Festool Carvex

We talked about this tool the other week in our JLC Rhode Island wrap up, but it's time we took a more detailed look. Question is...where the hell do you start with this thing?

Strobe Light
As we mentioned earlier, the Carvex comes equipped with a strobe light that is timed with the blade stroke. What this does is allow you to see exactly where the blade is at all times. We saw it in action and it's stunning; the blade truly looks like it's not moving. All of our out-gassing isn't going to mean anything to you, so watch it yourself:

Sort of creepy, isn't it?

Blade Stability
The tool also has something called triple blade guidance which ensures a nice straight cut (even in material up to 4-3/4" thick). We didn't see this feature in action, but we did get a look at the splinter guard that had been in use all day and it was in perfect condition, which leads us to believe that the guidance systems isn't a joke. Our experience is that after a cut or two splinter guards tend to get pretty dinged up. Here's a vid of that little piece in action...

Blade Removal
There's also a tool-free blade change system that actually ejects the blades, so no more pliers needed to extract a smoking hot blade from the saw. Check it out here...

Accessories
And then there are the bases, all kind of bases. Two that come with the saw; one with a plastic bottom and one with a felt bottom, for delicate surfaces. And then there's a Carvex accessory kit that comes with the innovative angle base (the one that looks like a butterfly...picture here), a dimpled base insert, a hard fiber base insert, a base adapter, and a steel base insert. The accessory kit also comes with the splinter guard and a circle cutter. The accessory package will be around $200, but it's looking like all of the pieces will be sold individually as well. Unfortunately, the angled base is not part of the basic kit, so if you're someone who puts a slight angle on your scribes, you should anticipate making an additional purchase.

There are going to be four models available; d-handle and barrel grip in both corded and cordless. Pricing isn't available on the cordless versions, but the corded will be selling for the (we think) extremely reasonable price of $350.

Available for pre-order at FestoolProducts.com

April 8, 2011

Festool Carvex