Norm and Festool

[Paul McGaha]

I stumbled across this today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84vE-2mSqtc

I wonder if Norm uses tools from Festool? I'm thinking he does. He always seemed to appreciate good tools.

PHM

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I learned a lot from Norm and he introduced me to tools I didn't have any idea existed that were very useful. However, I don't think he ever said no to a potential sponsor and used a lot of tools that had limited usefulness or were simply too expensive for me to justify. I'd really like to know which tools he used because he liked them and which he used because he was paid to do so.

[Rich Riddle]

Here is a link to the tools he used, if you are interested:
http://www.normstools.com/normstools.shtml

[Jim Becker]

I don't know if Norm used Festool much himself, but his sidekick Tommy did/does on TOH as well as in his regular contracting business. Tommy's original Festool exposure came from a fellow SMC member...Uncle Bob.

[keith micinski]

This was a great video I wish there was more stuff like this out there. A more in depth history of Tom silva would be pretty cool to see also.

[Peter Quinn]

Wow...he's just a regular guy. Though that was always obvious. There is so much hype surrounding Mr. Abrahms. I've spoken to people who adore him beyond reason, and to others who vilify him as if he had done the wood working profession a discredit. I never understood either perspective. I always liked his presentations on both shows, he comes through as an honest regular dedicated craftsman IMO, and that video is a deep explanation and exploration of the real man. Thanks for posting that. First time I remember seeing festool was on TOH, Norm and Tommy were doing a very small house near the beach IIR, and the entry wouldn't allow standard cabinet boxes through the door but the kitchen desperately needed as much space as possible. So with a router and track saw they site built a custom kitchen, made doors and face frames, assembled boxes in the house then nailed on FF's in the house. Looked pretty good when finished, they did it all in the driveway. That kind of thing sticks in my mind years later. I don't remember seeing festool much on NYW, more of a porter cable show. I know its PBS but I never had a problem with him using tools from underwriters unless there presence was not credible. If I saw him with a gimiky craftsman or skill home shop type router, I'd raise an eyebrow pretty high. Good stuff.

[Loren Woirhaye]

I'm sure he uses Festool tools when they save him time. When the Festool track saws hit the US market, lots of us who were working wood professionally saw the advantage and invested. I doubt Norm is any different. The Festool routers and planers are pretty cool too. The one-handed 1010 plunge router is a Mafell design.

It looks like he's taking good care of himself. Good for him.

[Kevin Womer]

I enjoyed the interview, I had watched it some time ago and watched it again last night. I credit Norm for my passion I have for woodworking. His gift for breaking down each project gave people confidence to get into woodworking. I do miss his shows and still watch some reruns online.

[Wayne Lovell]

Almost every product you see on TV or in the movies is a result of "branding" the hero drives a Ford (or Chevy etc.), drinks brand X soda and the truck the villain runs into in the chase is a coke because they paid the most. Nothing wrong with it, just the way things work.

[Jim German]

Norm was sponsored for years by delta/porter cable. So those were the tools he used. I'm sure he's got a few Festools though, every once in awhile one will sneak into a shot, and you see him using them on TOH sometimes too.