Festool router edge trimming and sheet goods -- recommendations?

[David Wadstrup]

Until recently, I've used solid wood on almost all of my projects. I'm starting to become interested, however, in using sheet goods. I have two questions:

1) I already own a Festool OF1010 router. I love it. I was considering buying the accessories needed for trimming edge banding and then started reading about their MFK700. The required accessories(angle arm, edging plate, and chip deflector) for the OF1010 are going to run me around $150. On the other hand, an MFK700 costs $525 without any other accessories required. What would you do? The smaller size of the MFK700 seems like it would be a lot nicer to handle. But maybe there are other considerations that make the OF1010 with the edging accessories just as nice or nicer? Or maybe the MFK700 isn't THAT much nicer to handle? Obviously I'd rather spend less, but more importantly, I'd rather be happier with my purchase in the long run regardless of initial cost. What I would really hate to happen is to spend the money on the OF1010 accessories now, be less than happy, and then end up spending the money on the MFK700(sometimes saving money costs more in the long run.)

2) What do you prefer for general cabinet use: hardwood plywoods or plywoods that you veneer yourself?

[Jamie Buxton]

If you're doing thin-ish lumber edgebanding -- like 1/8" -- I'd get a flush-timming bit. Y'know, the kind with a bearing at the tip. Costs $25 or so. Stand the workpiece on edge. Rest the router on the banding, with the bearing touching the face of the plywood. That's what I do all the time. Granted, I have a somewhat smaller router than you -- a DeWalt 1 hp one. But at least try this approach before you spend $150.

If your edgebanding is veneer, don't use a router to trim it. Get one of those hand trimmers from Virutex and others. It works like a champ if you remember to observe the grain-direction changes in the banding.

For general cabinet use, hardwood-veneer plywood is the cost-effective solution. I do my own veneering only when I need special effects. And I use shop-made sawn veneer for pieces that are going to get severe use -- dining tables, desk tops, and the like.

[peter gagliardi]

The MFK looks great, and appears to have a lot of uses, so I bought one. It has been slightly better than useless.It is a super smooth machine with very limited real world capability in my opinion.
I have done miles of veneer edge banding, and have used numerous routers for trimming. The best bit I have found is actually a 1/16" radius bit, set to just trim the plywood veneered edge below the banding- this ensures no peeling when someone drags a plate off a shelf.
The MFK does a good job with this task, just don't expect a lot of other versatility- very limited depth adjustment, and you can't see the bit cutting thru the base hole, and very limited bit diameters as well.
I have many Festool tools, and really like most, this one I have huge issues with its limits.

[Kevin Nathanson]

Bosch Colt. Perfect for the job, especially if you get the accessories. Let me be clear: I'm not anti-green. I have a 1400, 2200, 32mm hole kit, all the accessory bases etc. It's just that the Bosch is the best tool for that job.

K

[Bill Neely]

I've used both, if the banding is ~1/4" or less thick I find the MFK much easier to set up and use. There is a modification you can make to the horizontal plate on the MFK so that it will work with thicker solid banding but not right out of the box.

[Erik Christensen]

I have the OF1010 with the edge banding accessories & much as I'd like a good excuse to get the MFK; the 1010 does pretty much the same thing. Little bit more fussing to setup and heavier to use but trims even 1/2"+ edge banding without complaint. I just finished a set of cabinets for the master closet - 20 sheets of 3/4" with most every piece edge banded - trimming them perfectly flush with the 1010 was safe & simple

[Andrew Pitonyak]

This is what I use:

Angle Arm and edging plate
http://www.festoolusa.com/power-tool...gle-arm-486052
http://www.festoolusa.com/power-tool...g-plate-486058

I really like it; easy to use.

That said, if you want cheaper and can build your own, you might try something like the "flush trim router jig" on canadian woodworking (dot) com, which allows you to lay the board down and adjust the depth of cut. Never used this sort of thing.

The other suggestion already provided is like what is shown on the woodsmith shop (dot) com with their flush trim jig (plan 409 I think), which allows you to put the board on edge and then the jig holds the router steady on the edge of the board.

Two options if you want to roll your own for the cost of some plywood.

[James Zhu]

This is what I use:

Angle Arm and edging plate
http://www.festoolusa.com/power-tool...gle-arm-486052
http://www.festoolusa.com/power-tool...g-plate-486058

I really like it; easy to use.

Adding chip deflector would make it even better, dust free operation.

http://www.festoolusa.com/power-tool...flector-486242