Are the MFT perimeter extrusions supposed to be straight?

[morogue]

I've been playing with my new MFT, trying to see if I can get consistent square cuts...

I moved the protractor around the perimeter a bit and noticed the aux fence getting way out of line (on all four sides).
So, I measured the perimeter extrusions, and they all have considerable bellies in the range from 1/32 to almost 3/32.
Is the mdf and it's holes the only part of the work bench that is trustworthy?

Are the perimeter extrusions meant to be disregarded as being straight?
I didn't measure squareness to each other, as it seemed futile given the curvy nature of the extrusions.
Would such discrepancies impede the joining of multiple units together later on?

Also, how much slop should be in the guide rail to support unit pin? I get some noticeable play, where you can hear and feel the guide clinking against the sides of the pin (maybe 1/32).

In general, I am wondering how this all adds up to a better working methodology for me, as well as quality for my money invested.

I have looked around at others' posts and instructions regarding the MFT for clues to best practices; there seems to be a great deal of people jettisoning half the parts paid for, kludging together all sorts of workarounds, and otherwise radically modifying the the MFT well beyond my neophyte capabilities and my limited patience reserve.

 

[Dan Clermont]

Typically I use a square to adjust the guide rail and fence on the MFT for a square cut. I've never bothered to check whether or not the extrusions are square.

The pin which engages the guide rail near your hip may not be sitting high enough in the guide rail extrusion/slot. I've had this happen before. If the guide rail and pin are mating properly and you still have play that isn't right and may require a call to Festool tech support

Dan Clermont

 

[Overtime]

First thing,  Don't panic, and focus your limited patience  on getting square accurate cuts because in the end that's what the goal is.
Put aside any aerospace engineering tools and measuring principles.
  I have the old MFT and I have not checked any extrusions. My fence is tightened down at three points and that takes care of bows and such. I square the fence to the folding guiderail and tighten. At present there are no modifications to my MFT at all.
  The underside of the guiderail rests on the pin. Depending on the thickness of the stock the pin is raised up to fill the gap, reducing the slop while at the same time not too high as to raise the guide rail above the stock. This takes a few cuts to get the hang of it.

  It took some time for me to get accustomed to this set up. It's not cast iron and will never ever be as rock solid as such. It's more like a folding tent. OK maybe not but it ain't no CNC machine either.

At the start of a project or series of cuts I always check and adjust for square before cutting.  Stock that is narrow like 2 to 8 inches wide will need a lesser degree of perfection to be square. Cutting wide stock like 22" requires much more attention and is attainable.

  Every tool needs some degree of input from the user to get repeatable accurate cuts. Get used to your table and make sure you are using it correctly. Get some square cuts going,  make adjustments as needed and things will become second nature. Once you get some nice cuts you will start to gain confidence in the table and the saw.

Remember we are working with wood. Not titanium and carbon fiber.

But still, if you got a piece of junk give it back !

Good luck.