History of the MFT

[bcrawley]

The other day I bought an old MFT 1080 that looks like the one in Bob D.'s post above. It has one shallow cut in it, and the track has a cut on it where the saw skittered across; I'm guessing the older seller gave himself a scare and never used it again. I noticed he was keeping the track saw though. It was in one of those classic systainers that yellow with age.

The angle device looks different to me. I have an old MFT 800 though, and I've never used the angle device on that. After a couple of moves I don't know where it is any more. Maybe I'm just used to seeing pictures of the redesigned corresponding piece of the MFT/3. The 1080 one attaches under the table with pillow knobs. The angle device and the track hinges have "Festo" on them; my 800 has "Festo" on the hinges there too.

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[PaulMarcel]

That's the original angle device for the 1080. I have one in a box of "Festool Orphans". Looks like you're missing the back fence? If so, I did find a new one for sale about a year ago. So they are available, but with all the other replacements for the angle device out there, you likely could find one that works with the new MFT/3 fence instead. I don't actually have any recommendations for a replacement since I modded mine out of my table.

 

[Lansau]

I have the 1995/96 Festo catalog, and there is no MFT table

 

[bcrawley]

PaulMarcel: Yeah, I think this thing sat unused in the seller's basement for years. And parts of it went walkabout. One of the hinges was missing, I asked about it, and he managed to find it before I got there. The fence though, he thinks is in the house he will be moving to; if he can find it I'll go back and get it. But I was in the meantime thinking of using a different fence, maybe the BenchDogs one. I can't really use the track hinges where the table is located right now, but could use a long dog and UJK clips, or the like.

 

[Packard]

This is an example fromhttps://www.flexturusa.com/products/

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I have a welding table.  Unfortunately, the hole size is too small for MFT elements.  And of course if you blade is set too deep when you made a cut, the resulting fireworks would be quite theatrical.

My welding table was from Northern Tool and was about $250.00 several years back.

Addendum:  I just googled and I see that the table is cheaper now that when I bought mine (now $190.00).  It incudes some clamping accessories.  But as I said, you would have to use welding clamps rather than woodworking clamps with that table.

 

[jeffinsgf]

If you ever decide to set it up with the hinge, check out Paul's video. After I followed his explicit instructions I decided he is a genus.  [big grin] Also made me very glad I have a 1080 instead of an MFT/3. The legs are much sturdier and the track slots on the apron extrusions seem easier to use to me.