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A Hard Burnished Wax Finish.

To protect and preserve the work, I now normally apply a wax finish to the piece. I’m not a fan of varnish or lacquer style finishes as I feel they can give the finished piece a “plastic” sort of look when they’re finished.

The wax I use and recommend is Gilly Stephenson’s cabinetmakers wax. It is a combination of beeswax and carnauba wax in a gum turpentine base. From my own experience I’ve found that beeswax, on it’s own, never fully dries and can become sticky and attract dust, and carnauba wax, on it’s own is very hard to work with. The cabinet makers wax from Gilly Stephenson ticks all the boxes for me as it is easy to use, polishes up beautifully, and is very realistically priced.

The method I use to apply it is detailed below.

Sand your work piece up to 1200 or 1500 grit using the method described in “How to get the most from your Rotex, (Part 1)
Put your sander aside but don’t remove the sanding disc
Use a soft cotton cloth and apply a thin coat of the wax to the surface. Rub it evenly over the surface making sure there are no lumps of wax. Remember to only apply a thin coat. You can apply more coats as you go Once the wax has been spread over the surface leave it aside for about ten minutes.

Now, the next stage is the really fun part.

Grab your rotex and double check that it’s on speed 1 as well as in rotex mode. Place the sander on the work piece, turn it on, and slowly and steadily work over the entire surface of your project. The small amount of heat that your creating is sufficient to open the pore of the timber and let the wax in, whilst the 1500 grit abrasive smooths and distributes the wax evenly over the surface.

Don’t overwork the surface: just a few minutes should do it.

When you’ve finished this stage you need to grab a paper napkin; yes, you read it right, a paper napkin. When I was teaching for festool and I knew I had a sanding workshop coming up the first thing I’d do would be to head down to the local McDonald’s and grab a handful of their paper napkins.
So, now you’ve got your napkin, place it on the work piece, then place your rotex , (with the 1500 grit abrasive still on it), on top of it. Double check that your’re in rotex mode and on speed 1.
You should begin to see the shine develop very quickly. The paper towel equates to about a 6000grit, (approx) abrasive and cuts back the surface beautifully.
You can repeat the process and add as many layers of wax as you like. The more layers you have the deeper and more lustrous the finish but I recommend that you leave at least 24 hours between applications.
Try this finishing method on some off cuts of a few different species of timber. By doing this you’ll create a “library” of finished samples which can really add the ‘wow’ factor to any presentations you give to potential commission clients if the future. What it also does is give you more practice with the sander so you can become more familiar with, and refine your technique on the sander.

I hope this article helps you in working with your rotex and achieving better finishes that you’d previously thought possible. As always, please post a comment or send me an email if you’ve got any questions.

Cheers ,
Bryan.

Okay, so you’ve done. You’ve bitten the bullet, spent the bucks, and now, sitting on the bench in front of you is possibly the best sander thus far to emerge from the melting pot that is European power tool engineering.

So; now what?

The first thing you probably want to do is whack a sheet of paper on it and sand a piece of wood until it’s paper thin. If you need to, go ahead, but make sure to clamp down your work first; there’s not much worse than being hit in that tender part of the anatomy by a piece of rotex propelled timber.

Once you’ve got that out of your system, let’s start by having a good look at your new machine. Hopefully the salesman you purchased the machine from fully explained all the functions to you, but in case he didn’t, lets start from scratch.

The rotex 150 is a dual mode sander with an aggressive, gear driven mode, (Rotex mode) and a random orbital mode with a 5mm orbit.
You switch between these modes by pressing the green button on the top of the machine, down & to the left When the button

is in the upright position the sander is in the rotex mode.

To test this, make sure the power is turned off, then turn the base plate with your hand. You should feel some resistance and hear a “growl” coming from the sander. Now, push the top button down and to the left. This puts the sander into the random orbital mode. Turn the base plate again so you can feel and hear the difference between the two modes.

You’ve probably noticed the small green button on the right side of the rotex just above the base plate. This is the spindle lock and it’s used when we need to change the base plate, because it’s either worn out or you need to change to a pad of a different density for a specific application.
It’s a bit of a bugger to change, particularly the first time, but it will get easier to practice.
To use this function, first make sure the rotex is unplugged, then put the sander into the rotex mode. Hold the sander upside down in your left hand so that your left thumb can depress the spindle lock button. Depress the spindle lock button with your left thumb and turn the pad anti-clockwise with your right hand until you feel the spindle lock engage, ( the spindle lock button will depress an extra couple of millimeters).
Continue holding the spindle lock and turning the pad anti-clockwise until the pad comes off.
To put on a new pad, depress the spindle lock, put the pad on the machine and turn it clockwise until you feel it drop into position and the locking mechanism begins to engage. Once this happens, grip it firmly and turn it clockwise until it locks fully. Now put the machine down and give your hands a shake. Told you it was a bit of s bugger to do; but trust me, it will get easier with practice.

At the rear of the machine just above the plug it lead is the variable speed control for the sander and the green button on the inside rear of the “d” handle section releases the dust extractor port so you can polish the car without running the risk of it accidentally banging into the paint surface.

Using the Rotex.
Now, whatever your project, having a good understanding of how to use the functions of the sander will always help you to achieve the best finish possible on your work.

Rotex and Random Orbit Modes
One of the most common questions I field when showing people the rotex is, “how do I know which mode, I should be using?”
Well the simple answer to this is that you should always use both modes. Let me explain.

The rotex mode will, with coarser papers, raise the grain whilst the random orbital mode cuts the grain back. From experience I’ve found that if, for instance, you’re starting with 60 grit, whack it into rotex mode and sand your work then stop, put the machine into the random orbit mode and sand it again. It’s important not to try to change from rotex to random orbital mode whilst the machine is running; it’s like trying to change gears on your car without depressing the clutch.

Then change up a grit to 80 and repeat the process. As you progress through the grades, getting finer and finer, you’ll see the surface start to develop. It’s really important that you feel the wood with your hands as you’re sanding. Getting a good feel for the timber will help you gain a greater understanding of how a surface develops.
Continue sanding with 120, 180, 240, and 400 grit abrasives, being sure to repeat the rotex, then random orbit modes

Sanding speeds

To achieve the best result results in your work, speed is another important factor to consider. The main things you have to remember are, the coarser the paper the higher the speed.

Coarse paper on slow speed tends to dig in and ‘bite’ the work, which can lead to scratches and swirls than can be bloody hard to get out. Coarse paper on high speed tends to ‘skim’ over the work and while it may take a little longer you’ll achieve a more controlled result.
When you start sanding and are using, a 60 grit paper start with the sander on speed 6 and use the rotex, random orbit method as described above. As you start moving into progressively finer grades, gradually begin to lower the sander speed. Use the chart below as a rough guide for sander speed related to sanding grit.

Sanding grit. Speed
40. 6
60. 6
80. 6
120. 5
150. 5
180. 5
240. 4
320. 4
400. 3
500. 3
800. 2
1000. 2
1200. 1
1500 & finer 1

This chart is a suggested range only and results can vary depending on the type of timber that you choose.
The transition point when sanding is 400 grit. This is the stage where you stop sanding the timber and start burnishing it. From 400 up you’ll start to see the surface of the timber develop and become smoother with every sanding stage that you complete. Don’t forget to feel the timber as you sand it so that you become more familiar with how each sanding grade contributes to the overall finish. Keep using the rotex / random orbital sanding technique until you pass 1000 grit. From experience, I’ve found that when you reach 1200 grit switch to using the rotex mode only. You should begin to see the timber surface begin to develop a lovely luster and the surface will begin to shine. This happens, because the super fine grits that we have been using are burnishing the timber surface and closing off the pore of the wood which gives us this glass like finish.

That’s it for part 1 of this post, in part 2, I’ll go thru how to apply a burnished wax finish to your piece.

Cheers for now

Bryan

]]> http://byopieceofinspiration.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/d-tour-week-3-at-last/ Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:43:11 +0000 Ryan Auberson-Walsh http://byopieceofinspiration.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/d-tour-week-3-at-last/ Just to fill in with all the other Deutschland Tour Posts (and yes, I know they’re well over two months late), perhaps start with the first one and then go in order. :]

You can’t defy the logic.

And now here’s what you’ve all been waiting for: the very last post, that finally means you can stop wondering when, if ever, this post will get written. Well it has at last!

As you all should know, the last stop that we had on our tour was in Hamburg, and in order, we’re now on our way to Bremen, the beer-brewing city that Beck’s calls home.

On arrival, we were herded out of the bus, told to chuck our luggage in the hostel (seen below), and then slip out to the Beck’s brewery to see how all the magic happens. After a fairly lengthy tour, that saw a few people drifting off into a land of slumber, we made our way into the older part of the city, encountering an Aussie themed cafe, going inside the city’s historical church, and checking out the main square. :]

It was quite a beautiful city to say the least and I remember one occasion where we all song along to a street busker’s rendition of Wonderwall by Oasis. After yet another glorious night, we drove onwards the next morning headed towards Cologne.

Upon arrival, we knew something unfortunate was to happen. We’d be swapping Rotex…. but it didn’t matter that much because we’d be getting Micky (who is the best)!
We were also joined by our Exchange coordinator and others, soon having to say goodbye to the old bus driver etc… On that first afternoon though, we did have a short city tour and a trip to the Lindt-filled Chocolate Museum (which was naturally with our luck closed about ten minutes earlier to our arrival). We also got to see the World Heritage Listed Cologne Cathedral, a small train that runs through the city, and walk across a bridge covered in padlocks that declare various couples’ love for one another. The photo’s of Cologne however are not mine. I have to cite Lily Van Den Bossche as the photographer… my camera was dead, and I couldn’t find my charger :[

Once we'd spent the afternoon roaming around, we went back to the hostel and polished up for the night ahead: first club of Deutschland Tour... finally!!! :]
An underground spot in the city centre, we partied until midnight when we had to go. Shame though. The music was flippin’ fantastic! However that did work out to be a good thing… we were up again early the next morning, with a surprise in store for us- THEME PARK!!!!!!

We spent the ENTIRE day chilling out, eating ice cream and spilling food all over ourselves (myself), great rides, chasing dragons and trying to locate a stolen back pack. Quite a handful for one day. Check out some of the pictures.

Such rides included roller coasters (one in the dark), an in-the-dark drop ride, boat rides, kiddy rides and typical thrill adventure rides such as the one that spits fire relatively close to your feet as you get tossed around like a caesar salad. What a day. Never to forget the adventure we all got up to.

After we all met up at five o’clock or so, we hopped on the bus onwards to Aachen, a city at the westernmost point of Germany and bordering Belgium and the Netherlands… saying so, we were often speaking German with Dutch people. Served for an interesting event when ordering food.

Whilst in Aachen we completed a large labyrinth that sat near the point where the borders all meet. We also did the typical city tour, and checked out the grand architecture of the west German city.

The next day we travelled an even greater trek to the last major city we’d be seeing of Deutschland – Frankfurt. Our hotel sat directly opposite the river Main and once again on arrival we were herded inside before being briefed over the day’s plans: another city tour. Not that I’m complaining but the same itinerary was becoming rather repetitive. Not to worry, I still enjoyed myself either way. We saw such things as the old city and the new city/CBD. After the tour we enjoyed our opportunity for free time… shopping!

When we’d shopped till our hearts were content, we spiced up for some Frankfurtian (is that even a word?) nightlife. We popped into a dreadful Karaoke bar and sung Don’t Stop Believin’, fuelled by our shared passion for Glee and their musical talents. We rapped up our song and moved on to get something to eat: Kebabs, or a Doener as they’re called in Germany and met some American Airlines’ cabin crew. Totally awesome people, I totally regret losing their contact information. They were soooo damn cool.

Upon the next day we travelled to the beautiful Heidelberg. Here we wandered the city’s cobbled streets headed towards the Castle that sat overlooking the cityscape. On the way it was good to see we managed to stay friendly to one another (as per usual).

I have to mention that I myself was mean towards Lily- I ate the chocolate-filled tip of her Cornetto. Apparently you just don’t do that. “It’s the best bit”. Rightfully so, she ignored me for half an hour. No joke. So I was forced to wander the castle grounds alone. But ended up meeting Sarah and having such (much-needed) bonding time with her. This is what we saw:

That evening was filled with joy. As it was Easter, we got to have an easter egg / insects made out of chocolate hunt. Later in the evening, when we went out for bowling, the winners were revealed to be my team. Here’s our [fabulous] victory shot below.

That evening was also a good one for bowling. I taught the others my favourite moves: ‘the pregnant lady’ and the ‘grid-iron’. The first being the lazier of the two, where one would sit on their bum and push the ball from between their legs and the latter a simple backwards “throw”. ;] It got chaotic, and the green lemon flavoured Becks weren’t helping. :p

Such memorable photos that occurred during our games can be found in my photobucket album. Perhaps it’s a little too embarrassing to have them flashed out for the public. ;]

The next (and last inter-country stop) was Strasbourg, a European Union hub that sits on the French-German border. This was the opportune time to rely on Swiss-born Leila’s mother-tongue. Her French certainly saved the non French-speakers of the group! We were able to check out the church in the main square, do a bit of touristy shopping and even grab a bite of some quality French food… that was Italian. But boy was that pasta good.

Once our time in Strasbourg was up, and we spent the evening quietly (I got my hair dyed back into brown… it’s been turning red continuously because I hang out with the crazy ginger seen above far too much), we slept well and woke up ready to make our way to the Black Forest, in the direction of Freiburg. On the way, I captured this lovely shot of Audrey.

That was a funny occasion. Words cannot describe how hard I laughed at her misfortunes… and continue to. :p (Love you dearie). Nonetheless, I have to show you all my embarrassing shot of the day (followed by a shot in the actual forest).

Following our pitstop in the freezing forest, we drove forth to our final destination before finishing the tour. Sitting on Bodensee, which is Germany’s largest lake and borders Austria, Switzerland, the quaint town of Lindau was a lovely little last stop. We were given free time without a guided tour (for a change) and were incredibly pleased to discover new experiences and ways of traveling and sightseeing.
Exhibit A: How to decipher a model city.

We followed her directions well.

And then we decided to split ways to check out different things. I stuck with the Canadians and we got up to all sorts of mischief discussing Natalie Portman’s newest film, Black Swan. It just so happened that we discovered this freaky figure by coincidence.

We spent the remainder of our time in Lindau running around the harbour area screaming our lungs out whenever we’d see a creepy bird, often winding up and scaring the [poo] out of each other. That was perhaps one of the most eventful days I’d had on the Deutschland Tour. In fact, it stills remains in the top 5 to date. An abundance of Ice Cream, a creepy bird and two crazy Canadians. Can’t get any better if you tried. Jeez I love Germany. You just never know what to expect.

And it’s still surprising me to date. Deutschland Tour has my heart forever. As do the people I shared it with. Love you all. You’re part of the inspiration I bring to this blog. :]

Dear Readers,
Thanks for bearing with me the past two months in wait over this post. I’m also aware it lacks the quality that they normally do. I was just awfully eager to finish this chapter of my year at last.
Hope you all are happy with the end product.
Stay golden. Forever.
x

Ryan.
Peace. :]

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It began on the thursday night, a formal rotary dinner where I ate the most delicious of fine meat. It went late and after getting picked up by my host mum at a little before midnight, she opened a bottle of sekt (champagne) on the hour to celebrate my official first minute as an adult. Lovely thought. :]

I then plodded up the stairs to bed and hit the hay for my much needed six hours of sleep. School felt like a normal day… except my class baked me not one, but TWO, cakes. SOOOOO good. :] One tasted like crushed Oompa Loompas and marshmellows, the other like Willy Wonka and his flavoured wallpaper. In other words, they were magically good.

Soon afterwards, it was time to head to the next Rotary meeting. A most joyous occasion to have on ones birthday. But I didn’t mind. I got to eat Schweinshaxe, one of the most delicious and meaty Bavarian specialties there is. After finishing up the meeting, I finally headed home around 2pm with Victor (from Mexico) so we could eat this lovely surprise that my host mum whipped up for me.

After two pieces (bringing my total for the day up to 7, along with other meals), I was completely full and said goodbye to Victor, who returned home to prepare for his farewell party. I too got ready, and then I went into Augsburg (after missing my first bus, because I’m so stupid that I can’t read a timetable.) to meet some of the others. We had some”dinner” in Burger King and afterwards headed to his party at PM, a disco near the city.

I was also given a few small presents during the day… :]

As it hit 4am, we had to leave and all crammed into a shuttlebus. After saying goodbye to different people, Lily and I headed to where we were sleeping for the evening. Now that’s a decision we wholly regret! Waking up early, we showered in a sink and freshened up before our weekend with Rotex.

When we got there, I discovered Audrey baked me the most scrumptious brownies in the whole world and soon afterwards we were told we had to do our German test. What a mood killer… an hour of straining over German grammar. But when we finished all was ok. During the afternoon we presented that same ’Home Among the Gum Trees’ performance to some more Rotary people and then we travelled twenty minutes with a coach to a high-ropes course. Now that was time well spent, and perhaps the best ropes course I’ve ever done. Shall love to return ;]

We got back and we played cards, drank some lemonade, signed some flags and then ate dinner… the whole cooked pig was laid out on the table for our viewing pleasure. It was a sight to make you sick… but in my hunger, I still managed to eat a decent chunk of flesh. What an animal I’ve become!

Later after eating we headed into the seminar room and watched Lily’s presentation, that brought tears to many eyes around the room. For some, this was the last time we’d see each other, as many of the people from the Americas, as well as the people from Taiwan and Finland, are all heading home soon. For one person, it was too much to bare. Dearest dearest Sarah flew back home on Sunday to the USA. I won’t see her for at least two years, and that breaks my heart. She was so upset about leaving that she couldn’t bare the strength to say goodbye and so I’ll say it now to her.

Dearest Sarah,
the most amazing Northern USA resident I know.
We had some good times, some bad times too. But we’re still friends no matter what.
I know how hard it was for you to say goodbye… but remember that it’s not forever. It’s just for a little while, and we’ll see each other soon. I hope you’re settling in well back home and have begin to adjust to the differences; time zone, diet, family etc.
Just think how much we all miss you already… that means we love and treasure you dearly.
Lots of love,
Your Aussie Koala,
Ryan
P.S. Don’t you ever not say goodbye again! I actually cried after you did that. :p
This is what you left behind… six smiling faces, hoping you’re all well.

Finally, a special thanks has to go to all that wished me a lovely day. I had one just for you!

Peace.
Ryan.

P.S. Check out some of the new features on my blog. – Navigation bar and Sidebar photo links.  :]

Yet that’s not why you’re here. You’ve not come to listen to complaints and sit there idly as nothing can be done about it (except for clicking that little ‘x’ at the top of your web browser… but then we could never be together through the use of my blog). You have come though to hear about the joyous adventures that I’ve been having, and what I’ve been up to most recently. So sit back, relax, make some popcorn and read about the only jewel i’ve found amongst the worlds great cities that even comes close to my beloved Sydney; Prague. :]

It all began on a cold winters day…. Just kidding. I’m quite sure I remember it as blistering hot. In fact, it very well may have been… As it was a public holiday, I had to get up very early to travel with my host mum to the nearest train station or I’d have no means of getting to Munich on time for our train to Prague. I managed to struggle out of bed and into the shower, feeling quite instantaneously refreshed. Much more awake and less bitter (it occurs most often in the mornings), we drove to the station and caught the 6am train to Augsburg where I changed and ventured on further to Munich, full of anticipation for the long weekend ahead.

Meeting up early at Burger King (the [filthy] American version of Hungry Jacks), we slowly headed over to our train and squeezed onboard for the six hour journey. It was hellish if anything, having to sit in the corridor, as people (who had not reserved seats) sat in the cabins. All we could do was sit, wait, and mouth/sing the words to Katy Perry songs to annoy the other passengers. It was most certainly a success. :]
Win for the exchange students.

As the train eased into Prague’s outskirts, we pounced on the opportunity to pinch some more comfortable accomodation from those who wanted to take pictures and stand in awe at the sights of the surrounding cityscape. We still won. We got seats and a show. :]

The train finally drew into the station and we disembarked with our ridiculous amount of luggage and were off to the nearest currency exchange. The luck some people had in finding somewhere in which we could exchange our money for 0% was quite astounding. But I still feel as if we may have been slightly ripped off. Oh well, that’s Eastern Europe.

We got our Czech Crowns and then headed to our Hostel. We did a lot as a tourist would typically do in that first day- we got lost multiple times, got hassled by gypsies and lugged around giant suitcases. But all in all we were happy. Our Hostel was amazing. I have to promote it though. I simply must say that if you’re ever in Prague and looking for value accomodation, the link above will lead you to it. ;]

The first night was a memorable one. We were informed of a bar crawl that begins at a lovely place called the Drunken Monkey. Being the stupid people we were, we didn’t think to double check where it was, got lost in the city, and wandered around for about 2 hours trying to locate this mysterious venue, which no one seemed to have heard of. We were in the poo. But we did get to see a lot of the city and we ended up having a wad of fun just trodding around like lunatics, eating ice cream and haunting the many souvenir shops.

The night ended smoothly and the next day we awoke to a lovely free breakfast. Well worth the 13 Euro per night. The day turned was filled with sweltering temperatures and we spent the majority of it taking a detailed tour around the city, being able to see all the wonderful sites. Some included

During the day tour we also were informed about a bar crawl whilst having a break and bite to eat in the Bohemia Bagel, an American-inspired cafe. We took them up on their offer and had the night of our lives.

The next day, after only a few hours sleep, we checked out the castle and cathedral that overlook the city. It was the best of our ‘tours’. We saw the whole city and managed to take some beautiful shots. That night we kept it simple and didn’t go out. Well, at least we didn’t go clubbing, although the hispanic people did. Us english speakers were a wise bunch and decided to have some dinner at a traditional Czech restaurant but, flabbergasted with the prices, we moved on to somewhere a little cheaper and a little bit more well known, the Bohemia Bagel. After finishing our DELICIOUS meals, we did decide to check out the LGBT district, although not thriving, we had an okay time and returned to the hostel in preparation for the next day’s early rising. To which we woke up an hour before we had to leave… Fail. :]

As one last activity in the city, Micky created a minor challenge for us, to which I’m proud to announce that our group graciously lost (we quit so we could eat some noodles). It was a photo/egg-hunt challenge of sorts. The list of what to do included:

• 1x photo with hot Czech boy
• 1x photo with hot Czech girl
• 1x photo with sexy Skoda
• Translate four sentences from German into Chezch
• Swap one Bavarian beer for something of greater value
• Cook a raw egg.

I’m proud to say we failed though. Those noodles were damn good. Nonetheless, we still had some fun on that day harassing the locals. :] If only we could try again… we wouldn’t give in so easily knowing one of the other groups managed to trade their beer for strips of carpet… a mighty effort. :p

To check out all the photos, see the gallery at the bottom of this post. 

Ever so grateful that most of the time was spent with those dear exchange students that I’ve come to call my family. Legit… we’re not friends. We’re brothers and sisters. And we’d be nothing this year without each other. God love ‘em all :]

This is for you guys!
Peace out.
Ryan
x

I was in the shed one day, using the same random orbital sander (ROS) that I have for a few years – an $80 Triton, and my hands were really hurting from the vibration.  Irrespective of the risk on ongoing health problems from exposure to vibration (HAVS being a rather undesirable effect), what’s the point of trying to enjoy woodworking, when a tool is causing such a distraction?  So without even realising that it was on the cards when I headed down to the shed that day, at that point I decided that tool was being retired, immediately, and a replacement ROS was to be sought.

Triton ROS

Despite the range of brands available out there, I had no question which brand I was going to go with after having experienced them first hand at the Ideal Tools workshop.  Despite the premium price tag, I was going Festool.  The machines operate so smoothly, you almost don’t have to hold them, guiding them around the surface with a finger.  The only question I had was which model to choose.

I specifically wanted a random orbital sander, so I quickly narrowed my choices down to either the Rotex, or one of the two eccentric (ETS) sanders – the 150/3 or the 150/5.  That is where I started to run into a decision-making problem.  Just which one was the most suitable for my requirements?  It wasn’t like I could eliminate any on quality.  Price could have some bearing – the Rotex is quite a bit more than the ETS sanders, but then it is more versatile than the other two.  People who own one really swear by it, and that is very inspiring.

I was rather fortunate that I was given access to all three sanders to compare by Ideal Tools, which meant I was able to make a decision with full confidence, rather than choosing and hoping based on what I read on the net, or in the marketing materials.

Festool Rotex 150

The Rotex is called a 3 in 1 sander – being switchable between orbital and random orbital settings.  Orbital being used for bulk material removal, and random orbital for finishing, with the circular and elliptical motions simultaneously meaning that there is no swirl marks produced.  The 3rd action is polishing, but that I gather is more of a use of the tool – there is no specific setting unique to the tool for this.

Festool RAS115 "Termite"

I have the Festool termite (RAS 115), so bulk material removal is not something I have to struggle with, so I was particularly interested in its ROS use.  Handling it is rather different to other ROS, in that the centre of balance isn’t directly above the sanding pad, so operation has to be two-handed.  This isn’t as unusual to me than for some, because for a few years I was using the original Triton ROS sanding attachment which fits to an angle grinder.  I know how well regarded the machine is, so was really looking forward to trying it out for myself.

Triton ROS Attachment

After giving the unit a good run in both modes, I was still trying to ‘get’ why it is so popular with its enthusiastic supporters. That is probably going to be quite a bone-of-contention, but I didn’t.  “Get it” that is.  Controversially, I found it not unlike the Triton ROS fitted to an angle grinder, with the obvious upgrades – multi jetstream, variable speed.  On the other hand, the Festool Termite has a similar layout, and like my angle grinder is much easier to hold.  I found the body of the Rotex too bulky for me to feel like I had good control over the tool.  Bit surprised by my reaction, particularly given the feedback I’ve heard about the tool, but this isn’t a criticism of the Rotex, or its supporters – it just wasn’t for me.

So now I’ve turned to the ETS models, and other than the number 3 or 5 on top, they are indistinguishable.  The numbers represent the degree of eccentricity – either 3mm or 5mm.

Festool ETS 150/x

Both units are very well balanced – you can hold the handle, or just push the unit around the surface with a finger!  They are variable speed, and have the multi-jetstream dust clearing technology (which is both an air supply and removal system across the surface of the pad that clears away dust that has been created, and in doing so prevents dust buildup that results in heat buildup, and clogging of the abrasive.)  You don’t have to use abrasives that have the multi-jetstream holes, but obviously you loose the advantage of the system while you do.

In the end there was no question that it would be an ETS that I would buy, the final question would be which model.  The 150/3 is for very fine finishing, the 150/5 less so (by all of 2mm), and is slightly more versatile.  That is something I needed (when I was only going to end up with one of these), and I also found I appreciated the sanding action of the 150/5 more – the 150/3 just didn’t feel like it was doing enough (it being a fine finishing sander only) for my purposes. And still it has variable speed, and I can work right through the different grades of abrasive – up to 2500 if I choose.  (And I did take note of all the comments made when I first raised the question back around Nov last year!)

So that is what I went for in the end – the Festool ETS 150/5.  The brand new unit arrived recently, and I haven’t actually gotten it dusty yet – there is plenty of time.  I also got the Systainer for the sander, as well as a second one with the abrasives insert to keep all the different abrasive pads organised,

Abrasives Systainer

and a rollboard which goes under my slowly increasing pile of systainers to make it easier to move them around the workshop (until I find a more permanent location for them).

Festool Systainer Rollboard

All these were sourced from Ideal Tools, and thanks to Anthony for the opportunity to give the various models a workout before I made a final decision. (Oh, and when I bought it, the deal at the time (still current) was for a Festool Cooler Bag and set of BBQ utensils – quite handy for a Stu’s Shed BBQ!)

Festool Cooler Bag & BBQ Set

As to what happened to the old Triton ROS?  Dickens to it

A Stacka Festool

Unlike some other reviews, this will be rather interesting because I’m not comparing different models and brands in their ability to do a specific task.  I’m comparing models that are all at the top of the game, to see which will fit best with my requirements, not which has deficiencies in itself.

The three I am looking at are the ETS 150/3, the ETS 150/5 and the Rotex 150.  It will be particularly interesting to see if I can find a difference between the 150/3 and 150/5 – does that extra 2mm of throw really result in improved performance, or a decrease in finish (that I can notice)?

I was using my Triton ROS for some Xmas presents the other day (like just before Xmas obviously), and I was reminded just how much it vibrated – you come away with your hand tingling from the sensation.  If those fat-buster belts of the 60′s actually worked, my hand would be anorexic by now after the latest session.  That was enough for me – if it came to the point that I’d almost prefer not to sand because of the tool, then it is time for that tool to find a more sympathetic home.

It has been a bit of a debate, which sander to replace it with, and I sought advice on here back in November which gave me plenty to think about (thanks to all contributors).  There was obviously the Rotex, but it is significantly more money, and I couldn’t bring myself to go that route (and in part because I have the Festool Termite, so the orbital capabilities of the Rotex are duplicated in the Termite (which is also a Rotex fwiw)).

So it came down to the ETS sanders.  There is the 125 and 150mm diameter first, and in this case I decided a slightly larger diameter than what I have been using would not hurt.  With the 150s, there are 2 models – 150/3 and 150/5.  The /x number represents the amount of eccentricity the tool can achieve (either 3mm or 5mm), and again, decisions, decisions.

For the fact that I am looking for a bit more capability from one machine, I went with the 150/5, in a Systainer.  It comes with 50 free assorted abrasives, and I got another 100 for 1/2 price (a current Ideal Tools special), as well as a Cooltainer for $20 – after all, you can’t have too many beverages on ice eh!

Given the rapidly increasing stack of Systainers, I’ve also added the roller unit for the bottom so they can be moved around easily, and another Systainer to finally keep my abrasives all neat and sorted.

Finally, another bag of 4mm Dominos, as what I started with took a heavy hit with the recent Toy Kitchen construction.

Hmm – online shopping can be addictive – just keep ticking boxes

You just have to love Festool!! 

While showing off our Festool display to a local contractor recently, I could sense that he was getting very excited about the time he could save by using Festool products.  

He was particularily excited about the C-12 portable drill kit,  I know the feeling!  I have one myself !  The right angle and offset attachments in themselves put the unit light years beyond any other drill on the market.  

When we got to the TS55  rail saw he was blown away.  

He left with a Festool Catalog and is going to mark it up for His Christmas “Wish List”

Do you have your Festool list made?

The Random Orbital Sander (ROS) came into existence in the early 90′s and is particularly good at finishes without introducing swirl marks because of its random action. Where non-random sanders are not particularly useful above around 400 grit, the ROS can be used to 1200 and beyond.  They are not particularly suitable for bulk material removal – there are much more aggressive sanders out there.

Now that I’ve sold, given away, or had fail every ROS I had in my arsenal, I’m having to look around for a replacement (and that doesn’t rule out getting a replacement pad for the Triton ROS, from somewhere….)

After the recent experience with the Domino, I thought I’d check out the Festool range.  There are a few sanders in the collection, and the two most suitable are the Rotex and the ETS.

The Festool Rotex at a bit under $1000 is rather impressive (and is around 12x more expensive than the Triton!).

Rotex RO 150

The ETS 150/5 is around $580, so still 7x.  That may be the end of the story, except for the number of people (including finishing experts) that swear by the Festool.

ETS 150/5

Whether I am going to be able to go down this path or not is pretty up in the air at the moment – need to give it some serious thought.  Not sure what other options there are either (yet).  More investigation required!

FesCool!

I’ve been attending classes for about a week now, and I’ve attended only about three or four lectures. Hindi (which is taught entirely in Hindi . .. and as of now is quite useless to me), Philosophy (so far the most interesting class, although it could use a lot less lecturing and a lot more open discussion), and Political Science (where notes were taken directly from what the teacher dictated slowly from the textbook . . . WORD FOR WORD.) I’ve really come to appreciate American schools, although there’s definitely assloads to be upon overseas as well.

Anyway, most of the time I don’t bother coming to “school” until half of my lectures are over, and then I chill with my friends all day. And god damn was it easy to make friends here. As soon as I walked into my first lecture, a group of girls (Ruhi, Radhika, Rudri, Nilofer, and Benaaz) enthusiastically welcomed me to come sit with them. I also met up with a Rotex, Vinita, who went to Belgium a few years back, and she introduced me to her circle of friends as well. So all in all I think it’s going to be a wonderful year at Jai Hind (:

Friends!

Radhika, me, Benaaz, and Rudri.

Benaaz, Ruhi and I.

Rudri, Benaaz, Radhika and I.

n_________n

As for what my friends and I DO instead of going to school . . .. well. Ruhi took Viviane and I to this sheesha place called Koyla, which was MARVELOUS.

It was an open-air, rooftop restaurant, and they had these big comfy red couches set up. There were fountains, neon palm trees, and sand on the floor. It would be the most perfect hangout place in the world if it weren’t so ridiculously expensive. Ruhi and her fiance wouldn’t even let us look at the bill. And as for the hookah . .. my god. I love hookah. I used to think I’d bring one home with me, but I’m afraid of it becoming a habit, haha. My lungs are going to be destroyed enough after this year.

The next day Benaaz and Rudri took me shopping in Colaba. It was definitely nice having them around, because otherwise it is rather difficult to not get ripped off.

SPEAKING OF SHOPPING. Boy, do I love shopping here. I used to hate shopping before I came to India. But Indian clothes are far superior to western ones, in that they are always cheaper, prettier, and much more comfortable. I’m never going back. I’ve bought so many beautiful clothes here. And bargaining is SO much fun.

Also, Viviane and I went to this store called Globus, and they gave us FREE CAKES. India is so marvelous. We gave one to a beggar on the way to Wich Latte (my counselor’s son’s cafe!) and we split the one we had left. I guess this is one of the reasons why I’ve lost so much weight here.

Last week I attended a Rotary meeting where a journalist came and spoke to our club! It was really interesting to see the differences between journalism in India and journalism in America. Farhat (our president) let me give the word of thanks after her presentation.

Two days ago I participated at this dance in my building called the Dandiya Raas. Soooo much fun. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but once I did, I danced for at least an hour and sweated more than I’ve ever sweated before in my entire life. It was super exciting for me because it was kind of like what they did in Lagaan, except much less complicated . .. and with much more dandiya.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmC86-uX7JE

Bad. Ass.

Well, that’s it for now! Sorry I don’t have more pictures for you.

PS:

Archit, a couple of his friends and I are going to see Waiting for Godot on Saturday! It’s at this theatre in Dadar. I’m INSANELY excited . .. I’ve never actually seen a live play before! Well. Actually, I might have, but to be honest I can’t really remember what it was, so it must not have been very worthwhile.

Check out the video I took of the puja! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-s_ahYkaow

Carmen (Mexicio), Michael (Germany), Elfi (France), Viviane (Germany), me!, and Henrique (Brazil).

Afterwards, Viviane and I snuck into the Hogwartsy part of the VT station. Pretty sure we weren’t supposed to be there, as it was completely vacant, but hey, the door was open!

Rotex alla Libreria del Viaggiatore a Roma

Cos’ha di particolare? Come canta Elvis Presley in Wheels on his Heels…Rotex ha delle ruote sotto i suoi piedi. Viaggia in sedia a rotelle da anni e, davvero, niente lo ferma.

Il paradosso è che quasi costretto a viaggiare lontano (ma davvero lontano, Australia ad esempio) perchè pare che l’accessibilità per disabili cresca proporzionalmente alla distanza dal nostro Paese.

E qui entra in gioco S4C col quale Rotex è entrato subito in sintonia.

Cominceremo a sensibilizzare l’opinione pubblica sull’indecente e scarsa acecssibilità dei nostri luoghi; dei siti turistici; della quotidianità italiana. Ma lo faremo, d’accordo con Rotex, con uno spirito – una volta tanto – positivo.

In fondo, Rotex stesso incarna un messaggio positivo. Con un po’ di forza di volontà si possono superare tutti gli ostacoli che spesso sono rappresentati non solo da (suvvia, migliorabili barriere architettoniche) ma purtroppo da vere e proprie barriere culturali.

Keep Rolling Rotex!

AA/S4

ps visto che l’ho citato, ecco il video della canzone di Elvis Presley che dedicai a Rotex tempo fa e che ne è diventata la colonna sonora:

Voor de mensen die zich afvragen hoe ik me fysiek voorbereid op m’n pelgrimstocht, wel ik ga 3 maal per week naar de fitness en doe daar het volgende:

* 20 min op de Rotex (bovenaan links)
* 20 min op de Step (bovenaan rechts)

* 20 min op de Bike (bovenaan links)
* 05 min op de Run al stappend als cooling-down (bovenaan rechts)

Thuis doe ik ook nog “knee-extension” met enkel gewichten of “ankle weights”. Zoals je bovenaan links ziet zo strek ik mijn been: 10 keer 20 sec. Ik hang dan wel enkel gewichten aan m’n enkels zoals je bovenaan rechts kan zien. Deze gewichten kan je bv verkrijgen in Decathlon. Ik gebruik 4 kg aan elke enkel.

Ik ben met dit alles in februari begonnen, dus iets meer dan 2 maanden voor de aanvang van m’n gepland vertrek.