This Festool Conturo is the first hand-held edge banding machine that uses on-demand application of hot melt glue. It also can be used fixtured in a table for even greater ease of use.
Any edge banding material from a thickness of .5mm (1/32") to 3mm (1/8") thick can be used. Material from 18-65mm (23/32" - 2-9/16") thick can be easily and professional banded with game changing power previously only seen in professional machines costing several times as much.
The Conturo's ability to easily edge band curved edges (down to a 2" inner radius) in addition to straight edges is an essential feature that many larger machines aren't able to easily do. It is such an important design requirement for building modern furniture that it became part of the tools "Conturo" name.
In order to make the machine versatile, able to use different color hot melt glue, be practical as a portable machine, or be useful in a shop that does not edge band all day, the design uses a computer controlled glue dispenser that only melts the amount of glue needed at the moment and feeds and melts glue on demand. This means no mess and no waste to clean up at the end of the day. There is an about 8-10 minute warmup period to bring the machine to temperature and the temperature can be set depending on the glue pellets being used.
The basic machine weighs in at 17.4 lbs and is deigned to be used hand-held with no issues. In the video we have included in the media viewer this is how the machine is demonstrated. It is also the least expensive configuration of the machine. Many people will also want to add the MFT/3 Conturo Table which uses the frame of a regular MFT/3 along with with an adapter plate for the Conturo and special table inserts that so you can correctly and securely position your work against the Conturo. The adapter plate can hold the Conturo at any angle (usually square to the table) and at any time you can quickly remove the machine from the table for portable use.
In typical "Festool is a system" fashion we also offer a edge trimming set which is available separately or at a discount if you buy it with the machine. The kit includes an ingenious guillotine
trimmer to flush trim the ends of the banding after you are done, an elegant street scraper for cleaning up edges of any excess glue that might remain, a polishing pad, a felt protector for delicate surfaces, and an additional roller for adding an addition pressure point to the edge banding application. All of the accessories come packed in a systainer. In our list of parts and pricing for the Conturo all the accessories are also offered separately but the accessories included in the kit are starred.
Packages containing various combination of the edge bander, router, and various vacuum combinations at a savings are listed in dropdowns at the end of the accessories list.
If you wish to build your own table. The mount, table insert, and guide plates are also available separately.
After the banding is applied you can immediately use a trim router to bring the banding flush with the top and bottom surfaces of your material. You can do this with your current laminate trimmer, the current MFK700 used vertical or in its lipping planer configuration, or with the special MFK700 Conturo version, which is the same machine as the regular MFK700 but instead of two bases this version comes only with a special for easy flush cutting, and also for putting corner radii on your edges. We stock both the MFK700 Conturo version, and several router bits specially designed for this operation. These bits also use rotating insert cutting so when one carbide edge of the cutter is worn instead of discarding the bit, you simply rotate the cutter and get a new precise cutting edge.
We think it is pretty obvious that the Conturo is too expensive a machine for casual use. But it's a game changer. For the smaller shop the only options previously available were clamps and glue, or iron-on tape. The former still has application for very thick (over 3mm) or rigid banding (although you sometimes can use two or more layers of 3mm edging applied with the Conturo) but the latter iron-on tape, even when applied by a figure never had the quality look or the permanence of a hot glue edging. For the first time you don't need the capital expense or the floor space of a stationary machine. While the Conturo does not trim veneer to length or automatically trim the sides, the stationary machines that do this cost 4 or 5 times as much initially and far more in maintenance cost.
The Conturo is a machine you can count on. If in the past you have shied away from jobs needing lots of edging you now how the option of building jobs like that. Unlike a stationary machine that may takes weeks to negotiate a purchase for and then install and get operational, the Conturo is like any other portable power tool. It works on 110V, it is easily portable, and we keep them in stock for immediate shipment.
While we include several Festool videos on this page to demonstrate the machine if you are in vicinity of our showroom please give us a call for a demo. Bring some scrap and some edging, we will show you how to use the machine, and you can try it out for yourself. Remember of course we do delivery free anywhere in the continental US.
Not only is the machine a game changer but all Festool tools comes with a 30 day no questions ask return policy and a full three year warranty which also includes free shipping to and from Festool for service.
Made in Germany.
