On Apr 15, 3:04 am, charlieb wrote:
If you work with sheet goods the Festool T55 plunge saw, with edge
guide, seems like a great idea - albeit an expensive one. Lay the
guide's
zero clearance edge ON THE LINE (rather than some offset FROM your
line), set the depth of cut and cut a straight line, on the line - even
if
you've got the blade over at 45 degrees. For $430 for the saw and
guide that's what you get.

But if you want to use the parts you cut - well there's something
missing - making the line you're about to cut SQUARE to either the
factory edge or the one you'd just cut. For ply cabinets you want
RECTANGLES - with square corners. So here's deal breaker #1
- no square attachment for the fence. You want square - you
need to buy their special table - another $400+.

Now I could make some sort of thing to square the guide edge to
a reference edge. But if I'm going to pay $430 I want THEM to
provide that little necessity. Oh, and if you want to cut a 4x8
sheet into two 24" x 96" pieces you need a guide extension -
for another $60 or $70 dollars.

The second deal breaker is that you have to use THEIR saw blades
- at 2 to 3 times what an equivalent "normal" blade would cost.
Sort if the multi-blade razors. The initial cost is maybe $12.
But replacement blades are $3 or$4 a pop.

Since the saw and guide system idea didn't fly - got the Domino
and the accessories along with the other bits AND a boatload of
"dominos" (they don't like it when you call them biscuits). Two
Systainers are thrown in for "free".

The Festool Domino is a chunk of change. However, when you
compare it to the Leigh FMT PLUS a router and you're in
the same price range. The Domino doesn't take up as much
room when not in use and has the ease of use of a biscuit
joiner with much stronger results.

Have four more bonsai tables to make this week. The Domini
should make cutting the 32 mortises per table, 124 total
go a bit faster than using either the mortising machine
which doesn't do end grain well - or the TREND mortise
and tenon jig. Will report back about how that goes.

charlie b

This thread brings to mind sporting equipment such as skies and tennis
raquets. You can buy ever more expensive tools (Read Festool ) but
there is a limit on how much improvement you will see in your work
product over a high quality but less expensive tools(Read, Porter
Cable, Milwaukee,Hitachi et al).
Even if I buy the most expensive raquet in the world, chances are I'm
not going to beat Pete Sampras, nor will I be able to beat Tiger with
the most costly clubs.
Joe G