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 to and from a shop. Not so with the Swensons, they like to bring it to the field.

You can check out some pics of their 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

Tool purchases can be difficult when you have a significant other monitoring your buys. Therefore, I have come up with the 9 ways to, “Hide tool purchases for your significant other”.

1. Use Pre-Paid Credit Cards from the bank of your choice. Often, if you squirrel away $20-$30 here and there, it is fairly easy to get up to the required dollar amount.

2. Purchase the tools on lay-away, so as not to have the glaring “big hit” to your credit card.

3. Purchase the tools with cash. Warning, make sure to get the tools dirty prior to showing them off.

4. Get a buddy to buy the tools and you pay them back. Careful, don’t tell the significant other it is a poker debt you are paying off.

5. Purchase several small tools over a period of time; never open them and keep the receipts! Then when you have enough credit on returning these items, get the one big item you desire.

6. Each project requires a new tool, make sure you commit to only the ones that require new tool purchases.

7. Purchase the tools, bring them home, and DO NOT USE THEM FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. This way, when asked if they are “New” you do not have to lie when you say NO!

8. Purchase large tools that can be dismantled; it is sometimes easier to get to the shop with the tools taken apart. Better yet, have the tools shipped to your work place, dismantle them there, and bring them home piece by piece. This is often beneficial for several reasons.

a. There is no packing material to throw away.

b. When you assemble the tool, it looks more like a repair job rather than a set up of the new tool itself.

c. Refer back to Rule 7: it may take a while to get the tool set-up. Therefore, when you are ready to fire it up, it is no longer a “new tool.”

9. Always round the purchase price down when asked how much something cost. I.e. if actual take home cost was $849, you would respond “about $800.” Tax never counts!

10. Please add your own creative ways to this post. I am always up for learnin’ somethin’!!!

Timmy C

CAUTIONS: Using Planer with Rustic Cutting Drums

The Festool HL 850 E planer is capable of doing more than ordinary flat planing. Various decorative patterns can be produced when using the special rustic drums or Festool Ungulating / Adz style Planer Head. The cutting blades on these drums are fully exposed below the foot of the planer when the depth control is set at �zero�, and special attention is needed when operating the machine with these drums in place.

When removing the normal drum from the planer, be sure to transfer all of the fastening hardware over to the rustic drum.
This includes a screw, a small washer AND a larger keyed metal disk a little bigger than a quarter. This disk is keyed to the arbor shaft when installed and is the only thing that will secure the drum to the shaft properly.

When the rustic drum is installed, there is a chance that a loose piece of material can be forced up into the planer and crack the housing.
Please use the following guidelines to lessen the possibility of damage to the planer:
Set the depth of cut at �P� to �0��. Never any deeper. The rustic drum is now packaged with a special bracket that mounts to the side of the front foot to prevent the foot from moving beyond the zero point. This should always be installed when using the rustic drum. Be careful at knots� either avoid altogether or cut across them very slowly. Ideally, the knots should be ground down with a 4� grinder before using the planer. The Festool RAS115 is well suited for this.

Avoid cutting directly across the grain� especially off the edge of the beam.
Avoid cutting beyond the edge of the beam at all, either with or against the grain.
Don�t let the machine bog down� cut slowly enough so that the machine runs well.

USE A SHARP BLADE!
A dull blade greatly increases the potential for trouble. Imagine how new Douglas fir does not split cleanly, but tears with long, tough, tenacious fibers still attached to both pieces. A dull blade that is not cutting well will grab these fibers and pull them into the machine.