New Tool/Relationship Advice :)

[Todd Jensen]

Hi, I am about to begin a new project that will include maple built-ins out of maple and maple ply. The materials are already on site and so will be built on site. I don't have a full size contractor table saw, just the small dewalt, as most of my stair rips are smaller stock. There are 2 tools that I thought would make this job easier, more efficient, and higher quality - a festool plunge-cut saw with guides for ripping the sheets, and a micropinner for nailing through the face frame. The micropinner would also come in handy as I'm installing pre-painted base shoe over newly finished hardwoods(its a large remodel). I'm looking for any advice from people who use these 2 tools, as well as any humorous anecdotes concerning carpenters who drive their wives crazy with new tool purchases. :rolleyes: Thanks for any input or advice -

[Jeff Raymond]

Good grief, advice for the love-lorn.

Oh well, as noted elsewhere, I am a big believer in begging for forgiveness instead of asking for permission. C'mon Todd, Guy Up and do the right thing.

Gotta go, my wife is asking for me. :D

[Hank Knight]

Todd,

I have both tools you mention and both are great. My shop is small, so running sheet goods through my tablesaw is something of a challenge. I bought the Festool with the guide rails specifically to break down sheet goods on saw horses in the yard. It is perfect for that task, and very accurate. You will find lots of other uses for it too.

Unless you are planning to glue your pre-painted base shoe in place. I don't think you will be happy with a 23 Ga. micro pinner for the job you describe. The pins are very light and don't have heads so they have very limited holding power. They are best for holding stuff in place until the glue dries. If you want the pins to be the primary fastener for the base shoe, consider an 18 Ga brad nailer as a minimum. The brads have heads and which gives them much stronger holding power than 23 Ga pins.

Hank

[Todd Jensen]

Thanks a lot Jeff and Hank. I am familiar with the forgiveness/permission loop of death, and I like to remember she's just going to yell at me anyways.:D Either way, I love your gentle reminder to reach down and grab a pair, and then run swiftly away before she realizes I grabbed them out of her freezer. :D And Hank, I appreciate the micropinner advice. I've actually got 3 18gauge pinners, so I'm all set for that, but your killing my justification.:) I'm hoping a combination of adhesive and cross-pinning might work for the shoe.
Any other input is very much appreciated, serious or otherwise.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

any humorous anecdotes concerning carpenters who drive their wives crazy with new tool purchases. :rolleyes: Thanks for any input or advice -

Consider the notion that what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

[jason lambert]

Yes, by all means get the Festool 55 it made my life 100% easer and safer. After using that I hate to pull out my table saw in fact it has almost replaced it (this is where I make people mad at me on this board) I haven't pulled it out of the shed in a while now. Although it is a DeWalt contractor saw not a real one.

I agree also the pin nail is to small for face boards. I would glue and bisket join or domino. If you ant to use the pin nailer to help hold it during glue up that is fine I do that allot but it is really to small for any holding power especially on a face frame where people might put some weight on it putting something heavy up on a shelf. For holding small molding with some glue that is not going to take any impact it is ok. I have a grex and would recommend it I do use mind allot but not on face frames.

[Todd Jensen]

Cliff, I try to reserve that theory for the local 'Naughty Latte' coffee stands.:D Tools and large purchases, I like to keep her involved; why I'm such a glutton for punishment I'll never know(I think the Marine Corps conditioned me...:) )

Jason, thanks for the input. I had heard similar takes on this, and it seems much more feasible and accurate for a finish carpenter to break down sheets on horses with a Festool than bust out a contractor saw and outfeed rollers, etc. I think your glowing review has me sold, so I'm out the door for the Festool. Hopefully I'll have a micropinner epiphany along the way.

Thanks guys!

[Don Bullock]

Hey Todd, go for it! If you truly need a tool to do a job right, then buy it. She'll undersatnd.;) I'm a firm beliver that if my wife or I truly need something, and we can afford it, we should get what we need. Fortunately she shares the same belief. True, we won't die rich, but we'll have enjoyed life a lot better.:D

[Bob Lang]

My license to be opinionated and judgmental only applies to woodworking stuff.

Re: the pinner- the new Models from Grex shoot longer fasteners making one exactly what you need. Once it's a need, not a craving justification is much easier.

Bob Lang

[Ed Falis]

I thought I saw someone offering the ATF-55 in the classifieds here (it's the recently superceded model, which I happen to have and love).

[Scott Thornton]

I wouldn't use a pinner to nail face frames on, not if that's all you're attaching them with...

Festool product would be great for sheet work...I'd recommend purchasing through Bob Marino, great guy to deal with...

[Ken Werner]

Todd, I've got a PC 23 gauge pinner, and it is not good for nailing and glueing a 3/4" thick face frame. It is good for locating molding while you clamp it up. I thought it would be alot more useful than it is. There are probably better ways to spend $100.

As for tool purchases, the deal at our house is that I make my dear wife whatever she wants, assuming I can do it. I get to buy whatever toys, I mean tools, I want - to do whatever we come up with. I'm an amateur, but my day job pays pretty well, and my wife and I have very similar values regarding quality and avoiding waste, so it works well for us.

I'm pretty lucky on all counts.

Ken

[glenn bradley]

(Read humor here) Clearly the tools required to do the job are part of normal operating expense and will be filled in on the spreadsheet in the right column immediately following purchase.

I celebrate the strength of your relationship. Nothing warms the heart like two people in love striving for a common goal of success. It's folks like you that make it worth getting up in the morning. I can think of . . . er . . . oh darn; my BS hopper ran dry.

[Todd Jensen]

Thanks for all the input and humor guys. I rode this storm out like I was crab fishing and went and got both. :D Ahh, feels good. I'm really excited about the Festool and guide rails( I got an extra 55"), and bought a Max 23g micropinner that shoots 1 3/8 - perfect I think for the small cove/shoe I need to install. Thanks again guys, it always helps to suffe...ahem, celebrate, with others. :D

[Don Bullock]

Thanks for all the input and humor guys. I rode this storm out like I was crab fishing and went and got both. :D Ahh, feels good. I'm really excited about the Festool and guide rails( I got an extra 55"), and bought a Max 23g micropinner that shoots 1 3/8 - perfect I think for the small cove/shoe I need to install. Thanks again guys, it always helps to suffe...ahem, celebrate, with others. :D

So where are the pictures?:p