Festool 1400 Router Dust collection

[Mark Singer]

In making the doors , several suggested that I use the dust collecyion on the 1400 router . Well I tried it and maybe its me , but the results were not great. The chips on the table are with the vacuum runing and the dust colection nozzle on. I had just cleaned my vacuum before and only 20% of the dust was collected....not very good for shleping (dragging) around the hose and potentialy screwing up a cut with the drag of it. Also the steped adjustment only has 3 screws they are hard to adjust with a screwdriver and you have to unplunge to rotate them. The photo shows the Bosch with 7 convient , easy to swivel steps... I have a lot of festool stuff and I like most of it....Just a few complaints....maybe someone can educate me?

[Rick Schubert]

I'll be interested in the comments as I was seriously thinking of buying the Festool 1400 router. One of the big advantages I saw in it was its "superior" dust collection.

Rick

[Mike Cutler]

Mark. You are a better man than I am. Finally someone admitted that a hose hooked to a router is a liability. I have a PC 8529 with a dust collection hookup, and a Fein turbo vac. It doesn't work very well, and I have messed up material with it because of the hose. I don't use it(DC feature) any more, I just wear a mask.
I'd switch back to the Bosch if you can. It seems that you are mentally more comfortable with it anyway. It would really be a shame to make a mistake at the point in the construction of that door, that your photo indicates you are currently at.

[Rich Konopka]

Mark, It wasn't the router or the operator. It must have been the router bit.:rolleyes::eek:;)

[Norman Hitt]

Mark, IMHO, there are some operations, (like what you are doing currently) that chip/dust collection is neither effective, OR feasible. By the time you enclosed all the areas around the bit that the chips can fly, you would not be able to get the bit to the work, or see what you were doing either, Unless you left all the DC attachment off and hooked up maybe a 100 hp DC to the router. :D I don't even use the stepped depth attachment on my plungers, as a matter of fact, I removed them, as they just get in the way of the brass bars I use to set depths with, which seemed to work better and more accurately for me.

Love the doors, can't wait to see them finished.

[Dan Forman]

Mark---I used mine for the first time the other day and found the dust collection to be very good. I was using a 3/8" straight bit, perhaps the larger bit you were using makes it more difficult to capture the chips?

Dan

[Michael Perata]

Mark

I found when using a 3/4" bit with the 1400 for a dado operation, most of the chips stayed in the dado and weren't cleaned by the shop vac.

When edge routing with the edge hood, the shop vac collected almost everything. I think Norman has it correct with the ability to seal off the work area being the consideration for collecting the chips. The edge hood does a good job in sealing off the work, hence, a good job of collecting the chips.

I also found the step screws to be a PITA.

[Mark Singer]

The Bosch stepped adjustment works great and it is easy... I think the hose is a liability and you lose that feeling for the router that is so important! The dust collection sucks...in a bad way:rolleyes:
Mark, IMHO, there are some operations, (like what you are doing currently) that chip/dust collection is neither effective, OR feasible. By the time you enclosed all the areas around the bit that the chips can fly, you would not be able to get the bit to the work, or see what you were doing either, Unless you left all the DC attachment off and hooked up maybe a 100 hp DC to the router. :D I don't even use the stepped depth attachment on my plungers, as a matter of fact, I removed them, as they just get in the way of the brass bars I use to set depths with, which seemed to work better and more accurately for me.

Love the doors, can't wait to see them finished.

[Bill Esposito]

Mark, IMHO, there are some operations, (like what you are doing currently) that chip/dust collection is neither effective, OR feasible. By the time you enclosed all the areas around the bit that the chips can fly, you would not be able to get the bit to the work, or see what you were doing either, I agree, the only way to get all those chips is bottom side dust collection....which is not feasable in this application.

[Mark Singer]

I agree with you 100 % ! They are both nice routers and I am sure there is a place for the dust collection ...probably when you have a small bit and are not making much dust. I woould not want a hose on if I was free routing a hinge mortise....
Mark. You are a better man than I am. Finally someone admitted that a hose hooked to a router is a liability. I have a PC 8529 with a dust collection hookup, and a Fein turbo vac. It doesn't work very well, and I have messed up material with it because of the hose. I don't use it(DC feature) any more, I just wear a mask.
I'd switch back to the Bosch if you can. It seems that you are mentally more comfortable with it anyway. It would really be a shame to make a mistake at the point in the construction of that door, that your photo indicates you are currently at.

[John Shuk]

Mark,
I can think of one reason that this may be an issue. It looks like the chips are a little big for the vacuum. It may be that the Mahoghany is staying together long enough for the chip to get too heavy for the vacuum to be as effective as possible. I'd be interested to see the result with a differt wood.

[Mark Singer]

John,

I don't think the wood is the problem...mahogany chips are similar to walnut and maple....A less agressive bit would make smaller chips and less dust and it would probably do a better job. It seems like it should do a better job when it is required and the chips are many ...


Mark,
I can think of one reason that this may be an issue. It looks like the chips are a little big for the vacuum. It may be that the Mahoghany is staying together long enough for the chip to get too heavy for the vacuum to be as effective as possible. I'd be interested to see the result with a differt wood.

[Jim Becker]

In my testing, I had almost no dust left when using the Festool collection. However, for edge work like you are doing, I also used the swiveling under router hood to insure that material was directed. I did not test with a rabitting bit, however.

http://sawsndust.com/images/reviews/OF1400EQPlus-dust.jpg

http://sawsndust.com/images/reviews/OF1400EQPlus-dust1.jpg

[Steve Rowe]

Mark - I agree with Jim on this one. Your setup would work great for plunge cuts but you need the hood installed so that the vacuum will suck the chips upward. The downside to the setup you picture is that the hood won't fit in the corners. If the rabbits were made prior to assembly, it would work much better.

Steve

[Mark Singer]

I will try it...I think your both right. The manual is very hard to read with tiny print and very small pictures....I will gave that a try! Thanks
Mark - I agree with Jim on this one. Your setup would work great for plunge cuts but you need the hood installed so that the vacuum will suck the chips upward. The downside to the setup you picture is that the hood won't fit in the corners. If the rabbits were made prior to assembly, it would work much better.

Steve

[Dan Forman]

Mark---Get a hold of Bob Marino and ask him for the link to the "unofficial" manual for the 1400 router. It is much better than the one that comes with the router. It's a pdf file which you can print out and keep with the router.

Dan

[JayStPeter]

Mark,

I have had mixed results with the DC. It seems to depend on the bit and cut type. With a roundover bit using the cup, it was excellent. A slot cutter in the same setup is not as good. I've been thinking of trying the edge guide DC on those bits that cut far down from the router base, just haven't had the opportunity yet. That would involve having the edge guide on, but I don't see that as a problem.
With the Festool, I haven't had dust shooting all the way across my shop (or been covered with it) like my Bosch. Overall, I consider the DC a large positive to this router.

I agree 100% about the depth stops relative to the Bosch. Even once adjusted, you have to be careful not to mistakenly be off by a click and have no stop at all. It's like having a neuteral between each gear in a sequential shift transmission. With the Bosch design you don't even have to look, just click plunge go. The downside of the Bosch is the overall height isn't adjustable. I think if the Festool just had one more turret and only a single "neuteral" area would be a significant improvement. Maybe even better than the Bosch since they can be adjusted. I realize this design is the industry standard, but I consider it as outdated as TS blade guards.

Overall, I like the 1400. Even with all the new features that make using it pleasurable, I think the DC is the thing that makes it worth the extra money to me. I had the fixed/plunge base Bosch kit. It has taken me a while to get used to using a plunge router to do all work, but I'm starting to like that now. Aside from the turret, the depth stop mechanism is excellent. I just need a calculator to convert to mm :rolleyes: .

Jay

[John Shuk]

The vacuum probably does remove the finest and most harmful dust thrown off. It does seem like a trade off though since it makes the router more difficult to handle.

[Rick Christopherson]

Although some of you already know my name, I have not registered for this forum until now. Bob Marino asked me to stop by the forum to help out on this Festool thread, and give you a link to the new instruction manual.

Let me address the turret system first. Don't get me wrong, I like Bosch tools very much. Until I discovered Festool, most of my hand tools were Bosch (4-drills, 2-routers, belt sander).

While the 7-position turret on the Bosch plunge router is easy to use, it lacks the adjustability common to most other turrets. Granted, most woodworkers don't realize there are other capabilities for the turret than just progressive depths for deep plunges. However, with a calibrated turret (that you do yourself) you can create repeatable and accurate depth settings even after you change the bits (refer to the new manual for details).
===========================
Dust Collection:
Doing the rabbet cuts such as shown will not have very effective dust collection with any router. This is because the entire cut is below the base, and the side is completely open. In other words, the chips will be leaving the cutting area too fast for a vacuum to capture them.

It's kind of analogous to launching a rocket into space. The velocity of the rocket has to be a certain amount (18,000 mph I think) otherwise it will get pulled back by gravity. The velocity of the chips leaving the cutter is too high for the air to pull them back. If the chips had something to constrain them to the cutting area, then they would be captured. This could be the other side of a dado cut, or the chip deflector shown in another posting.
===========================
Instruction Manual:
There is a new instruction manual for the OF1400 router, but I am feeling a little cautious about posting it here because it has not officially been released. I think the manual might be released within the next couple of days, otherwise I wouldn't be posting it here.

Until the manual is officially released on the Festoolusa.com website, I ask that you not share it with anyone outside of this thread. Additionally, I have been having problems with my ISP, so I hope the link works this time.

The new manual is loaded with graphics and information you won't find in ANY other router manual, but it is about 2.6 Mb.

http://waterfront-woods.home.att.net/festool/OF1400.pdf

[John Lucas]

Mark,
Some thoughts. The size of the waste is important. The long shreds seem not to be able to follow the vacuum flow. Even though the router can handle the cut, I use more stepped routing just to keep the dust easier to get in, but not trapped in dust collection. Yes, the Festool screw steps are not as conveninet as Bosches, but they are useable.
I think we have to agree that there are some routing conditions where no matter what, dust isnt going to be picked up. I was dadoing white melamine yesterday and most of the dust was remaining in the dado. But when I backed down the cut, most of it got picked up.
Lastly, the hose can be a royal pain in the ___ so I have a hangar above the worktable to loop the hose over. I will get a picture in a day or two. Festool sells the coil accessory for hanging the hose over the vacuum. It works some of the time. The "skyhook" works all the time. I make one practise run just to determine where the hose will be laid on the hook.

[Mark Singer]

Well,

I gave it another try using the lower cup as Jim Becker suggested and it actually helped and retained a lot of the chips. Here is the problem, the cup will not let you rout an inside corner. It stops about 2" back. So now you have to remove the cup to go around corners. It swivels as if it were designed to go around corners, but it won't! It seems like many of the design features that people pay extra for don't really work on this router. It hasn't really been thought out that well. I would rather not recieve a feature that doesn't work ...then to have another gimmick. It is smooth and quiet, like the Bosch. Plunges smoothly like the Bosch. The step control is terrible ...the Bosch has a great one and it has dust collection that only works if you rout straight and use certain bits set to a minimum depth.
So why is it a lot more money? Like 2 times the cost of the Bosch which I think is better? Lots of features some work some don't. I still have my 35 year old Rockwell 100....simple and does what it is supposed to!

[John Stevens]

Mark, thanks for posting this thread--for so long I've felt like the only person who thinks the turret system on the Festool routers is inadequate. (I have the OF1000, and it's the same story--only three settings.)
Without meaning any disrespect to Rick Christopherson, his response regarding the lack of adjustability of the Bosch turret totally misses your point--adjustability is nice, but three posts are inadequate, regardless of whether they're adjustable. I own a PC690, which has six posts on the turret, and all six are adjustable. In fact, they're more easily adjustable than on the Festool!

For what it's worth, on my Festool router, I use my thumb between the upper post and the longest post on the turret to give me a makeshift fourth position, but that kind of Mickey Mouse solution shouldn't be necessary on a router that's so expensive, and otherwise so well thought-out.

Even worse than the three positions is the fact that there are three "ghost" detents in between the real detents. (If you remove the turret and look at the underside, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.) I find it's fairly easy to mistakenly stop the turret on one of the ghost detents, in which case the upper and lower posts don't line up and the router can plunge straight down until the collet bottoms out! After ruining a couple of cuts that way, I now rotate the turret slowly and deliberately, which definitely undercuts the "efficiency" that Festool touts so highly in its promotional materials.

I've thought many times about making my own turret to replace Festool's. One of these days....

[Mark Singer]

John,
Very good points and You must release the plunge to rotate the turret which is really inconvient...I have 7 routers and this feature on the Festool is the poorest designed of the pack... Even the super cheap Hitachi and Freud have much better depth control. This is a feature you use all the time on a plunge router. Plunge is right in the name of the tool and controling the depth should be a very well designed feature.

Mark, thanks for posting this thread--for so long I've felt like the only person who thinks the turret system on the Festool routers is inadequate. (I have the OF1000, and it's the same story--only three settings.)
Without meaning any disrespect to Rick Christopherson, his response regarding the lack of adjustability of the Bosch turret totally misses your point--adjustability is nice, but three posts are inadequate, regardless of whether they're adjustable. I own a PC690, which has six posts on the turret, and all six are adjustable. In fact, they're more easily adjustable than on the Festool!

For what it's worth, on my Festool router, I use my thumb between the upper post and the longest post on the turret to give me a makeshift fourth position, but that kind of Mickey Mouse solution shouldn't be necessary on a router that's so expensive, and otherwise so well thought-out.

Even worse than the three positions is the fact that there are three "ghost" detents in between the real detents. (If you remove the turret and look at the underside, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.) I find it's fairly easy to mistakenly stop the turret on one of the ghost detents, in which case the upper and lower posts don't line up and the router can plunge straight down until the collet bottoms out! After ruining a couple of cuts that way, I now rotate the turret slowly and deliberately, which definitely undercuts the "efficiency" that Festool touts so highly in its promotional materials.

I've thought many times about making my own turret to replace Festool's. One of these days....

[JayStPeter]

I've thought many times about making my own turret to replace Festool's. One of these days....

Yep, I've got a design in mind. All I need is a piece of Al, metal lathe and mill. Not much to ask :cool: .

Mark, the cup eventually loosens up and swivels a little easier. But, I agree, not ideal. Still better than a 15' spewing of sawdust though.
I have a lot of the same feelings I had with my Bosch router. At first I thought it was the hot ticket. But, with time, I grew less fond of them. The Festool due to reasons you mention, the Bosch because the motor corrodes so much it is useless a couple weeks after I sand it down and wax it.

Jay

[Mark Singer]

Jay,

Just call Bosch on the corrosion....They changed mine to aluminium and they are like new...I think it is superior to the Festool in a lot of respects...not to mention you can get a Bosch with 2 bases 1/2 the price oof the Festool!


Yep, I've got a design in mind. All I need is a piece of Al, metal lathe and mill. Not much to ask :cool: .

Mark, the cup eventually loosens up and swivels a little easier. But, I agree, not ideal. Still better than a 15' spewing of sawdust though.
I have a lot of the same feelings I had with my Bosch router. At first I thought it was the hot ticket. But, with time, I grew less fond of them. The Festool due to reasons you mention, the Bosch because the motor corrodes so much it is useless a couple weeks after I sand it down and wax it.

Jay

[Mark Singer]

Jay,

Here are my 2 Bosch after the free factory housing change to aluminium. What a difference! They are easy to adjust now! The other picture is my old Rockwell....he feels a little left out these days...still runs great though...

[Steve Rowe]

John,
Very good points and You must release the plunge to rotate the turret which is really inconvient...I have 7 routers and this feature on the Festool is the poorest designed of the pack... Even the super cheap Hitachi and Freud have much better depth control. This is a feature you use all the time on a plunge router. Plunge is right in the name of the tool and controling the depth should be a very well designed feature.
I really don't know what you guys are talking about on this plunge issue. I can easily rotate the turrent on the OF-1400 without releasing the plunge. I compared this to the turrents on my Bosch 1613EVS and Hitachi TR-12 routers and it is easier to rotate on the Festool router. I don't do this during real use due to safety concerns as I like to have both hands on the router when it is on and keep fingers away from the rotating bit.
Steve

[Bob Marino]

Mark,

Obviously, I read this post with deep interest - and concern. The stock manuals from Festool are gradually being updated by excellent professionals like Rick Christopherson and Jerry Work. The current ones in no way cover the features of the tools.
Sooooooo, I went to my shop (ha!) and did a few quick test cuts with the 1400 using a CMT rabetting bit on a 3/4" mahogany board (only 1 sq foot). I made the cuts in one pass (15/16th") and it was an outside rabbet.
The first cut was with just the overhead dust extraction hood, the next with no dc at all and the last with the overhead extraction hood and swivelling dust catcher. The cuts with no dust extraction were very messy and with just the overhead hood were at least 100% - very noticeably better than with no dc. When I also added the swivelling dust catcher, there was hardly any dust/chips - almost none - I would guess about 95% or better of the dust/chips were collected. Obviously, having a hose connected to the router (any router, for that matter) does affect the "feel" of the router to the wood, but very minimized if the hose is held above or at work level rather than dragging from a lower level such as the vac's dc port. I find chips and dust blowing over my workpiece and around the shop much more of a hinderance to routing effectively than the drag of the hose.
There are some types of cuts that the dc will be more effective on than others, that's the nature of the tool, but I have used other routers also, and in the dc department, they are in no way as effective as the Festool routers.
Also, your points regarding the chip catcher not being able to make that turn was another source of concern to me. I used the chip catcher on outside rabetts and it works perfectly (makes the turn) but you need to slightly turn (if that is the correct word) the router and the chip catcher does swivel right along. At the corner of the turn there was a small amount of dust/chips. Turning/manuevering the router in no way affects the cut. I will check if that is still the case on inside corners tomorrow and get back to you.
Regarding the turret, even though I have no problem with the (fairly common) 3 step turret design on the 1400, I agree with you - I did like the multi-stepped one I had on my Bosch 1613 better. I will have that passed on to Festool Germany.

Bob

[Jim Becker]

Regarding the hose...I tend to drape it over my shoulder when using it with the router and sometimes even when sanding...it keeps it out of the way and minimimizes the change to the "feel" of the opertation, although not totally.

[Peter Pedisich]

Mark,

The Bosch was my dream router for years and that Festool 1400 looks very nice but...that Rockwell really does it for me!

If I could get the turret of the Bosch with the plunge action and side handle of the Festool and it looked like the Rockwell...that would be a router!

I think the fact that Bob Marino is going to pass your opinion of the turret design on to Festool Germany is great and exactly what's needed. I work in manufacturing and sometimes a certain feature is there because after in house debate certain engineers prevail with their design and it turns out they were not right. Well meaning but wrong.

And, if you ever want to get rid of that Rockwell....;)

Pete

[Dave Malen]

Was just using mine today. I love the balance and feel to this router. I like a previous poster have taken the turret off the router. This way I can set the plunge depth more accurately. I find that the dust collection is superior to any router that I have used in the past including the Bosch and the dewalt 621. I agree with Mark that having to raise the plunge rod to make an adjustment is a PIA. But, if memory serves me correctly, (which it may not) don't all plungers do this?) I would really appreciate it if Festool made a scale with inches instead of cm. Just an extra step converting. (Old habits die hard!)

Dave Malen

[Mark Singer]

Bob, and others.....Thanks for your suggestions. The dust collection sems to work well on straight runs and if the lower cup is in place. On an inside corner , I don't think it can make the turn and that is what I was doing here...that is a pretty common operation and it seems like they could design something to work on an inside corner. Since the manual is silent on this and many oter functions....if someone can get it to work on an inside corner with the cup on please tell me how...


The turret is really a mess...the screws engage with the post above and do not allow it to turn. 3 steps is very limited for making passes and the screws for the fine adjustment are difficult to turn. I think Festool should really design a new step turret and send it out free to all owners of the 1400....the one it comes with is a joke and is frustrating to use. Like many I started not using it and tried to set my own steps for passes....this is difficult and frustrating since it needs to be done quickly ...not what you would expect in a router of this price. It is true some lesser models have similar ones...but those even work better, and in a router where it is designed for ergonomics and ease of use ....I must state it is a disappointment! The manual should explain the dust collection on inside and outside corners and a lot of other things....If you read the posts users are taking the turret completely off....sounds like it doesn't work!

[JayStPeter]

Mark,

Since the Bosch was my only real handheld router I've put off replacing the case. Now that I have the Festool, I'll do it. I should've done it a long time ago.
While I initially liked the Bosch's operation, I started looking at the DW621 within a few weeks of buying it. Something about the design makes it spew dust further than any other router I've seen. Literally on the day I was going to pull the trigger on the 621 I read a post about the new Festool router that was coming out. I wound up waiting around a year for it. Even with a replacement base, the Bosch isn't my ideal router. The jury is still out on the Festool .. the turret isn't the only thing that bugs me.

Jay

[Mark Singer]

The Bosch plunges with the touch of your thumb and there are tiny steps as you releease and push down a bit....this is realy nice for routing deep mortises like on the doors I was making and making pass after pass plunging just a bit each time. The Festool requires turning the knob and I haven't tried it for thid type of operation , but I think it will be awkward. I wore out the bearings on many Porter Cable plunge routers....they don't see to hold up and are noisier. I am often running large bits on chair patterns or table legs and smoothness is real important! The Bosch is much nicer with the new housing so get it done when you get a chance.

I think I will evaluate some of these operarions on the Festool and post a response...I need to give it a fair shake.
Mark,

Since the Bosch was my only real handheld router I've put off replacing the case. Now that I have the Festool, I'll do it. I should've done it a long time ago.
While I initially liked the Bosch's operation, I started looking at the DW621 within a few weeks of buying it. Something about the design makes it spew dust further than any other router I've seen. Literally on the day I was going to pull the trigger on the 621 I read a post about the new Festool router that was coming out. I wound up waiting around a year for it. Even with a replacement base, the Bosch isn't my ideal router. The jury is still out on the Festool .. the turret isn't the only thing that bugs me.

Jay

[Rick Christopherson]

I wasn't going to reengage in this discussion because the tone was more along the lines of "the glass is half empty" and I would just as soon not get involved. However, I thought I would stop in and point out a couple of things I've seen recently. (Please keep in mind that I don't work for Festool, and don't speak for Festool.)


I'm at work and don't have access to my router to see this first hand, but Festool informed me this morning that the chip diverter has markings on it where you can cut the diverter down (if you wanted to) specifically to be used on inside corners. (By the way, I just looked at the Bosch owner's manual, and their diverter can't be cut down, nor does it rotate.)


I personally don't route a lot of inside corners, so I wouldn't bother with the modification myself. However, if it was something I did frequently, I would get an extra diverter and not only trim the leading edge down, but also trim the height down too. By default, most inside routing is done on a work table (as shown in the first picture of this thread) so there is not much room for a diverter of any kind. Except for the OF1400, I have not seen another router that even attempts to address this type of dust collection.


Based on the most recent comments, I don't think you have downloaded the new manual yet. You made is sound as though the manual was lacking in information (the original manual was). While it is not feasible to cover every aspect of using a tool in a manual, I guarantee that you cannot find another router manual anywhere that goes into as much detail as the new OF1400 manual does. (I had experienced router users comment to me that the manual taught them things they hadn't known about before.)


What I think I was hearing you say is that you are trying to use the turret posts to make fine adjustments to the depth. The manual describes how to calibrate the offsets between the posts, but they should not be used for fine-tuning a specific depth. The depth post has a fine-adjustment wheel for this task. There should be no reason (that I'm aware of at least) that the turret posts should be readjusted during an operation.

=====================
I do agree that it would be nice having more posts on the turret. During my short research this morning, I have not found anyone that made all 6 posts adjustable however (including PC) but I could be wrong. I'll make mention of this to Festool when I reply to their email.



Bob, and others.....Thanks for your suggestions. The dust collection sems to work well on straight runs and if the lower cup is in place. On an inside corner , I don't think it can make the turn and that is what I was doing here...that is a pretty common operation and it seems like they could design something to work on an inside corner. Since the manual is silent on this and many oter functions....if someone can get it to work on an inside corner with the cup on please tell me how...




The turret is really a mess...the screws engage with the post above and do not allow it to turn. 3 steps is very limited for making passes and the screws for the fine adjustment are difficult to turn. I think Festool should really design a new step turret and send it out free to all owners of the 1400....the one it comes with is a joke and is frustrating to use. Like many I started not using it and tried to set my own steps for passes....this is difficult and frustrating since it needs to be done quickly ...not what you would expect in a router of this price. It is true some lesser models have similar ones...but those even work better, and in a router where it is designed for ergonomics and ease of use ....I must state it is a disappointment! The manual should explain the dust collection on inside and outside corners and a lot of other things....If you read the posts users are taking the turret completely off....sounds like it doesn't work!

[John Stevens]

I have not found anyone that made all 6 posts adjustable however (including PC) but I could be wrong.

My mistake, Rick. My PC690 has six posts, but "only" three are adjustable. (On the other hand, they're adjustable with a hex wrench, which makes adjustments faster and easier than with Festool's slotted screws.) In fairness to Festool, I'll say that the turret is the only aspect in which the PC690 outperforms the OF1000, and the OF1000 was worth its price, IMO.

[Mike Vermeil]

[QUOTE=Mark Singer]Just call Bosch on the corrosion....They changed mine to aluminium and they are like new...QUOTE]

Mark,

What exactly do you mean by corrosion? Did the outside of the motor housing corrode?

I bought a Bosch kit about 6 months ago and love it, but I did/do have a couple problems. My motor housing is aluminum, and for some reason I've been getting strange 'gouge' marks (for lack of a better term) at the top end of the motor housing after using the motor in the fixed base. They don't really hurt anything, but I can't quite figure out what's causing them. Initially I thought maybe I didn't have the motor clamp tight enough, but that's not the case. They line up with the ribs inside the fixed base. The other problem I had was gouging on the motor housing around the recesses that engage the pin on the base, and a couple other areas on the motor. I deburred the opening of the fixed base and that problem seems to be under control, but the motor housing now looks a little less than stellar with all the filing and sanding I had to do to clean up the gouged areas. Here's what the gouges at the top of the housing look like. They're hard to see in the pic, but are made up of a series of short horizontal scratches stacked up to form the vertical "gouge" you can see.

[Bob Marino]

[QUOTE=Mark Singer]Just call Bosch on the corrosion....They changed mine to aluminium and they are like new...QUOTE]

Mark,

What exactly do you mean by corrosion? Did the outside of the motor housing corrode?

I bought a Bosch kit about 6 months ago and love it, but I did/do have a couple problems. My motor housing is aluminum, and for some reason I've been getting strange 'gouge' marks (for lack of a better term) at the top end of the motor housing after using the motor in the fixed base. They don't really hurt anything, but I can't quite figure out what's causing them. Initially I thought maybe I didn't have the motor clamp tight enough, but that's not the case. They line up with the ribs inside the fixed base. The other problem I had was gouging on the motor housing around the recesses that engage the pin on the base, and a couple other areas on the motor. I deburred the opening of the fixed base and that problem seems to be under control, but the motor housing now looks a little less than stellar with all the filing and sanding I had to do to clean up the gouged areas. Here's what the gouges at the top of the housing look like. They're hard to see in the pic, but are made up of a series of short horizontal scratches stacked up to form the vertical "gouge" you can see.

Mike,

I can't address the other issues, but the earlier housings were of magnesium and tended to corrode and pit. To correct that problem, Bosch decided to make them out of aluminum.

Bob

[JayStPeter]

[QUOTE=Mark Singer]Just call Bosch on the corrosion....They changed mine to aluminium and they are like new...QUOTE]

Mark,

What exactly do you mean by corrosion? Did the outside of the motor housing corrode?

I bought a Bosch kit about 6 months ago and love it, but I did/do have a couple problems. My motor housing is aluminum, and for some reason I've been getting strange 'gouge' marks ...

As Bob mentioned, the corrosion is entirely different from what you show. The symptom is that if you leave the motor in a base for a couple months, you have to beat it out with a scrap of wood and a hammer. My motor looks significantly different than your shiny one. :eek:

As far as your gouges go, I have some ideas. In trying to smooth the operation of my corrosion prone router, I found some nibs on the inside of the bases. You may want to feel around and knock them down with some fine sandpaper. I originally feared that sanding the coating off the base would cause it to corrode also, but that has proven not to be the case.

Jay