Am I missing something with the MFT/3

[saands]

Good morning all!

I just went down to the shop to use my MFT/3 for the first time. I have a panel that I need to split in two and it seemed like a perfect tool for the quick job. The panel is 28"x30" and I need to make the cut in the longer direction. When I moved the fence all the way back, it looks like the biggest piece of wood I can put on the MFT is ~26" ... is this actually true, or am I missing something ... I've only had one cup of coffee so far, so I'm hoping that I missed something obvious.

Thanks in advance!

Saands

 

[sancho57]

ya dont need to use the MFT fence. Make yer measurements put tick marks on the ply and use the guide rail with out te fence. You may need a longer guide rail like a 1400

 

[weekendwarrior]

To get a little more space you can turn the MFT fence vertical and shift the angle thing back a bit.

Also, like jobsworth mentioned, if you have a longer guide rail you can shift your setup 90° and make your cuts in the long direction.

Bench dogs can also be used to align your wood without using the MFT fence at all.

 

[waho6o9]

Take off the fenders and bumpers, bench and rail dogs are best.

Welcome to the FOG!

Great advice above.

 

[peter halle]

In the original configuration the MFT/3 has a crosscutting capacity that will handle less than you need in this instance.  it will handle up to basically crosscuts for base cabinets.

I am assuming that you have a Festool saw and probably already have the 1400 rail.  So as has already been suggested you could just make marks and line up your rail or take the time to switch the rail assembly to the non originally set up sides with your 1400 rail.  Of course you will then have to go thru the squaring process and that might not be work the time and effort.  Personally I would mark the work and cut as [member=10147]jobsworth[/member] suggested if it is just a one off.

Peter

 

[saands]

Thanks for the quick responses ... this forum is really a wealth of knowledge and I appreciate it.

I will just take this piece to the floor with my longer rail ... I was just hoping to use the new table  [cool]

Thanks again,

Saands

 

[tjbnwi]

Thanks for the quick responses ... this forum is really a wealth of knowledge and I appreciate it.

I will just take this piece to the floor with my longer rail ... I was just hoping to use the new table  [cool]

Thanks again,

Saands

Cut it on the MFT, don’t crawl around on the floor.

Take the fence off, place the work piece on the table and cut away.

Tom

 

[sancho57]

Thanks for the quick responses ... this forum is really a wealth of knowledge and I appreciate it.

I will just take this piece to the floor with my longer rail ... I was just hoping to use the new table  [cool]

Thanks again,

Saands

What Tom said

 

[ben_r_]

Take off the fenders and bumpers, bench and rail dogs are best.

Welcome to the FOG!

Great advice above.

Yea, assuming your MFT top holes are perfectly square. I attempted to check mine with the parf dogs bolted down from the bottom and found it to be .007" out over ~22". Or my square was off... I suppose that's always a possibility.

 

[peter halle]

I make my living with wood.  Most of it not glamorous or worthy of posting here.  I wish that any work I did was accurate to within 7 /1000’s of an inch in 22 inches.  Not bashing or making fun but rather just being honest with no malice intended.

Peter

 

[ben_r_]

I make my living with wood.  Most of it not glamorous or worthy of posting here.  I wish that any work I did was accurate to within 7 /1000’s of an inch in 22 inches.  Not bashing or making fun but rather just being honest with no malice intended.

Peter

Yep, I hear ya. And I wasn't complaining or praising, just merely stating the fact I found.

 

[Stone Message]

The MFT3 is a great piece of kit and I have mine in use all the time.

Since I made the Isometric top I use it for a lot more cross cutting than I used to but for larger stock I use my tracksaw cutting station. This is just a slab of 19 mm MDF with some dog holes and it can sit on a pair of trestles or, in my case, the top of my CNC cabinet.

As Ron said above, if a piece is too big for the MFT3 or tracksaw cutting station then just do some accurate measuring and place your guide rail accordingly.

This may help:


Peter

 

[Cheese]

Yea, assuming your MFT top holes are perfectly square. I attempted to check mine with the parf dogs bolted down from the bottom and found it to be .007" out over ~22". Or my square was off... I suppose that's always a possibility.

That's pretty impressive, I'd be happy with those results from a stock MFT top. And considering the Woodpeckers square could also be out by .001" per foot, you could add or subtract .002" from that .007" number.

A Woodpeckers engineer told me that standard Festool MFT tops are out more than that.

 

[Cochese]

As long as the rail will make the cut, just drop the front support, line your marks up, and cut. Need to be a bit more careful, but it works. Parf dogs are on the way so I can take my fence off finally.