2x4 Cleats for MFT

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi there gang! This is certainly nothing earth-shattering, but it's something that I've found to be really handy. In a nutshell, I've developed (well, it's still an evolving design) a cleat system for supporting large work pieces on my MFT/3 work tables. I know that many users utilize sheets of foam for this purpose, but for myself I find it easier to transport cleats versus larger sheets.

I don't remember the dimensions off-hand (I can if someone is interested), but essentially I cut 2x4 stock to roughly 30", drilled two 3/4" holes that line up with the grid pattern in the table top (2nd hole in from either edge), then glued 3/4" dowels into the holes, so that 1" of dowel is exposed. I then routed a 3/4" wide by 1" deep dado in the cleat. The dado serves two purposes. First, it allows the cleats to nest together for easier transport and storage. Second, if I want to further elevate the work surface I could insert strips of 3/4" plywood into the dadoes.

The way I installed the dowels, I can offset the cleats to one side of the table or another. For example, I can have my fence and other hardware installed on a MFT, and the offset nature of the dowels allows me to still install the cleats for a quick rip cut.

These cleats are especially nice for rip cutting framing lumber with my worm drive saw. The cleats elevate the work high enough off of the table top that, even with my 7.25" saw set to maximum cutting depth, I do not need to worry about damaging the table top. Also, I REALLY like having the work supported at 6 or more points, versus the 2 points I would have with traditional saw horses.

Anyways, if anybody has any questions I would be happy to answer. Have fun and work safe!
Best,
Tom

 

[peter halle]

Great idea Tom!  You just gave me an idea too!  If it works I will give you full credit of course.

Peter

 

[pghmyn]

Actually a really nice idea. The most important feature it serves, that I see, is saving the MFT top as much as possible.

 

[Sparktrician]

Very clever!!!  I was thinking, too, that if you use the plywood strips to extend the cleats, you could also notch them (top down) to accept perpendicular strips notched (bottom up) to create a more rigid cutting table for sheet goods. 

 

[hockey_magnet]

Thanks for this - simple but effective!

 

[Michael Kellough]

That's one way to preserve the MDF but it drastically degrades dust collection.
Most people use extruded polystyrene foam as a sacrificial surface.
It keeps the dust collection "pipeline" closed and as good as it gets.

Pink at the big orange box and green at the blue one.

It is bulky but you can cut it down and tape parts together as needed.

 

[Eli]

Cool cleat idea. If some of your ply strips had a 45 on one end you could use it for a finishing table as well.

I recently acquired some 1 inch foam rubber similar to a camping mat but thicker. It was the audience seating from the last show I worked on.
It's about 30mm x 600mm by 1200-1800mm, I have six or seven pieces.

I'm finding it even more versatile than polysty or cardboard, both of which I've used in the past. The main additional features are that it isn't rigid, so can be rolled up or bent without being damaged. I also put it in between the MFT table surface and stacked tools, the vacs, the kapex, compressor, etc to keep them from eating each other in transit.

It's pretty grabby, so you can lay the clean side on a finished surface and cut on top of that. I've found it works well if you want to clip the end of a bit of trim with saw+rail, as the foam crushes around it and keeps the small workpiece from pivoting under the rail.

It's soft but doesn't dent, so in applications where I'm moving a big finished piece, maybe using a duck lift or a fork to lift something up high for placement the pads can be used on top of the tines. It cleans up really easy, I was able to vac all the swarf from cutting aluminium off it and use it the next time around to trim a piece with pre-finished surface.

Of course you can lay it on top of the MFT for cutting. I'm pretty sure a worm drive at full depth would be out of the question though  [big grin]

It makes a good kneepad for flooring or base work.

The best part is that no matter how the van is packed I can always grab a handful of pads and make a really comfy lounge to have a kip while I'm waiting somewhere.

Not sure how cost effective they are, as they cost me nothing but a quick dumpster dive.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Thanks for the feedback and input!

Michael, I agree that using the foam sheets would be nice for sheet goods, as far as dust extraction goes. Alas, for every sheet I break down there are just as many LVLs or 2x10 headers I rip down with my worm drive, and I doubt my customers would appreciate a layer of pink or blue foam fuzz in their lawn. For my specific and particular working habits, cleats win over sheets of foam.

An added benefit of raising the material off of the table top is I can perform a fair amount of jigsaw cuts without the blade touching the top. A few weeks ago I had 11 2x10 treated stringers to cut for a deck. With my cleats in place, I was able to make all of the primary cuts with my worm drive at full depth, and then complete the cuts with my jigsaw, all performed without worrying able chewing up my table tops.

I hope everybody has a great weekend, I'd love to hear any suggestions on how to improve on this concept!

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Tom [thumbs up]

 

[Scott in San Diego]

Thanks, Tom...I'm going to modify your idea to build up the working surface of my old MFT 1080 to be level with my new MFT/3.

 

[ScotF]

Awesome idea, Tom...

Also, what are the little extension on the UG stands I see...looks like some 80/20 extrusions or something....can you elaborate?

Thanks,

Scot

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Awesome idea, Tom...

Also, what are the little extension on the UG stands I see...looks like some 80/20 extrusions or something....can you elaborate?

Thanks,

Scot

Ah, good eye ScotF!!  [big grin]

I machined some extensions for my Kapex fences that allow for wider material support, as well as allowing me to use my Fes clamps to clamp down a strip of plywood, acting as a crown moulding stop. I have some more photos to take of what I came up with before I post details. When I post the thread I will provide a link here as well.

 

[ScotF]

Awesome idea, Tom...

Also, what are the little extension on the UG stands I see...looks like some 80/20 extrusions or something....can you elaborate?

Thanks,

Scot

Ah, good eye ScotF!!  [big grin]

I machined some extensions for my Kapex fences that allow for wider material support, as well as allowing me to use my Fes clamps to clamp down a strip of plywood, acting as a crown moulding stop. I have some more photos to take of what I came up with before I post details. When I post the thread I will provide a link here as well.

Thanks, Tom...I cannot wait to read about it and see some more details...looks like a great idea and solves the problem of wide material support. 

Scot

 

[madmaguire]

Looks like "ram board" floor protectant in the first pic. Love that stuff! I too am looking forward to the post about the kapex extensions  [tongue]

 

[rnt80]

Great idea, Tom.  You solved a problem for me.  Thanks!

 

[campbellcraft]

Just noticed this thread. I've been using the same idea for several years now. I did place my 2x4's on edge. This gives me more room for jig saw cuts and plunge cuts with the TS55. I added holes in the top of the 2x4's for sharpened dowels used in finishing.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Great idea, Tom.  You solved a problem for me.  Thanks!

I've attached a few recent photos of my current generation of MFT cleats. This time, I doubled-up 3/4 MDF strips to create 2x4 material out of MDF (I was curious how it would perform compared to solid wood). Rather than using wood dowels, this time I elected to use 3/4" diameter stacked fender washers held in place with a Kreg screw. My biggest disappointment was that I routed a 3/4" dado into both faces of the cleat, the idea being to flip the cleat once one side got too worn. Alas, this limits the amount of material that the screw can grab. Next batch, I think I'll still go with the fender washer/Kreg screw pegs, dado only the top surface, and maybe go back to regular 2x4s.

In the attached photos, you can seer how a single cleat raises material nicely for jigsaw work, and stacking the cleats 3x high allows for cutting foam boards.

I'll update periodically with new ideas  [smile]

 

[elfick]

Tom,
How about using sign standoffs? They look reasonably priced.

http://www.fixturepronto.com/lit_standoffs.htm

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Tom,
How about using sign standoffs? They look reasonably priced.

http://www.fixturepronto.com/lit_standoffs.htm

Those would work great! Thanks for the link, I'll look into them for a future generation of cleats.  [big grin]

 

[rnt80]

Thanks again for the idea.  The only thing I changed about mine was to add a bolt and threaded knob to one end in lieu of a second dowel.  I wanted to be able to secure these to my mfts so that I could rip a full sheet on them and not have to worry about them popping out of the holes.