Tools rule. The right tools, that is.

There’s nothing like having the right tool at hand for a job. Whether you’re an editor and videographer (like me) or a boat-and-wood guy (like Tony), your set of tools can either make a job sing, or a misery.

- Editing on a laptop with a scant 250 mb of RAM vs. a powerful system that renders and crunches video quickly
– Using a bulky sander vs. one that snugs right into the crooks and grooves
– A dull planer vs. sharp one
– Shooting a documentary on your iPhone without a tripod… ok that will just never happen.

You get the idea. Tools make a craftsman and woman’s job marvellous, or hell.

And when it comes to hand powertools, Tony relies mainly on Festool. The German-made line is precise, powerful, efficient and do exactly what they are meant to, without any extra fancy bells or whistles. His favourite, and the one he used extensively to sand off the old paint and primer from Dorothy (and to collect the lead-laden dust and prolong his life) is the RO-125, with the CT dust collection system that rivals no other.

But let him tell you why he likes it. Here’s a little video I did a few months back on his experience with a new sander Festool loaned him for a contest they called “Sand, Finish, Pass”:

Many, many more videos, ranging from some pretty funny fan videos, to slick commercial ones, can be found on Festool’s YouTube channel here.

Here’s to tools that WORK.

Happy working, sailing, refinishing or just plain lazing around. Tobi and Tony