Lee Valley Wonder Dog on MFT
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James Metcalf
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- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
- Messages
- 209
Gary
I have both, but by far the Clamping Elements are better. They are worth the difference in price.
I have both, but by far the Clamping Elements are better. They are worth the difference in price.
Daviddubya
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- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
- Messages
- 704
Many of the 3/4" bench clamps will work on the MFT. I also have both Wonder Dogs and Clamping Elements, and never use the Wonder Dogs. The slide and clamp mechanism on the Clamping Elements is way faster and more convenient to use. The Festool clamps also fit the MFT holes snugly, while 3/4" clamps are a bit loose. The 3/4" clamps I do use on the MFT are these, as recommended by John at woodshopdemos.com:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=6549&filter=26703
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=6549&filter=26703
I use both the Wonderdogs and clamping elements all the time - couldn't live without them. I also have a pair of the Jorgensen hold-down clamps. The clamping elements are fast and secure, but they don't have the horizontal accuracy of the Wonderdogs. I use the Wonderdogs to snug things up to the cut line (pushing from the far side), or holding pieces in a very stable accurate position. The clamping elements aren't quite as good for this, with their rubber plates and sliding elements. They all have their place on the MFT!
Frank Pellow
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- Jan 16, 2007
- Messages
- 2,743
I have both the clamping elements and the wonder dogs and use both. Of the above statements that people have made, my experience most closely matches that of Poto.
nickao
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- Feb 24, 2008
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- 4,617
Loren Woirhaye
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- Oct 3, 2007
- Messages
- 124
I have a set of wonderpups I use on my regular cabinetmaking bench.
because the benchtop is thick they work well there. The MFT top
is not thick however and the dogs, if you crank them down, will
cause the MFT holes to wear and elongate I think. So don't
overdo it.
For speedy positioning the Festool clamps are good but they will
wiggle and slip a bit because they are plastic. Not that YOU would
do this, but fast-working thugs like me occasionally run sanders
and routers into clamping tools. The plastic ones won't wreck your router
bits if this should happen.
because the benchtop is thick they work well there. The MFT top
is not thick however and the dogs, if you crank them down, will
cause the MFT holes to wear and elongate I think. So don't
overdo it.
For speedy positioning the Festool clamps are good but they will
wiggle and slip a bit because they are plastic. Not that YOU would
do this, but fast-working thugs like me occasionally run sanders
and routers into clamping tools. The plastic ones won't wreck your router
bits if this should happen.
I agree largely with Poto and Frank. I have the pups and wonder dogs from lee valley and the clamping elements. The clamping element are great, and I use them all the time, but they tend to "shift" the work piece a bit. For cut line, use the wonder dogs.
