat buildup, which greatly increases the life of the abrasive.  We find that it is also extremely clog resistant.

Going through 100g, 120g, 180g & 240g, produced a lovely smooth surface that you couldn't help caressing! (ahem)   Joking aside, the sense of touch is essential for a job like this.  Making furniture isn't just how it looks or functions.  It has to feel right.  Even if the finish is applied flawlessly, any imperfection in the flow or curve of a piece, will always let it down.

Once I was happy with the curve it was on to the table surface.  Typically we forgot to photograph this process.  It was made up from solid oak boards.  To add some interest to it, we used 70mm, 50mm & 30mm wide strips, glued up with dominos for alignment.  When the glue had set we milled some domino slots in the board and the curved piece.

The curve was tricky to domino.  We ended up propping it up on a block of wood, using the MFT End Stops for support.

The glue ups from here-on in are all going to be a taxing experience.  The joint pushed together perfectly with just hand pressure.....

But getting the right amount of clamping pressure to keep the joint together while the glue dried needed a little thought.  After playing around with clamp positions, we ended up on using the MFT Fixed Clamps and a single clamp providing some downward force across the curve.

Only gentle pressures where needed here, the joint didn't need to be 'persuaded' together, it was a nice clean fit.

That's all for now.  In the next installment we will be making the bracket for the bottom and clamping it all together!