Clamp for MFT

S

sbnx

Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
13
OK, I have all three kinds of clamps for the MFT (Screw handle, quick, and clamping elements).  What I am looking for and hope someone has a solution is a clamp that goes into the metal edge of the MFT like the screw clamp BUT I want the clamp to rotate 90 degrees so that I can clamp something down onto the table from the edge and not just through the holes. 

Sorry for the run on sentence, but I hope you get the idea of what I want.

Thanks,

Todd
 
I've never seen one, but in any event I would worry about the ability of the metal edge to resist the levering effect of what in essence would be a hold down.
Regards
 
Brian is right. There is nothing to counterract the force of the clamp. i would like it too but the only way it could happen is if the clamp had some mechanism to bear off the side of the extrusion, hmmm.........?
 
I asked FOG and Festool directly about that clamping situation about 2 years ago - no solution, unless you make one yourself.  One of the Kreg adjustable lever action clamps supplied for use with their clamping station might work for your purpose, since the base of the Kreg clamp is adapted to receive a threaded bolt and the head of the bolt is retained in a U-shaped track profiled recess similar to that of the top slots of Festool's side rails.  The Kreg clamps are an adaptation of the original Vise Grip design.  

I have encounterd many clamping situations in which I could have used and would have preferred such a clamp because clamping a part of the workpiece that extends over the side rail places a moment on the workpiece lifting it from the table, unless you  place a thin (1/2 inch) piece of stock between the top of the side rail and the bottom of your workpiece.  I keep a piece of 1/2 plywood handy for that use, in one of a pair of shallow mall accessories boxes that I made from cutoff scraps of plywood etc.

If you dared, theoretically, you could take a Festool L-shaped clamp, place one end in a vice, and heat a portion of the shank with a torch then twist the shank 90 degrees to make such a clamp, then retemper the twisted area.  But I don't recommend this, because even if the twist modification was successful, the forces generated upon use of such twisted clamp would tend to twist the upper inside surface of the top channel in the side rail and probably bend it permanently upward.  What is needed is a brace that would extend over the outside (vertical) surface of the side rail to react against that twisting motion, and maybe even wrapping around to bear on the underside of the side rail, or a bracket/base member that simultaneously engaged both the top and side channels of the side rail to resist these moment forces.  That sounds like a significantly different clamp design to me.  Festool: I'll takke at least two of these.

Dave R.
 
I will check out the Kregg clamps next time I am at woodcraft.

Thanks,

Todd
 
After reading the above I just adjusted the screw in my Kregg clamp to fit in the MFT's profile and find this clamp does work rather nicely.  I don't know just how much force I would want to apply, but I did a quick check and found that you can easily apply enough pressure on the clamp to hold a piece firm in place.

I think I'll be liking this!      :P

Corwin

Okay, here's a photo...

normal_Kregg_Clamp_In_MFT_Profile01.JPG
 
Garry said:
The Kreg table top clamps will slide into the aluminum extrusions at the edge of the MFT.  I tried this at Woodcraft.
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4770

Is this what you had in mind?
Click to expand...

I looked at the Kreg clamp on the MFT at Woodcraft a couple of weeks ago as well, but concluded that I would want a custom base made for the clamp.  The base on the clamp, in my opinion, is too small and I'm afraid it would damage the MFT extrusion if you clamp it down very hard.  That said, for light clamping I think it would work acceptably.

Fred
 
Fred,

I agree about the leverage. A simple analysis will uncover the fact that the corner of the extrusion is receiving at least ten times the pressure that the workpiece is experiencing. I like the concept but some intermediate piece should be used. For example, a piece of aluminum angle that is attached to the base of the clamp to create a counter force down the side of the extrusion would work very well. In the meantime, if anyone wants to use the clamp this way I would urge them to go real easy on the pressure and watch for distortion in their rail.
 
I agree with Dave Ronyan and greg Mann.

I have clamped from both verticle grooves and horizontal channels on MFT's.  i have been very careful to keep even pressure at both sides of the channels.  As Dave has done, i use an equalizing spacer if necessary to avoid distortion.  I also, do not use as much pressure when clamping to the channels as when clamping thru the holes of MFT. 

i like the idea of the Kregg clamp, but will wait til when/if i hear of complaints of distortion before rushing out to purchase for use on MFT edge.  Somebody else had an idea that would work with the Kregg clamps.  He notched the holes in his MFT table so clamps such as the Kregg could be installed anywhere on the table.  I also have some old clamps from my WorkMates that have a sleeve that fits perfectly into the MFT holes.  the clamps work the same (almost) as the Kregg clamps and are held by oposing friction pressure.  I use those all the time as they are much quicker to set up for many applications than the Festool clamps.  i can get all the pressure i need for almost any application where they can be used.
Tinker
 
Not to belabor the point, but here is another photo of the Kregg clamp mounted in the MFT's profile.

normal_Kregg_Clamp_In_MFT_Profile011.JPG


I feel that if you need to clamp something down to the table top with excessive force you would want to use a clamp that mounted through the holes in the top.  But if you don't require an excessive amount of force this clamp should work fine.  Using the clamp to apply pressure as shown in this photo should prevent/reduce any distortion to the MFT's perforated top -- that would likely have an issue before the  aluminum profile.  And heck, those profiles aren't exactly square with the top anyway -- the profiles' tops all lean in a little.  No problem unless you want to mount something -- then you'll need some shims.
 
HOLD THE PHONE!!!  Went back into the shop and removed the clamp and noticed a very slight dimple in the profile left by the Kregg clamp.  I would have thought that more force would be necessary to distort the aluminum profile, but I was wrong.  The impression was not significant -- it wasn't much but I can feel where the clamp had been when I run my finger along the lip of the T slot -- but I don't think I'll be using the Kregg clamp like this again.
 
Well that didn't take very long..... ::)
I'm just lucky it wasn't handy for me to go buy four or eight of those kreg clamps.
 
Hey, I still think the Kregg clamp is a handy one -- just not such a good deal mounted on the MFT's profile.  I plan on setting the base for this clamp in some MDF and just clamp the thing down on the MFT's surface when needed -- should work fine for a holddown when using the Domino, etc.
 
Corwin said:
Hey, I still think the Kregg clamp is a handy one -- just not such a good deal mounted on the MFT's profile.  I plan on setting the base for this clamp in some MDF and just clamp the thing down on the MFT's surface when needed -- should work fine for a holddown when using the Domino, etc.
Click to expand...

Corwin, have you seen the large plate Kreg has for the clamp, it's very nice with the Domino.
 
My apololgies to Corwin for the damage to his MFT.  I didn't test with any signifigant clamping force, I just tested the fit in the profile.  Having said that, I think I have some "washers" for lack of a better term, that would provide enough surface area against the MFT profile to prevent disortion.  I'll check it out and report back long after this post has died. :-[
 
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