Tools
ETS EC 125 from Festool 5″ sanders are the most common size in the power sanding world. If you own one sander, it is likely a 5″ round orbital sander. Their popularity is based on practical size and range of task types they can complete. That said, not all 5″ sanders are the same. And […]
Tips for Paint Brush Selection and Cleaning We’ve done a couple of written and visual projects recently with the Journal of Light Construction, to help users better understand paint brush selection and cleaning. First was a feature article in the March 2015 issue of the magazine, which you can read in its entirety here: paint […]
Festool plunged into the oscillating multi-tool market in December 2014 with the launch of the Vecturo OS400. In the weeks prior to the release of the tool, Topcoat test drove a manufacturer supplied unit through a series of interior and exterior material removal tasks. This is by no means a comprehensive review of the tool, […]
There are so many choices in products and tools for fine finishing, and of course, the products and tools define the process to a large extent. We are frequently asked which tools continue to rise to the top in our shop and in the field. Here is a compilation pulled from a recent cherry table […]
A 4 1/2″x9″ Orbital Sander Ok, first things first, this is not an aggressive sander. Sometimes, when we see big tools, our minds quickly leap to “big and powerful”. This is more a case of big and fine. The Festool RS2 is a fine orbital sander for finish work. While it has more pad surface […]
Festool RO90 Review The Festool RO90 DX Rotex sander is one of the most innovative paint prep tools released in the past couple of years. Aptly marketed as a “multi-mode” sander, the RO90 is capable of doing the jobs of more than one sander. In tools, we all want the Holiest Grail – “the one […]
Jobsite Lighting on the Move… Jobsite lighting is an unfortunate necessity and a real pain in the neck for professionals in all trades, whether you work in residential, commercial, new construction or remodeling scenarios. Frequent power problems, general lack of outlets, and insufficient natural light leave us craving more light at work. Or, should we […]
The 5 in 1 is one of the most common tools that painters carry from day to day. We all know that it has always done more than just 5 things for painters. It pops open the first can of paint in the morning, pounds the lid into the rim on the last one at […]
This write up is intended to allow readers to see the Festool Surfix oil kit through the eyes of professional finishers who have used it in some depth. The written aspect of this review serves as an overview of the Surfix system as a whole, while the two accompanying videos specifically feature the application […]
Festool RTS 400 Dust Extraction Demo Short video demo with Scott Burt showing the absence of airborne dust with a RTS 400 inside a cabinet enclosure during finish sanding tasks in preparation for primer and paint. Festool sanding is noted for capturing dust at the source (the surface), so that it cannot become airborne – […]
DT2
Oisin McHale
Robert T. Trautwein PE
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