arithmetically challenged MFT3 user has questions

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Lucky Dave

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Oct 3, 2007
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" Work Space"  "(1102 x 718 mm)"

"The dog holes on the MFT are bored at 20 mm, and are laid out in a 9.5 cm on-center grid."

Festool USA

1. On my relatively new MFT3, with digital capliers, I get 9.6 cm on-center grid.  I do measure 20 mm hole diameter.

So whats right 9.5 or 9.6?

2. Again, with digital caplipers I measure 70mm from side of "work space" to center of first hole, in both directions.
If I count right hole grid is 11 x 7.  If I am measuring and adding correctly ( very questionable assumption) that yields a work surface of 1100 by 716.

Is it 70 or 71 mm edge to center of first hole?

Thanks in advance for helping a novice Festoolian.

PS: I need to know cause nephew has full up CNC cabinet shop and can make replacement tops for me at low cost. [smile]

 
Just the other day I was accurately measuring the hole spacing for an upcoming project. It is 96.0 mm.
 
I do not know of any MFT/3 accessory that uses 2 holes at once, so the center to center spacing would not be all that important.
The important part is that the holes are 20mm & the rows of holes length wise & width wise are 90 degrees to each other.
 
Chris Rosenberger said:
I do not know of any MFT accessory that uses 2 holes at once, so the center to center spacing would not be all that important.
The important part is that the holes are 20mm & the rows of holes length wise & width wise are 90 degrees to each other.
Click to expand...

That might change in the very near future.  [smile]
 
Qwas said:
Chris Rosenberger said:
I do not know of any MFT accessory that uses 2 holes at once, so the center to center spacing would not be all that important.
The important part is that the holes are 20mm & the rows of holes length wise & width wise are 90 degrees to each other.
Click to expand...

That might change in the very near future.  [smile]
Click to expand...

Looking forward to see what you come up with Steve.

BTW, the old MFT miter head used to holes.
 
If you use the Qwas dogs or other Qwas products and set them up to do 45 degree cuts, then the hole spacing is important only to the degree that all the holes have the same center to center spacing - whatever that may be.

Peter
 
Yes, it's 96mm.

As in 3x 32mm, as in the 32mm system. As for the overall dimensions of the top, just measure the one you've got, and work the holes from the centre outwards. It doesn't really make any difference if it's 70 or 71mm from the edge to the first hole. You could have it 80mm on one side, and 60mm on the other, it's really not important for anything.

The olny important thing is that the lines of holes are square to the edges & to each other, which if it's being done on a CNC, they will be.
 
Shane Holland said:
Actually, the old 1080/800 fence used two holes to attach as I recall.
Click to expand...

Shane, you and Brice are correct. I should have proof read my post better.
I meant to say MFT/3 accessory, that the OP asked about. [embarassed]

 
I am Shocked, Shocked!!!  :o

I thought Festool was all about precision, and some of you are saying the basic dimensions of one of the most important tools don't matter!!!  ::)

I feel the earth shaking beneath my feet.  Judgement day must be near. [laughing]

Dave
 
Dave,

That earth shaking you are feeling is the remnant of a California earthquake.  [poke]  Judgement day can't come until after the newest tools are released here.

Peter
 
Peter,

OK, so 95, 96, 97, what the heck.  Consistency is the one true way. 
At least until Qwas come up with newest gadget, as threatened.

But the overall dimensions being off by 2 mm?  Do the side and end rails adjust by 2mm if I ( or rather my nephew ) makes me a replacement top with his CNC tools and the width and length are off by 2mm.

Dave

BTW: I do use Qwas dogs. Luv em.

 
Dave - The Sawdust King said:
...
But the overall dimensions being off by 2 mm?  Do the side and end rails adjust by 2mm if I ( or rather my nephew ) makes me a replacement top with his CNC tools and the width and length are off by 2mm.
...
Click to expand...

How do you figure that the tops are off by 2mm?  If you arrive at this conclusion by adding up the various dimensions -- edge to first hole, hole to hole and last hole to other edge -- you are likely to get an incorrect measurement.  Any errors will accumulate with that method, and you cannot rely your result.  I have to older 1080 and 800 MFTs, so I cannot verify the MFT/3's dimensions -- but, I would expect that the measurements that Festool has listed for the MFT/3 are correct.

The side rails do not "adjust" to accommodate any variation in the tops.  But, the opening created by the MFT's framework is a little larger than the tops, so there is some wiggle room between the two -- probably more than enough that is needed to allow for any expansion or contraction. 

Bottom line here, is that if you are looking to make your own tops, make them the 1102 x 718mm size as listed, and space the holes on a 96mm grid.
 
How did I get to 1100 and 716 instead of 1102 and 718?

Multiplied 96 mm times the number of hole spacings and added 70mm, twice (the distance I measured from the center of the outside role of holes to the edge of the top. So only one measurement is involved.  The rest is arithmetic.

The question then is how accurate is my 70 mm measurement. Since I used digital calipers, hard to see how I could be off by 1 mm.  But then, I have done dumber things.

Dave
 
Dave,  I understood how you arrived at the dimensions you got.  My point was that you should simply take a tape and measure the top. 
 
Corwin,

Yes, obviously simpler, but right now only metric tape/rule I have is 150mm.  Guess I will have to go buy something longer.

Dave
 
Okay, you can convert the metric dimensions into imperial and then you can use your tape measure.  

716mm = 28.189" or 28-3/16+"
718mm = 28.268" or 28-4/16+"

1100mm = 43.307" or 43-5/16-"
1102mm = 43.386" or 43-6/16+"

* Note that all decimal imperial measurements above have been rounded.  

So, using the above fractional dimensions, you should be able to use your tape measure.

I just went down to my shop and measured my old MFTs.  The oldest MFT1080 is 4-1/2 years old and the others are about 2 to 3 years old.  The catalog lists the 1080 as being 725 x 1165mm, which they both still are.  The catalog lists the 800 as 590 x 725mm, but mine measures 589 x 725mm -- I guess I got shorted!
 
It's 96mm from hole center to hole center. Doing so will square all the holes with each other and opens all sorts of possibilities, like mounting a square fence, cutting lines at 45 degrees, etc. Since you're doing this on a CNC, another idea is to leave at edge at the one end of the table so you can square really big pieces like plywood.

I've attached pictures of my CNC table. Notice how the holes keep the material squared with the spindle.
 
Santos I have the same top on my CNC as well. The only issue is once in awhile you get lift on the materiel with the clamping element and for some CNC engraving it makes a huge difference(even if the life is less than 1 mm), other than that I like my Festool type top on my CNC very much.
 
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