How do you prevent tearout on MFT when crosscutting?

Gabeloooooo

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2010
Messages
26
Hi,

I've recently switched to using bench dogs as my fence on the MFT3 with much success. So much easier to square!

I was wondering how you guys go about preventing tearout when crosscutting? And I don't mean tearout along the cut, just at the end of the piece where the blade leaves the piece.

I'm guessing the use of a sacrificial piece is in order (like on the Table saw), but I'm wondering if you have techniques that make it easy to prevent tearout and yet not affect square, etc.
 
Tou can line up a sacrifical block at the end of the cut.  Take a guiderail or long straight board and align with dogs.  Then place a piece of wood behind the rail where needed and screw down to MFT making sure that the screws are not in the blade path.  Also gives a visual indicator of kerf and a place to pull measures both left and right.  In order to not cut all the way thru the block you can install a limit stop on your MFT/3 rail.

Peter
 
Tried this, but I found that screwing the block to the MFT will sometimes throw off square (not 100% aligned with fence or dogs)...
 
A couple of suggestions:

Clamp your temporary "fence" when installing the block, and use a piece of mdf or plywood as the block.  They are less likely to expand and contract due to temp and moisture.

At least this has worked for me.

Peter
 
A lot of time a piece of blue tape at the exit point will do it; just be sure it won't be against the fence or it'll cant the stock ever so slightly out of square (unless you put a piece of any size on the other end touching the fence :))
 
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