New Festool OF1010 and CT Mini vac

[JimB1]

I just picked up the Festool OF1010 and CT Mini combo.

I was out at Woodcraft yesterday and I didn't know it but they had a Festool demo day so I got to use the OF1010 for a little but and go through the features first hand. This is a pretty awesome little router.

I had been looking at the OF1010 for a while now as my Freud combo isn't the easiest plunge router to use so most of the time it stays in the fixed base on the router table. I wasn't sure about spending that sort of cash and getting into the whole system thing with Festool but the dust collection and the vac features really sold my wife on it. I was waffling a bit on the price but she actually just told them we'd take it. She's seen the basement after I use my Freud routing a couple of edges and while I do vacuum up afterwards, an hour or so later there is still dust around as the stuff in the air settles so I have to clean a second time.

They didn't have the CT mini in stock so they gave me the demo model to use while the new one is on order. It should be in around 10 days or so but it's pretty cool that they let me borrow the demo to use in the meantime.

If anyone else is using this combo or either the vac or router separately and has any tips, tricks or accessories you've found useful I'd be interested in hearing your experiences.

Thanks

-Jim

[tombuhl]

That's the router Marc S uses often. Believe he is very pleased with it. I bought the 1400 late last year, with a vac system like you did (but full size). The 1400 is a beast (weight-wise), but so nicely balanced that it is not a problem. I agree, it was cool that they let you use the demo vac until the new one comes in. I find that I use my random orbit sander (not Festool) more often than in the past, because it is so nice to hook it up to the Festool vac system.

No special tips, but best wishes in your routing. Nice to work with a machine that you have confidence in.

Enjoy.

[PaulMarcel]

I don't have the OF-1010 so some suggestions may not work with that router.

Get the guide stops (#488752); they're the pads that let it run on the track. Using the router with the track is very useful for putting a straight dado (dovetail or otherwise) exactly where you need it. They also make the best extended base ever.

Very useful is the edging plate (#486058) and angle arm (#486052). Combined, you can flip the router horizontally. This is hugely useful for flushing applied banding (also called nosing). Especially with an 8mm downspiral; I use this one in the MFK-700, but the OF-1010 would do it better and with more capacity. This is probably a more specialized use. I use this trick with the OF-1400 and, yes, its extra heft makes keeping it level more of a task. Trivial with the lighter OF-1010.

If you plan on using the OF-1010 to make dados for shelves, etc (with guide stops... ) a KM-1 from Bridge City is your friend. I have a video user's guide for the KM-1 here. Specifically the tutorial on using it with a router.

I've blogged about a number of special uses of the OF-1400 including some videos reviewing the router and its (much) bigger cousin the OF-2200. Throughout the video are tips on using the accessories for other purposes than what's intended (e.g., the guide stops). Might be interesting, might be 20 minutes of your life you wish you had back Blog is at HalfInchShy.com; if you look to the right of the article text, there's a label cloud. Look for the OF-1400 label for the articles. The Festool label will include those articles and many others if you need help justifying something.

[wilburpan]

Hi Jim,

I don't have any tips as I don't have a router (not one with a motor, that is ), but I was wondering if/how the 1/4"-1/2" router bit shank issue played into your decision to get the OF1010 instead of the OF1400.

[JimB1]

Hi Jim,

I don't have any tips as I don't have a router (not one with a motor, that is ), but I was wondering if/how the 1/4"-1/2" router bit shank issue played into your decision to get the OF1010 instead of the OF1400.

Hi Wilbur,

It didn't really play in much at all. I don't have all that many 1/2" bits and those I have I mainly use in the Freud in the table anyway. I have way more 1/4" bits. I'm not doing solid surfaces and rarely use wood harder then cherry and I can always fall back to my Freud if I find I specifically need to use a 1/2" bit. I think the size and ease of use outweigh the lack of 1/2" collet for me. It's a very user friendly router

Generally I haven't used my router handheld much at all and even do stopped dados on the table when the piece is small enough. I'm really planning on using this for things like signmaking, stopped dados on large pieces, dovetailing, and maybe edge banding if I get the adapter Paul pointed out. 1/4" should be fine for all that.

I suspect I'll find more uses for it...

Jim

[Tobbe Arnesson]

Make sure you treat that wife good, she sounds like a keeper!

Have fun with the new toys tools!

I'm gonna get the OF1010 as my next router, got a big heavy Trend T11 but will use that mostly table mounted.

[bois]

The 1/4" shank limitation was the sole reason I didn't go with the OF1010. It seems perfect for me in virtually every other way. So I'm likely going to bump up to the OF1400 especially now that I found out the Triton 3 1/4 HP units will be on backorder until at least September (can you say supply chain problem?). I do have the Festool CT mini, so I do really like how easy it will be to swap the hose from the ROS over to the router without much hassle. I'm just worried that with the larger volume of dust I'll get from the router, the mini bag might fill up pretty quickly.

[wilburpan]

It didn't really play in much at all. I don't have all that many 1/2" bits and those I have I mainly use in the Freud in the table anyway.

Do you think that your OF1010 and a 1/4" shank [whatever router bit is appropriate] router bit has any issues making a 3/4" wide 1/2" deep dado?

[JimB1]

Do you think that your OF1010 and a 1/4" shank [whatever router bit is appropriate] router bit has any issues making a 3/4" wide 1/2" deep dado?

Seems like it will be OK, but generally I only make 1/4"-3/8" deep dados in 3/4" ply for shelves in cabinets when I make them. If I'm doing deeper in denser wood I can always do multiple passes if needed. I've used 1/4" shank bits in my Freud without any issue making dovetails and dados in the past so I think I'll be OK with it. Sort of depends on the type of wood I guess. Worst case I find some 8mm shank straight bits. They seem to be available around as are dovetail bits. It's just profile bits and pattern bits that are rough to find in the US from what I can tell. I have friends in the UK I can tap if I really get desperate for 8mm bits

Like I said, I'm a hobbiest not a pro so I'm not routing hundreds of feet of hard maple daily or anything like that... I won't know all the limitations until I use it for a while but I think that's the nature of anything.

-Jim