On Sat, 6 Mar 2021 09:31:46 -0600, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote:
On 3/5/2021 4:56 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 5 Mar 2021 10:56:09 -0600, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote:
So, I have built hundreds of cabinet doors. AND edge sanding is a RPIA.
It is time consuming and relatively inaccurate at best.
So 10 or so years ago I decided a stationary edge sander might be the
solution. And then I reconsidered, given the price and all. So up
until the day before yesterday I continued to edge sand with my hand
held sander. In fact I edge sanded 29 white oak kitchen cabinet doors
on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Going back about 6 months I learned that, wait for it, wait, wait,
Festool has come out with an edge sanding attachment for their newest
ROS 125 sander.
Highland said they had it several months ago but, of course, they're
closed for the 'rona holiday and I wanted to see it before buying.
Still waiting...
The attachment? Order it from Amazon. Remember you have a return
policy with Festool.
Trying not to deal with Amazon anymore. Not sure how Festool returns
work otherwise.
Woah.... Smaller than a stationary edge sander, and, well that is about
it. Not available in the U.S. until some time in October. And yet I
did not see the attachment become relatively available until a week or
so ago. So I started searching to buy this attachment. Amazon,
Woodcraft, all the normal stockers of Festool had it in stock. Price
$99. What??? What is the catch? The catch is that it only fits one of
two brand new Festool Sanders. OK so which ones. Ah, the new corded
one and the battery operated one.
The corded one is $205. The ETS 125 REQ-Plus.
It also fits the "Pro 5 LTD". You don't have one?
Wow! It looks like it would actually work. I think the main difference
is that the later version may have a 250 watt motor and includes the new
style dust bag. That think works pretty well and reduces the bulk of
the hose for this particular use.
No I don't have that one, I have the larger ETS EC 125/3. It is more
robust and slightly heavier.
But it don't work. I have an ETS-125 RE but it only fits the ETS-25
REQ. I do have the Pro 5 (for $50 WITH a systainer it was silly to
pass on it).
Soooo a corded Festool 5" ROS and edge guide for $304.00??? Yup that
is it.
So I proceed to buy both items and come to a scree4ching halt. No one
has the sander in stock and the earliest expected delivery date is late
May. ;~(
I understand that there is a huge backorder on almost all power tools.
I have been seeing this on most all brands. And a reason that I chose a
Jet over a Hammer machine 3 months ago.
I want to see the new Laguna jointer. I liked the old 8" but they're
promising great things with the new one. When? I'm also looking at
the Jet. I don't see the extra $500 for the ugly Powermatic.
I searched on line for 3 days and no luck untillllll, I finished edge
sanding 29 cabinet doors. and the next morning I decided to check
a local hard wood dealer in the down town Houston area. I thought maybe
they will have the sander and if they do I can buy the attachment
anywhere. So call, Yes, Steve says that they have 2 of that particular
sander in stock and I tell him I am on my way. Oh! One more thing
Steve, do you have the edge sander attachment? YES! he says, and I'm
already out the door.
So Steve works for a hardwood dealer that is not known to be the least
expensive supplier in town but they have been around forever, well they
looked old 40 years ago and Steve was there 40 years ago too. He seemed
much younger then. So On the way to the lumber yard I was thinking.
Thank goodness for Festool pricing policy, every one sells for the same
price. And indeed Steve sold me the combination of tools for exactly
what every one was selling the tools for. Whew!
At Festool prices, dealers don't HAVE to gouge customers.
Exactly, they all make a reasonable profit. Dealers have to sell
service to have an advantage. Although I have seen some pretty inflated
prices on some Festool Items on Amazon. I saw a MFT table being offered
for over $1K. It normally sells for under $800 IIRC. Probably not a
dealer and someone buying up extras to sell to the desperate.
Sure. If it were a dealer I think they'd lose their franchise pretty
quickly.
So I am back home and begin attaching the attachment to the sander and
calibrating the 90 degree setting and all is well. I actually remove
the sander from the attachment via 2 5mm hex head bolts, and then
reattach. I wanted to see if the calibration remained accurate, Yes!
Then on to testing. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
Shockingly easy, fast, great results!!!
Soooo this pic is of a scrap piece of 3/4" white oak plywood. It's hat
you would expect the factory edge to look like.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb112...in/dateposted/
That Jet still has its shipping plastic on it!
LOL That was in January.
Then about 5 seconds of sanding with the new edge sander with 180 grit
paper.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb112...n/photostream/
And is the edge still square? YES!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb112...n/photostream/
And best of all, that edge is as smooth as glass with sharp corners.
If you ever considered a Festool sander, this one is relatively
inexpensive, $205.00 and includes the new reusable style dust collector
bag, and Systainer. And for $99.00 more you have a very very good edge
sander.
...as soon as I see one. I had to convince the local Woodcraft that
they even existed in someone's imagination.
If you do any amount of edge sanding at all and you see one, or get one,
you will not want to return it.
It looks a bit too simple to be effective but it really does a good job
with little effort to keep it sanding squarely.
And because it does sand squarely, motorized sanding is much faster as
it is cutting the whole surface all at once.
The concept is so simple it has to work but I'm a show me. I really
like the Festool sanders. They're the only ones I've had that don't
shred paper and aren't just an all around PITA to use. Dust
collection is just the icing.