DIY MFT-style workbench thickness concerns - help needed

[davismeow]

Hi folks,

So I’ve currently got a workbench mounted to a wall in my garage which folds down on a hinge for when I need it. The surface dimensions are 4’x6’, and the top consists of a 3/4” MDF with another 3/4” plywood layer glued/screwed below it.

I’ve been thinking about upgrading it to have 20mm dog holes like the Festool MFT workbench. I would plan to use this with my tracksaw, for assembly, etc. However, from what I’m reading online the thickness of 1 1/2 inches is not considered optimal for an MFT-style workbench as tool compatibility is reduced. Supposedly an MFT style bench should be 18-24mm thick.

I realize that with my bench I wouldn’t be able to use the Festool ratchet-style clamps as the longer depth means I wouldn’t be able to fit them through the dog hole (due to their L-shape), but would there be other downsides to having a thicker top like mine? It seems like most dog hole accessories just insert into the top, but I haven’t been able to get clarity on whether there are other issues with a thicker top.

If any of you have a thicker top with 20mm dog holes like the MFT, please let me know what pros/cons you’ve discovered with that setup. Appreciate any and all guidance/critiques/etc. Thanks so much.

-Dave

 

[MikeGE]

Welcome to the FOG, Dave!

You won't be able to use the L-shaped clamps, as is, but the accessories that use the 20mm hole should work fine. One of my friends has a workbench similar to yours, and he modified his clamps so he could use them. He ground down the little protrusion on the end of the clamp that prevents the sliding piece from coming off. The L section is passed through the table from the bottom and the moveable piece is slid back onto the clamp. If he's not paying attention when he loosens the clamp, the L piece will drop to the floor, but at least he can use his clamps in the thicker table.

 

[Cheese]

Here's one of my benches with a 1-1/2" thick maple top. The only issue is that the clamps need to be separated and installed from the underside. I've been using this for the last 9 years and have no issues with it.

 

[woodferret]

There are also Bessey KLI20-MFT-SET and the Festool MFT-HZ 80 that are top-access only clamps. Enjoywood on Banggood also sells a MFT-HZ 80 style clamp. I actually like those more than the Festool ones.

 

[WillettBarrel]

I had a 1.25" thick top for a while; eventually I switched to a 18 mm top. Accessories that have counterbalance screws on the underside of the MFT weren't long enough. This would be Festool's surface clamps and VAC SYS MFT plate. That said, there are non-Festool branded options for both which don't require any counterbalance from underneath.

If you already have clamping elements for an 18mm top, then I'd go that route. If you already have a thicker top and would be buying new clamping elements either way, sounds like you're on the right path.

 

[davismeow]

Thanks so much @MikeGE, @Cheese, @woodferret and @WillettBarrel for the warm welcome and your replies. Sounds like there isn’t any reason why I can’t move forward with this, and I’ll take a look at some of those other tool options from Banggood/Bessey/etc. Looking forward to getting this done.