Fein multi-tools – Josche’s go to tool for over 15 years
Fein interviewed Josche Frankenberger last October following the launch of the new generation of Fein Multi-tools in 2017. An experienced prop maker and furniture designer, he answers questions on his work, talks about his workshops and discusses his reasons for using and investing in Fein, nearly two decades on.
Josche Frankenberger has been self-employed for around 20 years, using the FEIN MultiMaster for over fifteen of those years. Josche got involved in the construction of props and furniture through his work as a photographer’s assistant.
He discovered there was a demand for good stage design – and this rapidly expanded into interior work, set and exhibition stand construction.
Since the start of 2016, he has been designing furniture in the High Black Forest, Germany. He offers workshops where he instructs participants in how to build or restore their pieces of furniture.
FEIN: You design your furniture, how did you get started in this field?
Josche: Initially I built my furniture for a very practical reason: I couldn’t afford the furniture I liked, and I just didn’t like anything that was affordable, so I started to design my furniture, building tables, beds, benches, cupboards and shelving.
I like creating things that are personal and that people like to have in their homes.
FEIN: You offer seminars on furniture construction and design at your workshop?
How did you hit on this idea?
Josche: My workshops are a real pet project for me where I wanted to convey my passion for working with wood, and how fascinated I am with the most living of all materials.
I spent a lot of time looking for the right location. It needed to be something really special, a place offering me and the participant’s tranquillity, well away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
FEIN: What do your workshops focus on?
Josche: They concentrate on producing an individual piece of furniture. I design several pieces of furniture and produce a prototype of each one.
For example, one participant might be looking for a table and builds exactly the table he or she wants under my supervision: they select the wood – oak, bamboo, birch – and size they want.
In another workshop, I help the participants restore old furniture. They bring the item with them, be it a cupboard they found at a flea market or something they have inherited, and together we work out how to restore it.
FEIN: Why do you like Fein and continue to use it?
Josche: As a craftsman, I have long been familiar with FEIN and valued their products. I use my 15-year old MultiMaster typically for sanding and sawing.
I like most is that the tool sits comfortably in hand, can be used for long periods of time due to the vibration decoupling, and of course, Starlock, which impresses me both as a great sanding and sawing machine.
Fein currently has three tiered versions of its multi-tool: The Multi-Talent represents an entry-level machine, the Multi-Master provides the typical tradesman with a powerful machine capable of meeting many applications, regularly, and the Super-Cut is the most powerful multi-tool in the market.
All machines are available as cordless, and all are supported by the largest range of accessories in the market (Starlock).
Fein presently is offering end-users its cordless Multi-Talent at an RRP of £196.95, with a free lamp and three free blades (worth £67.90).
