Festool's growth

[Robatoy]

Even our friends at Festool take a breather and come back and do it right:

new version is sooo much better balanced. It took a while to get used to it.

Yup.. it's a drive-by...LOLOLOLOL

[Joe]

Since you admitted to the drive-by....

You suck.

Need a better home for the old one? lol

jc

[charlieb]

Festool is to hand held power tools as Veritas is to hand powered hand held power tools. Both start with a blank piece of paper and a list of what this tool is supposed to do AND can do. If some of the existing tool's elements will do the job they get kept - and refined. If they don't or can be refined they get dropped - Tried and True isn't taken as a given.

For the occassional user, Festool's stuff is pricey. But after while you realize that all tools cost you - either time or money (and sometimes admonishment for cussing, swearing, ranting and raving) - they can be very cost effective.

A grand for what appears to be a very expensive biscuit joiner seems crazy - 'til you use it. And because of what it can do, and do so easily and almost effortlessly, things you wouldn't do because of the time and effort needed for the joinery - using the tools you already have

- become almost a quick and dirty thing, not a day or two tasks.

Now if Festool would turn their attention to turning . . .

charlie b

[Jay Pique]

I totally agree. We've started buying Festools at work and they are getting a LOT of use and rave reviews by all. The Domino, of course, but even the sanders - they're chosen over the Dynabrades almost all the time now.

JP

[Robatoy]

A hunk of wood spinning in contact with a chisel. What could Festool contribute?

g,d&r

[Joe]

A hunk of wood spinning in contact with a chisel. What could Festool contribute?

g,d&r

An improvement on a chuck?

[Leon]

Charlieb I have been wanting to ask if you have used your Plate Joiner lately now that you have the Domino. I assume you had a plate joiner, I have 2 and wonder if I should sell them.

[Robatoy]

You feel that strongly that with a Domino the biscuit joiners are obsolete..or 'as' convenient?

I mean, I put two pieces of wood together, make a pencil mark and zip, zip, two slots, one cookie and clamp. As easy as can be.

I know I will end up with a Domino at some point, as soon as I have a gig that warrants one, but I always thought it would run parallel to other methods.

Now, I do have 2 cookie machines as well, a Lamello, still in the box. A guy I know wants it. That will get me part-way to the Domino. Then that leaves me with a type-3 557 PC, which I am totally satisfied with...

Now, if I could find a way to get the spindle on the Bot to work horizontally, like an M-R, or dig a pit that I can lower a board into it so I can bore the ends of longer pieces... LOL..the mind wanders sometimes.

[strikerspam]

A few areas they could look at are:

Dupicating rigs Dust and chip collection Pierced turning jigs

And those are just off the top of my head.

[Leon]

You feel that strongly that with a Domino the biscuit joiners are obsolete..or 'as' convenient?

Yeah I have not considered pullin out the plate joiner since getting the Domino.

I mean, I put two pieces of wood together, make a pencil mark and zip, zip, two slots, one cookie and clamp. As easy as can be.

You can do the same with the Domino. I literally operates like a plate joiner.

I know I will end up with a Domino at some point, as soon as I have a gig that warrants one, but I always thought it would run parallel to other methods.

Now, I do have 2 cookie machines as well, a Lamello, still in the box. A guy I know wants it. That will get me part-way to the Domino. Then that leaves me with a type-3 557 PC, which I am totally satisfied with...

I think I'd let your buddy buy the Lamello and get the Domino. Works great and forms a strong joint edge to edge on MDF.

I have the old belt drive PC plate joiner that I bought in 1990 IIRC and got the 557 Type 1 when they first came out. Works great but there is absolutely no slop using the Domino unless you want lateral play like biscuits afford, then you simply set the Domino to cut a wider mortise.

Now, if I could find a way to get the spindle on the Bot to work horizontally, like an M-R, or dig a pit that I can lower a board into it so I can bore the ends of longer pieces... LOL..the mind wanders sometimes.

Yeah. ;~)

[charlieb]

Better banjo and tool rests, improving scroll chucks, better tail stock and tail centers, multi axis chucks, oval chucks that can easily be counterbalanced, maybe an adjustable strobe so you can see where you're at when doing off center turning, improved gouges and chisels, threading system

Had enough?

charlie b

[charlieb]

Have a Porter Cable and am keeping for possibly using for special hinges.

Haven't had time to use the DOMINO lately - turned a LOT of Christmas presents.

charlie b

[charlieb]

Short answer: Yes Longer answer below

Same thing with the DOMINO - and you can "click in" 3mm of slop on either side if you want - or 5mm of slop on either side with a "click".

But here are some significant differences

1. the biscuit cutter blade spins into the wood and can kick the stock a little, changing the intended location - and maybe introduce some twisting motion that gives you a trapezoidal slot. The DOMINO plunges straight in and between the higher rpms, the oscillation left right and the 11 facets on the cutting end, there's no left right movement. Some biscuit cutters have retractable "points" that try and reduce the left right movement - but they don't work that well - for me.
2. With biscuit cutters it's up to you to place the cut. With the DOMINO you can use the retractable reference pins, or the retractable pins on the outriggers accessories, to position the cut relative to a reference edge or end. And once you have a mortise cut you can user either its left or right end as the reference for the next mortise.
3. With a biscuit cutter YOU have to set the distance from your reference face to the center of the slot - by eye - reading a scale. With the DOMINO, you can do that OR use the stepped presets (thing turret on a plunge router for setting the depth of cut.
4. With a biscuit cutter you can't have two different depths for a pair of slots. Think table leg to apron joint. To avoid conflicts with mortises in the leg you can cut them shallower and cut the apron mortise deeper - AND still keep things tight. You can't go asymetric with biscuits.

I could keep going but hopefully you get the idea.

That's the challenge the DOMINO faces. It looks like a familiar tool - and it does what a biscuit cutter does though it does it very differently. BUT - it does a lot more and does it easier and quicker. It's a new type of tool looking for problems to solve - and owners keep coming up with new uses. If you could get your hands on one and have someone who has used it show you the basics and explain some of the concepts you'd put the tool at the top of your To Get List and start squirreling money away faster.

[Leon]

Well there is always that I guess. LOL