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EC-TEC^® Motor Technology

The heart of the C12 is the revolutionary EC-TEC brushless motor. Th is isn't just your run-of-the-mill motor. This is a permanent magnet, remotely commutated, 3 phase, AC motor. This is the same type of motor used as servo motors in robotic systems where high torque, high speed, and extreme durability are crucial.

The brushless DC motor lasts longer, and requires no maintenance, as compared to the brushed motor. It is also much smoother and quieter.

Electronics

A powerful drill is of little value if it is easily damaged. The C12 has an intelligent electronic controller that not only powers the motor, but more importantly, monitors its health. Unlike other drills on the market, the C12 won't let you destroy the drill (or the battery) no matter how hard you try.

Battery Sizes

Whether you're an occasional picture hanger, or a professional contractor, the C12 is flexible enough to meet everyone's needs. The C12 is available with three sizes of batteries to choose from: 1.3 Ah NiCd, 2.4 Ah NiCd, and 3.0 Ah NiMH. The higher the amp-hour (Ah) rating, the longer the battery will last.

Gearbox

The C12 gearbox is virtually bulletproof. To harness the power of the motor, the C12 uses a 3-stage planetary geartrain. This is the same type of gear set used in automotive transmissions for its strength and versatility.

In a planetary drive, the power of the motor is shared by dozens of gear teeth instead of just a couple. It also permits for a very high gear ratio in a small amount of space.

Electromechanical Clutch And Motor Cut-out

Most cordless drills have mechanical slip clutches to prevent you from stripping a screw, but the clutch on the C12 will slip only half a revolution before the motor detects the slippage and shuts down. No more do you have to put up with the endless grinding sound from the slip clutch. Another feature of the C12 gearbox is the integral shaft-lock to assist in bit changing. The motor can rotate the drill chuck, but the drill chuck cannot rotate the motor. With the shaft-lock, you can tighten the chuck as hard as you want, and the gearbox will hold fast.

Change Chucks & Batteries In Seconds

View the Festool C12 online at the Festool USA website.

Faster. Easier. Smarter.

My name is Marc Spagnuolo, and I am The Wood Whisperer. That still sounds funny to me when I say it! Truthfully, TheWoodWhisperer.com started as a little side project and a means of educating my fellow woodworkers in my spare time. Running a one-man custom furniture shop doesn't usually allow for much fun time. But it didn't take long before my wife and I realized we created a monster. Apparently our timing was very good. There isn't much in the way of quality woodworking programming on the television these days, and our site offers a unique, one-of-a-kind look into the workings of a real shop. Bringing some comedy and my wife into the show have been the icing on the cake. In fact, my wife probably has more fans than I do! But this unexpected mix of fun, family, and quality fine woodworking tips seems to appeal to a wide range of viewers. The site and the show are really just extensions of my life. And with a live webcam in my shop at all times, my life is becoming a completely open book. Or would that be an open tool box?

Marc Spagnuolo
The Wood Whisperer

View a video clip from Marc as he discusses how Festool helps his "one man shop" work Faster. Easier. Smarter.

One of the greatest parts of my job is the fielding of questions from viewers. As a self-confessed power-tool junkie, I constantly get questions about which saw to buy, which sander, etc, and I love every minute of it. My favorite questions, in fact, are the ones about Festool products. When I started my woodworking business several years ago, I decided to invest in my first Festool tools: the TS-55 Circular Saw, the MFT-1080, and the CT-22 dust extractor. I knew I would be cutting a significant amount of veneered sheet-goods and I needed a system that would be easy, accurate, and fast. A panel saw is just too big, too rough, and is pretty much a uni-tasker. The Festool system, however, was compact, easy to use, exceptionally accurate, and could be used for hundreds of other tasks. Processing sheet goods is now a breeze: cut the big sheets down to size on the floor with the TS-55 and a guide, then cross-cut the more manageable pieces on the MFT 1080. For the first time ever, I was whipping out perfectly square panels in one shot, instead of 10, and my back wasn't killing me after a long day in the shop. I am sure you can imagine the time and monetary savings.

And let's not leave out one of the most important aspects of Festool tools: dust collection. As a person with a science background, I am well aware of the dangers of the dust we create as woodworkers. I plan on doing this stuff for a long time and breathing easy the whole way through. As a person who has had plenty of hands on time with numerous popular brands, I can honestly say that Festool's dust collection technology is unmatched. Clearly, dust collection and our safety is a priorty for Festool, instead of an after-thought as it is with most other brands.

My collection of Festool tool's has expanded since those early days and now includes items like the Domino, the OF1400 Plunge Router, and the Rotex sanders. And I could write an entire article on each one of those tools and how they have changed my shop for the better. Its not often that I find a tool company that seems to do everything right. I think many companies are just satisfied with the status quo and forget about innovation. Not so with Festool. My favorite thing about their tools: they always come up with features and innovations that you never knew you needed, and now you can't live without!

If you have any questions about Festool tools and their practical application in a workshop, please feel free to email me at marc@thewoodwhisperer.com or visit our site at http://thewoodwhisperer.com.

A History Of Sanding Innovations.

In 1951, Festool introduced the world’s first handheld orbital sander which shaved hours off of an otherwise tedious job.

In 1976, Festool develops the first random orbital sander to market maturity.

In 1984, the dual-mode Rotex RO 150 E for outstanding surface results with a single tool, from rough sanding to fine finishing - the first sander of its type.

Did You Know The "Rattling Sound" From Your TS-Series Saw Means It's Working, Not Broken?

The "strange noise", often described as a rattling sound, is caused by the MMC electronics in the tachometer regulated speed control sending power to the motor in a stream of various sized bits.The motor is constantly being turned on and off to keep the saw blade rotating at a constant speed.

Most of the sound is being produced by "gear backlash" between the small pinion gear on the rotor and the larger gear that drives the saw blade. The saw blade behaves like a flywheel and has inertia that keeps it rotating while the small gear has slowed down. The opposite sides of the gear teeth tap against the mating teeth of the large gear and the vibration conducts to the saw blade, where it becomes sound which radiates from the blade like a speaker. Some of the noise is created by the field coil wires and plates vibrating from the pulsing magnetism as they energize and de-energize. These pulses get longer and longer as the saw is put under load.If the machine is run without a blade installed, there are no unusual sounds. In this case, the pulses are short, but there is no inertial resistance from the blade flywheel.

The "strange noises" heard from a Festool circular saw are normal... I would be more concerned about a saw that did not make these noises. It might be an indication that it's speed control is malfunctioning. The Festool saw is unique. If other manufacturers used similar Pulse width modulation speed control in their saws, customers would come to expect such "strange noises", and they would not be so strange. The noises would be the "familiar Festool sound".

Now that's...

Faster. Easier. Smarter.

Special thanks to John Lucas, an avid cabinetmaking and Festool loyalist, for contributing a follow up to last month's Festool "Toolie Tip" entitled "How Square is Square?". John demonstrates...

The Ultimate Test of Square

Having an engineer's square to check your saw squareness is fine but not the ultimate test. I mentioned in my last column, that the real test is in the woodwork — does that fourth corner come together without excessive clamping?

For me, making a small cube with mitered sides and corners is a true test of both the saw setup and my procedures.

I have just posted two pages on my website (www.woodshopdemos.com) showing Elena and me testing our methods by building a cube. If you think making a frame with 4 mitered corners is hard, try this test of cutting all 6 sides and having them fit together without clamps and without gaps in the corners. When you can do that, your system is right on and you can feel better about building cabinets and boxes of any sort.

 Happy Holidays - The Employees of Festool USA.