Festool Junkie Blog

True craftsmen are hard to find these days.  One of the finest craftsmen on the east coast is a gentleman named Per Swenson.  Swenson and Swenson believe in the old school methods of work, they simply look to electrify the tools on some occasions.  Per, and his pops Bob, take the trade to a new level with their integration of the Festool arsenal.  Fabrication on site is essential to the success of a true craftsman.  The Euro model has always been this way; take the shop to the job site.  Here in the states, the paradigm has shifted to:  Large Cabinet shops with a CNC machine, purchasing the “boxes” in “box stores”, utilizing precious hours of the day driving too and from a shop.  Not so with the Swensons, they like to bring it to the field.

You can check out some pics of thier work by moving over their sites gallery, you too will be amazed at the caliber of work they perform.  When I first viewed their gallery, as a woodworker, I was amazed…truly craftsmen.  To get the full-meal-deal on the “bar build” check out Per’s flickr slide show; have your drool cup ready !

Per has been kind enough to share a pdf file with Festool Junkie.  You can view this awesome piece of work by clicking this link:  Per Swenson’s “From Rough Sawn To Workable” where he uses the Festool HL 850 E Planer to tackle what used to be a very tedious process.

Enjoy,

Timmy C

The Inaugural Midwest Festool Fest at Lincoln Hardwood and Tool Company is slated for August 30, 2008. The event will be held at Lincoln Hardwood and Tool, 2001 SW 5th, in Lincoln, NE. The event is for all those Festool Junkies out there, and for folk who have never seen Festool Tools and Accessories to join in some fun, food, and cheer.

We are planning to have official demonstrations put on by official Festool Corporate Trainers from Las Vegas, and Lebanon, Indiana. Furthermore there will be at least one “shirt” from Festool to answer questions regarding Festool products.

Midwest Regional Festool Fest, August 30th, 2008

If coming into Lincoln for some Hog Eatin, Cold Drink, Good Cheer, and comoradarie amongst fellow Festool owners, be sure to check out the link below to shoot me an e-mail or give me a call. As it stands right now, there are participants planning to attend as far away as Pennsylvania and California.

Lincoln Hardwood and Tool

For Mapquest Directions to our shop >>>Lincoln Hardwood and Tool Company Location<<<

I will post a schedule of happenings as we nail down “Pod Casting” and schedule for the demonstrations.

Timmy

Hello Everyone,

Lincoln Hardwood and Tool Company Inc., home of www.FestoolJunkie.com is proud to announce that we have taken on the Walko Workbench System line of tables and accessories. We will have exclusive rights for distribution in the United States. The Walko is an incredibly versatile workbench system and will fit nicely into the Festool System; Faster, Easier, Smarter.

Festool Junkie will begin to update you on information as it comes in. We are anticipating a mid-fall launch date for this product, and the website has been populated with the Walko products and their pricing, so head on over and check it out. As is the case with our Festool products, the pricing does reflect a “landed price”…we are not going to ding you for shipping these awesome benches. There is still some work do be done with descriptions of the products, but I wanted to get this information out to you, and frankly, the Walko is a pretty simple bench to set up and tear down in minutes.

I will be adding a gallery of some of the items as soon as I have my “propeller head” hook me up (apparently, I am experiencing some technical difficulties with the image files), and there will be a lot more to come over the next couple of weeks as soon as we have our demo benches; we will be putting up photos and video as we shoot them for ya.

For now, below is a video of the Euro model that has been around a while. Check it out.

You will be able to Pre-Orders for the benches just as we did the Festool Kapex. If you would like to order now, go ahead and cruise on over to the site. There is a Walko link on the home page that will take you right to the Walko Table section on the website; simply recognize that we will not be shipping until this Fall.

Here at “the Junk” we are still taking on that learning curve as information is coming in fast and furious. Once again, we will have demo tables in our possession in a couple weeks, and begin putting them to the test ourselves back in the shop. Below is an excerpt from the introduction letter to the members over at the talkFestool forum. Mr. Groot has been kind enough to jump in over there if you have technical questions.

Hello, my name is Bart Groot and I am President of WALKO-Tools BV (Europe, The Netherlands)

I will join this forum to answer your questions concerning the WALKO as good as I can.
I am not a native English speaker so please forgive possible mistakes.

First a brief history about the WALKO Workbench:

The WALKO principle is in use for many years already. The system was build out of frustration on the work spot.

The inventor was completely rebuilding a house once again but did not have enough space. Also he was frustrated about al the different “helps” he needed to do his job; beams to saw platters on, a workmate, a kind of work table, an old chair, two stands with a old door on it, and so on. Al these “helps” are fine but they do not do the job like he wanted to: Fast and easy.

Some people around him told him that he should do something with it. Beginning 2003 he signed up for an innovation contest with it and became one of the winners. He started the development of the WALKO together with a technical university and several engineers.

In June 2005 the WALKO Workbench was technically finalised and ready for the “proof of the pudding”. Thoughtful and calm the WALKO was tested on the local market to get reactions from end-users. Reactions were very good and in 2006 we started to gain more and more dealers. Now the WALKO is a big success here.

We experienced three important suggestions from our end-users;
1. It would be nice if there was also a smaller version
2. It would be very nice if it was completely water resistant
3. It would be better if it was lighter in weight

The smaller version, the WALKO-3 was launched early 2007 and is now sold in almost the same quantities as the original WALKO-4.
The water problem is solved by using bamboo table tops, and the whole construction was re-engineered to make it lighter. The WALKO-4 Frame was 24 Kg or 55 LBS, now 19 Kg or 41.8 LBS. These new models will be available in the States soon.

The WALKO Team

Kind regards

This promises to be a very exciting tool for the dudes / dudettes that are constructing on-site. The wave of the future is definitely to take your shop into the field. There is no better combo than, Festool, Walko, and Sawhelper…and guess what, you can find them all on www.FestoolJunkie.com

Here is a few suggestions, and resources that you can view if you absolutely see the pics RIGHT NOW!

Until I get the gallery up, you can always head over to the Junk and check out the Images Tab to view the pictures that I will post here on the blog soon!

Walko Specs PDF Download

Walko-3 Tabletop Hole Pattern PDF

Walko-4 Tabletop Hole Pattern PDF

Thanks for cruisin’ by, and we are very excited to have hooked up with the WalkoDude

Technical Glitches Fixed:

Hello all,

If you are a Festool Owner / User and like the group feeling that you get in a forum environment; www.talkFestool.com has moved into it’s new home. The new Festool oriented forum has a crisp new look, a team of moderator’s, incredible software with hundreds of features, and well, just a great bunch of folks that have already started posting there. This is where FestoolJunkie, TimmyC, RW, and MarkE will base our forum activity and I hope to see many of you woodworking enthusiasts over there to share, play, and learn.

As I mentioned above, the software is indeed superb and will be the perfect arena for content, reviews, and good ol’ conversation about Tools and woodworking. In my opinion, it is going to be a fresh, and certainly unique forum that has beautiful untended soil, that has not been “churned and burned.”

Please stop by and say hi,

Timmy C

It has been difficult at best for me to sit back and NOT get involved with the rampant speculation regarding the “Festool Kapex Miter Adjustment Problem.” Although some of the speculative theories that were hitting the forums were remarkably close to the issue at hand, the fact of the matter is that they were indeed speculation, and the cause of the scraping sound, could not be confirmed “virtually on the internet.” That is to say that before Festool could determine the cause, they (Festool) had to have saws that were exhibiting the “scraping sound” in their possession and on the Festool Lab Table.

Festool users are indeed fanatical about their tools; they are certainly accustomed to the tools working perfectly out of the box. Before all else (the fact that I am a Festool Dealer), I am a Festool User. Not only are the users fanatical about their tools, Festool is perhaps even more fanatical about the exact same thing….their tools working perfectly straight out of the box. I would venture to guess, that the Kapex launch was amongst the most successful, if not the most successful, “New Miter Saw” launch in U.S. history. On one forum, I counted 8 experiences with an issue on the Kapex, and well over 6 pages of posts from many who do not even own a Kapex; all this on the largest Festool Forum on “Al Gore’s Amazing internet. To me, that is not an isolated problem / issue with a relatively small number of saws, for a launch that is well into the hundreds of saws sold. At Festool Junkie, we have had an EXTREMELY MINUTE incident rate, and our finger is definitely on the pulse of the Festool community!

Festool�s Official Statement Is Copied Below:

Festool Information Service 07-25-08

Kapex technical issue:

A technical issue has become apparent simultaneously and coincidentally with the U.S. market launch. The issue involves the free movement of the table of the saw through the full miter range. We have recently concluded that the clearance of the locking mechanism is creating an operational issue.

Abnormal Operation:

When the Kapex miter lock is engaged, the saw can lock infinitely to any miter angle throughout the entire range. This is accomplished by a post that rides on the top of the scale and a spring steel plate that engages the bottom of the miter scale. To allow free movement throughout the radius of that scale when the handle is unlocked, there must be a gap present between the spring steel plate (black plate under the handle) and the bottom of the miter scale. This gap should be between 0.2mm and 0.4mm, measuring between the spring steel plate and bottom of the miter scale when unlocked. Too much gap between the spring steel plate and the miter scale will prevent the saw from locking aggressively as it was designed.

Normal Operation:

1. The miter lock handle is shipped in the locked position. The Kapex utilizes a cam action lock to firmly secure the saw to the desired miter angle. To release the lock, the handle should be pulled firmly upward until the lock is disengaged. This motion can be felt and heard.

2, Once unlocked it is possible to move the saw through the entire miter range from 50� left to 60� right. During this movement it is possible to encounter an audible and definitive clicking sound as the saw is engaging the miter presets across the range. To avoid engaging the stops and the related sound, the lock handle is equipped with a detent override that allows the saw to bypass these stops.

Resolution:

This issue does not affect every saw. We have already examined all units in our inventory for this issue. Saws that measured a gap of less than 0.2mm were less than 4% of our total inventory. We will continue to monitor and inspect incoming units. Our production line in Germany is duplicating this effort as well at the production line. In addition our sales force has already spot examined and corrected units that dealers already received prior to the discovery of this issue.

FestoolJunkie will of course check the Kapex that we have in stock as well. Again, we have seen a less than 4% rate of “non-conforming” saws that we have shipped. We have checked every saw that has left our facility personally, and feel EXTREMELY comfortable with our success rate regarding the Kapex.

Thanks for stopping by,

Tim Colwell

President

Lincoln Hardwood and Tool Company, Inc

Home of: www.FestoolJunkie.com

One challenge some of our peeps have is which saw to choose; the Festool TS 55 or the Festool TS 75. Both saws operate the same way, and both saws are awesome with regards to precision and usability. However, in many ways, choosing the “right” saw can be a bit of a task.

Here are a few questions that may make it easier.

Before you click the purchase button, consider these questions:
1. Is size and weight important to me?
2. What are the most common materials and thicknesses of you are cutting?
3. Is cost a factor in my decision?

Questions 1 and 2 are really at the core of which saw you should choose. For me, I am a short little Irish guy, and like the “nimbleness” of the TS 55. It has served me in my furniture business for years. One of the toughest materials for a saw to cut is Solid Surface used for countertops and the like. National solid surface fabrication, and installation companies are using the TS 55 for field work. For those folk that are the furniture making types that do a lot of plywood and 4/4, 5/4, even 8/4 (surfaced) solid wood, the TS 55 will suit you fine. Even with the occasional 8/4 stock that is surfaced to 1 3/4″ the TS 55 has the juice to do the deal.

If you are considering using your TS for production, I would recommend the Festool TS 75. The increased size of the motor, and the increased power provide you with a “beefier” saw that will take the “production environment” all day long. That is not to say that the TS 55 wouldn’t work for production, we are just talking “much more saw” with the TS 75.

The TS 75 is a lot of saw. Doors, no sweat! All day on a construction site cutting 1 1/2″ stock, then going to cut out a window, then trimming doors at 2″ the TS 75 is your saw. Further, if you are using the TS to joint rough lumber such as Oak, Maple, etc. The increased motor size will do you well.
Here are some one liners I have heard:

“The TS 75 will do anything that the TS 55 will do plus…”

“Weight is irrelevant due to the way the saw travels on the Guide Rail” My take, True but you still have to lift it, and place it on the guide rail.”
“The TS 55 is awesome for what I do…mostly single sheets of Plywood and 4/4 - 6/4 stock.”

More Considerations:

The TS 55 comes with a 55″ rail. The TS 75 comes with a 75″ rail.

To cut an 8′ length the TS 55 uses a 106″ rail. The TS 75 requires the 118″ rail.

Spec Comparison:

We absolutely have a passion about the Festool Brand and it’s capabilities. E-mail from our clients, and prospective clients never go unanswered or slighted. Below is an e-mail we received the other day, and it had some great questions in it. Thank You Randy from SC !!!!

Tim,

Thanks for the quick response.

I’m thinking the TS55 with a long enough track would be my greatest interest but the price seems exhorbitant for a skill saw. The same is true of all your products. Other brands of vacs, drills, skill saws, etc. are much, much cheaper. I could replace most vacs several times before I could pay for 1 Festool vac. What makes them worth so much?

Festool Vacs are second to none. They are pricey, but in my opinion worth every penny. All Festool products hook to them, and frankly, I wouldn�t Sand and Finish without them. The Auto-Start is nice, the variable speed is essential to me, and the 99% dust collection with HEPA filtration has become necessary for my sinuses, and the quietness is crucial for my hearing and sanity. I say the variable speed is essential because, normal vacs have a �suck power� that will actually draw the sander into the workpiece. For rough and intermediate sanding, not a big deal; however, when it comes to finishing the workpiece and sanding �finish� this is crucial�.turning the Festool vacuum down to low speed, keeps the �suck� from drawing the sander into the workpiece. This allows the sander to float on the surface, eliminating swirl marks and �fish eyes�.

The TS 55 and the TS 75 are not �Skil Saws�. The Plunge action and the guide rail system of the saw separates them definitively. I like to say that if you can draw a line, or place two marks on the edges of a �panel� you can cut the line with every bit as much precision as a table saw�if not more�and the safety factor is well worth it. The edge of the guiderail is the �0� mark of the blade. Furthermore, if you have at least 2-3 millimeters of substrate under the ply (for example) you can cut on a concrete floor and not worry a single bit about running the blade into the concrete. I actually have a one-man-cabinet maker for a client that loads his plywood into his truck separating the plywood sheets with cardboard, when he gets back to his shop, he actually sizes his plywood while it is still in the back of his truck with the TS 55 and a guiderail.

The Saw is variable speed as well with what is called MMC technology. This is an awesome attribute when doing various jobs such as Solid Surface, Non-Ferrous Metal, Various Veneer, Plastics, etc. Speed and blade selection is crucial for precise, no tear type cuts. MMC technology is �Power in Reserve.� The electronics in the saw provide the appropriate power to keep the blade moving at the same speed regardless of what you are cutting. In essence, the saw only uses the power it needs when required. It is funny, I get calls often from first time users that are worried about the sound the saw makes. When you use the TS saws, they sound �growly�, like there is something the matter with it�.gears. The TS saws are �smart,� not only does it monitor the blade speed with the MMC, it also constantly looks for the proper gear ratio; based on the material that you are cutting, as well as how fast you are pushing the saw down the rail. Remember, blade / cutter speed (the routers employ this technology as well) needs to stay at a constant speed to provide a clean, burn free cut. So, bottom line is that you will ask the saw to perform a task, being �smart� the saw is constantly looking for the right gears, as well as power output to perform the task. One little caveat, if the saw is unable to perform the task that you need it to do�it will say: Nope, I can�t do that�.and shut off on you before you do damage to the saw, or do something unsafe.

I mentioned that the saw is burn free and splinter free. The saw runs on that rail. In this fasion, the blade is always true to the surface of the blade, and will not twist causing burning, and stress on the saw. Further, the guiderail�s splinterguard, and the Supplemental Splintergaurd are sacrificial, in essence creating a zero clearance blade similar to your Table Saw Throat Plate.

My shop is a small one comprised of 3 old men trying to stay active & out of trouble. We build desks, beds, tables, bookcases, etc. plus a number of novelty items. We try to build whatever the customer wants.

I have a 12″ L7770 DeWalt ras, 10″ Laguna saw etc, 10″ Unisaw, Jet & Delta 14″ bandsaws, flap wheel sander, 3 1/2 hp Makita Router, several PC routers, and a Makita laminate trimmer. We also have a Harbour Freight 12″ SCMS and most of the usual hand tools. I was thinking the skill saw with guides would be beneficial in that we would not have to do as much man-handling with sheet stock.

Great equipment, and sounds like a nice set-up. Many people that inquire have heard that the TS 55 / TS 75 could eliminate the Table Saw�.That is not my opinion. What the TS Saws do is allow a person to have LESS of a Table Saw in their shop�they (TS 55 and 75) work wonderfully side by side. The one place that I do not use my 55 for is ripping thin stock�.Face Frame, or 3-4� rips out of lumber. I rarely put plywood to my Unisaw anymore. All sizing and precision cuts of panels are done with the TS 55. One little note: I can actually cut Triangles out of the center of a piece of Plywood, without overcut, using the TS 55. I actually trust the 55 more than my Unisaw when I cut large panels�.mostly because of operator mistakes and drift. BTW I don�t have a sliding table on my Unisaw. The TS 55 would do wonders for safety in your shop with large panels�you wouldn�t have to lug them up on your Unisaw or Laguna.

As I understand it, I would have to buy extra track (guides) to cut the 8′ length of plywood. You say buy the packages but buying the extra DC would almost double the price with the saw & guides. The MFT is nice also but that would be pushing prices clean out of sight. And just forget about the drill. The offset bit is amazing and I can see that having a lot of applications. We are all 60ish so I don’t know that we can justify that much expense this late in life.

You would need either the 106� rail with the TS 55, or the 118� rail with the TS 75 to rip 8� ply. The extra length with the TS 75 is due to the increase size of the base with the TS 75.

What say you? You say you will not be at IWF but does that mean Festool will not be represented? I gathered you worked for Festool.

I do not work for FestoolUSA, I am a dealer for FestoolUSA. I own a company Lincoln Hardwood and Tool Company, Inc here in Lincoln, NE and we are also Festool dealer. We sell Jet/Powermatic, Grex, FastCap, Collins, SawHelper, Kreg, and several other brands. We also sell 3/4� Strip Flooring, Plywood, Hardwoods, Veneers, etc.

Hope this helps, and feel free to call anytime: Shop 402.477.8665

Timmy C

Mr. Brice Burrell is an outstanding carpenter. Brice has been a long time friend of FestoolJunkie and has been kind enough to allow us to post his review. Brice is a Pittsburgh based Renovation Contractor and truly a Festool Junkie. There is some killer information in this review, and the shots of the Festool Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw and the Saw Helper Ultra Fence he incorporates with the Festool Saw.

Click Here To See Brice’s Review Of The Festool Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw

Enjoy the reading, and if I know Brice, he would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Brice can be found by going through his home page: Burrell Custom Carpentry

Thanks Brice….You Rock!!!

Timmy C

Festool Junkie owner Timmy C delivered what could be the first “paid-for” Kapex in the U.S. to Kevin Brun of Glenwood Springs, CO. At 12:01am Mountain Time, the Festool Kapex was handed over in the lobby of the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, CO. Long time, and loyal Festool Junkie Kevin Brun was very happy to see his new saw, and got up in the middle of the night to take possession. Festool Junkie is making a run in the Denver Metro area delivering these highly acclaimed saws on July 1st, 2008.

Hello all, Timmy C will be in the Denver Metro area on July 1st delivering several Kapex to fellow Festool Junkies. I still have room for several more saws. If you are interested, you can place your order on-line at www.FestoolJunkie.com . I would be honored to personally deliver your new saw to your door step, and perhaps even spend a few minutes with you setting up if need be.

If this sounds cool with you, Hurry on this one, space is filling up in the back of the “Grey Ghost.”

Order Here For Your Festool Kapex Delivery To The Denver Metro Area,

Timmy C