Festool CXS Preview

Okay, I'll admit I was sandbagging these videos until the May SysNotes release, but green gremlins tell me it will slip! d'oh!

Festool USA provided me with a CXS before the official release on June 1, 2011 to review.  Thanks, guys!

The CXS drill/driver is smaller than the more familiar C12 drill/driver, but it packs a lot of power for likely 95% of everything you'll do in the shop or job site.  It is true the C12 has more power, but unless you drive a lot of lag bolts, the CXS will take care of you.

I had the CXS for a couple weeks before recording this review.  The review is in three parts:

Part 1 is a video describing the features of the CXS comparing many to the C12 equivalent since many of us are familiar with the C12.

Part 2 is a series of demos putting the CXS to the wood, 6/4 hard Maple in this case, side by side against the C12.  You'll notice a difference between these drill/drivers, but I think you'll agree that it is likely a difference you could live without in the shop instead opting for the lighter CXS.

Part 3 was rolled a couple weeks after recording the first two videos.  Since that time, I had a busy weekend using it for everything from light screws to lag bolts.  It's more a summary of my opinion on the CXS along with a small segment on the eccentric chuck that is a favorite with the C12, but missing on the CXS.

If you haven't seen it yet, you might also like to see my demo of the Festool Centrotec chucks.  In my mind, these chucks are at least half the reason to own a Festool drill/driver.  That video covers the non-CXS Centrotec 90º and eccentric chucks besides the universal Centrotec chuck.  The CXS has its own version of the 90º chuck though the preview video will explain the differences.

Festool Centrotec Chuck Demo

Here's a video of me demonstrating the various Centrotec chucks including the 90º, eccentric, Centrotec, Jacob's, and the most intriguing, the depth-set chuck.  I'll describe parts of the chuck and their benefits.  There's more detail on yesterday's C-12 demo video about the chucks and how they attach to Festool drills, but mostly just know they do attach :)

Festool C-12 Drill/Driver and Chucks Review

Continuing on with the video reviews for the FOG, here's one on the C-12 drill/driver. Most of the video, though, is about the chucks. Those chucks work in all the Festool drills so even if the C-12 doesn't interest you, the discussion of the chucks will.

I also have a demo of the various chucks in use that I'll be posting tomorrow including a longer segment on the DD-DS depth stop chuck that stops automatically when the screw is at the exact depth you want.




Here's a link to the thread on the FOG about it in case you are interested in any feedback.

Centrotecing (bis)

One of my first ever blog postings was on taking a file to regular hex driver bits so they could work in a Centrotec chuck.  Today, I needed to "Centrotec" a socket driver bit so I decided to flip on the camera.  This is the video explaining how you mark the bit then showing the whole process in real-time.  It's pretty fast, actually.

If you want to know why the Centrotec ball-detent is where it is, you'll have to watch my C12 Demo video that is forthcoming.

Files and the Gentle Art of Centrotecing

Since writing this entry, I rolled a video to show how to do it.  It ultimately has the same content as this posting (so people reading through translators will prefer this entry), but if you rather watch, here's the video version of this post.

The haulidays have kept me away from the shop so light on the useless insight... but I have a few other posts coming.  (Yes, "haulidays" because after the "holidays" you spend your time hauling your now fatter shadow)

I have a Festool C12 drill/driver.  Actually, 2, but that's a long story.  It's a 12V wonder with enough torque to winch your car out of a ditch if you're lucky enough to have its Systainer in the glove compartment at the time.

The problem is that I don't have any Centrotec drill bits or drivers.  Up until 2 weeks ago, there were only metric drill bits for this puppy, but this isn't about drillin'.  The drivers are what I really wanted.  I use the Centrotec Bit Holder to hold wire detent stubby drivers that conveniently stow on the magnetic handle of the C12, but they aren't the Centrotec driver bits made for the C12.

The differences between a regular long ball-detent driver bit and a Centrotec driver bit are:
- the Centrotec edges on the hex shank are softer ('standard' hex shank won't fit the hole)
- the Centrotec ball-detent is about 3/8" (er, 9mm) further up the shank.

The ball-detent position could smell of being non-standard for the sake of selling your stuff, but actually it is because the ball is in the Centrotec chuck while the base of the bit shank sits in the output shaft of the C12.

Tonight, I took 2 McFeely's Robertson drive bits (we 'mericans call those "square drive" bits and have no idea who Robertson is), chucked them in the drill press (individually...) and hit them with a flat bastard mill file to soften the hex edges.  Once they could be easily inserted through the Centrotec chuck, I marked the location of the ball detent based on its location in the bit holder, chucked again and ground out a fairly accurate, if ugly, copy of the Festool detent.

Photo below shows the Festool bit holder by the Kreg #2 long-ass driver to show how I marked the detent.  This photo also shows clearly how the 'standard' ball detent is much lower on the shank than the Centrotec detent.

Result?  These two sit perfectly in the chuck with no play and I cannot pull them out without releasing the ball.  Total time? 10 minutes including wasted time finding a file that went out for a ball of chalk.

In the photo below, left to right, the C12, the Festool bit holder, McFeely's #1 modified, McFeely's #2 modified, McFeely's #2 unmodified, and the bastards who did it.

I decided I should do the long-ass Kreg #2 driver that came with the pocket hole kit.  This puppy is apparently made with diamonds as it was a beast to grind.  I eventually pulled out the Dremel with a grind stone to work off most of it then used a rounded file to make it nice.  Again, this inserts and seats with perfection in the Centrotec chuck.

Photo is of the Kreg #2 chucked for milling:

Next up will be to buy 3 TORX (not shouting, it's how it is spelled) driver bits and grind away.

Highly recommended.