Installing the Festool Boom

 

    It was a couple of weeks ago that Andrea and I ran some tests on cutting of white melamine particle core board. One of the important findings was that when we kept the dust collection hose and power cord free from catching on the guide rail, we had smoother feeding of the plunge saw and no chip out. We improvised this little hose and cord holder that worked as far it reached but I said that I was going to create a "sky hook" to really hold the hose and cord out of the way.

  
 

   When I was at the Las Vega AWFS Show in August I did see a boom, but it was in use with the Festool air powered tool, so I didn't think that it would be available to us electrical users. But it is, and I am delighted to report that I got two packages from Festool this last week.

  If Andrea looks a might proud, she should be. She has successfully assembled the whole thing and it works. How well does it work?   I will save that until the very last — but here is a hint, you will be wanting to rush out and order one immediately.
   Now, let me start at the beginning.

  
 

   The boom arm comes in a very well packed box.  We also received the handle for the dust collector. This must be installed first. 

   Andrea removes the instructions to review before going ahead.

   Andrea starts by removing the two hose storage brackets at the rear of the dust collector.

  
 

   

  She has placed the vacuum on a board on the floor to gain a more convenient access to the unit.

    There are no instructions for the handle but there is one exploded parts diagram that you will have to decipher very carefully.  It took us awhile before we realized that the square nuts had square locations molded in the plastic. Once we insert a nut for each of these, then attaching the lower plastic piece was quite easy.

  
 

      With each of the three screws started, Andrea tighten the screws.

   Andrea has placed the vacuum back up on the worktable. She is placing the upper mounting bracket over the handle tabs and onto the two places where she had removed the hose wrap blocks.

  
 

  She screws it into position.

      She puts the original hose wrap blocks back onto the vacuum. This will officially mark the end of the handle installation. Next: the boom.