MFS 400 and MFS 700 Multi-Routing Template System.

[Brice Burrell]

Final thoughts on template routing with the MFS.

For circle cutting the MFS 400 has a maximum diameter around 32" and the MFS 700 around 55". For template routing the 400 set's maximum size is about 4 11/16" x 12 9/16", the 700 set 12 9/16" x 24 7/16". Combining sets and/or the longer profiles greatly increases these sizes (and the usefulness of the MFS system as a whole).

I've found making overlapping, systematic passes while template routing offers the best results. I always check to make sure I haven't missed any spots and the bottom of the routed area is perfectly flat. Be sure to test fit your work before removing the template anytime you can, it is difficult is get the template back exactly where it was to rout a missed spot. Another tip, test your bit / copying ring combinations on scrap first to ensure the results are what you expect. Remember the MFS is as accurate as you set it up to be, so give it the time it requires. Calipers help me set the MFS for smaller work were the routing being off the tiniest amount is not acceptable.

Adding profiles with the angle stops to the outside of the template helps to place and clamp the MFS.

The anti tilt insert is made to fit 24, 27, 30 and 40 mm copying rings, what if you want to use Imperial sized guide bushings? No problem, just use the router's support foot (outrigger) to do the job. Holding the router flat on the template is the key, if the router tilts it can ruin your work piece, so exercise care. One more very important thing to mention, let the rout bit come to a stop or release the plunge mechanism before lifting the router out of the template! In the bit contacts the template you could damage the bit and most certainly cut into the profile. If the profile is cut were the bushing rides that edge of the profile will no longer produce true cuts. The profile is not ruined, it can be turned to have the blemish facing out or turned upside down. However, scale won't be able to be used, greatly affecting ease of setup.

You'll notice the router's dust collection is not as good while routing with the MFS, the open space the template creates lets chips escape, these chip find there way into the profiles. If you let the chips built up in or around the profiles they can affect the template accuracy by getting between the copying ring and the template. I take time to vacuum off the template as needed. Placing the template on the work piece perfectly flat is a must, check to make sure it still flat after you have clamped everything down. Again, make sure no chips are under the template.

  What I've shown in section are just some of the routing jobs that can done with the MFS template. With a little practice (and imagination) you'll be able to do projects that you thought were beyond your skill level. If you are a novice woodworker, the MFS can have you creating more complicated projects in no time. Once you have a grasp of the basics, it's pretty easy to build on those skills. Because the concepts are the same from the simple mortise, to the more complicated routing tasks like intricate inlay work, your skills will build quickly. For the more experienced or the professional woodworker, the MFS simplifies some of the routing jobs we used to do with custom wooden or single purpose built jigs. If you happen to have accurate, well made custom jigs, be all means use them. Building custom jigs can be time consuming, sort of a trial and error process. That's time I'd rather be spending some other, more productive way. Plus, I'm glad not to store custom jigs anymore, I have a notebook, with what Ned Young calls "recipes", of the MFS settings used on past jobs. Sure you have to spend time assembling the template each time you want to use it. I happen to feel the flexibility the MFS offers out weights the small amount of time spent on setup. Accuracy of the MFS is far better than almost any wooden jig I've ever made. My final comments on the MFS as a routing template, no matter if you are a beginner or a pro, the MFS is: fast and easy to setup, the routing is accurate and the results are great.

Text, graphics and pictures, copyright 2008, Brice Burrell

 

[brandon.nickel]

Brice,

So, how do you use the setup for ellipses?

 

[Brice Burrell]

Brice,

So, how do you use the setup for ellipses?

I bet there is a way, I haven't given it any thought, yet.

 

[Eli]

You'd need a slider track, t-shaped, for a router trammel arm to move in. I might use the MFS as the trammel arm itself, the router captive in the circle cutter block, and have an add'l center pivot pin to ride in the track, which would be made out of maybe some kind of curtain track scrap or AL channel, maybe just a routed track in a sheet of ply.

 

[Corwin]

This thread shows the T-shaped slider Eli is talking about.

 

[Eli]

Yes that's the one. Compliments again Anthony (Premium Millwork Install) on a job well done. Thanks Corwin for the link.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Thanks everyone, I'm glad you guys are finding this worth while. I'm not even half way through this review yet, so if you aren't ready to buy the MFS yet, you will be by the end.   

Thanks, Brice, for another excellent "manual under construction."  As others have said, You should write an entire Festool user's book.

I have been very interested in the MFS since I first read Jerry Work's manual and that interest was renewed when a factory representative gave me and others a demonstration last year at Hartville Tool. 

But I am holding off ordering an MFS until Festool addresses the problem of lack of availability of the extra parts described by Jerry W and Brice that are needed to join additional MFS rail components as described by these great contributors to our understanding.  I hope that Christian O. reads this thread and that he will work with Festool Germany to address this issue.

I have had similar frustration when I tried to order additional fastener components for use with my MFT through Bob Marino.  The products that are available to me at my local hardware stores and big box stores are not the same, and sometimes only the OEM components will work properly because many dimensions are simultaneously important.  One example is the limit stops that grip the guide rails for use the TS 55 or 1400 router; I have a pair of these and want to use them for more than merely stopping the fore-aft movement of a Festool saw or router on a Festool guide rail.  (The bodies of these stops are the same as those used by Festool to construct the side stops used to set the guide rail with the hole drilling (router) jig.)  The screw lengths and nut dimensions are important for these to work properly.  With the right extra parts, one could easily fashion longer (wooden dowel or aluminum hex) rods to enable use with these extra stops for use in repeat rip cuts in wider materials, which I seem to find myself having to do frequently.  These small parts are critical to getting the most out of the Festool system.  Lack of their availability from Festool USA means a lot of wasted time in trying to find local substitutes - most of which I have found to be of inferior quality and somewhat differently dimensioned.

Dave R.

 

[Brice Burrell]

  Dave, I agree, spare parts would be great to have for modifying tools and accessories to better suit our needs. I'm guessing the reluctance of Festool to make these parts more available is to ensure they have the spare parts to make tool repairs long into the future. However, it wouldn't be hard to produce certain parts in mass to make them available to the public. I see no reason to have the MFS joiners as "spare parts", there may be one, I don't know.

 

[Brice Burrell]

                The MFS for cutting applications.  
 
  Jerry Work in his manual shows how he uses the MFS as a fence for the MFT and as story sticks to place guide rails for cutting or routing. In this section I'll show how I have taken Jerry's techniques and adapted them to my own work.

Using a MFS profile as a story stick is an easy way to accurately place Festool's guide rails. I use one of the angle stops with a profile to set razor blades to act as stops for the rail, John Lucas' idea. Install the angle stop in the profile, with the scale up, using the scale I set the square on the measurement I want. Then butt the stop up to the square and tighten the bolts.

With the profile lined up with the edge of the work piece and the stop butted to the end I have a perfect story stick to help place the rail.

Now it's as simple as sticking a razor blade in the work piece at the end of the profile.

Registering the rubber edge of the guide rail off the blades will give me the exact location I want to cut this piece to.

Be sure to remove the razor blades before you make the cut. Use this technique any time you need to make multiple cuts the same size, works just as well with short or long rails.

Text, graphics and pictures, copyright 2008, Brice Burrell

 

[Brice Burrell]

An often asked question here is "How do I make narrow rips with the Festool plunge cut saw and guide rail?" Using the MFS 400 with my MFT is what I've found to be the easiest, fastest, safest and most accurate. In this picture you see the setup I use. Note the wooden fence extension (green arrow), this prevents the rip from being thrown forward if it gets caught in the blade. For the rest of the set up, the MFS is butted up to the MFT's fence, acting as stop to set the width of the rip. The stock is then placed against the fence and the MFS, clamped and ripped.

Step one in the setup is to assemble the profiles with the scales on the outside and checking to make sure the setup is square. Now, I slide it under the guide rail and set the edge to be even with the rubber splinter guard on the rail.

One of the things that makes this technique so fast and easy is using the scale on the MFS to set the width of the rip. With the MFS lined up with the rail make a pencil mark at the profile's zero point (end of the profile). With this mark I'll be able to use the scale, in reverse, to set the width of the rip.

In this picture you see the MFS set to make a 10 mm rip.

The MFS has to be clamped in place to prevent it from moving during the cut, I also clamp the stock to be extra safe.

Then it's like any other cut, drop the rail, plunge the saw and cut.

Here are a few 10 mm rips. When I want to make Imperial widths I use a small combination square. I set it to the size I need, then place it against the rubber edge with the blade of the square under the rail. Butt the MFS to the suqare's blade and clamp the MFS.

Text, graphics and pictures, copyright 2008, Brice Burrell

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi all,

For those of you who want to produce .pdf files of threads such as Brice's excellent discussion here, AND you use the MAC OSX operating system, it is easy.  Just do file>print from Safari while the thread you want is displayed, then click on the pdf button at the lower left of the print options screen and select "save as pdf".  Name the file, select the proper folder where you want it stored and you will have your .pdf version created for you. The convert to pdf function is built into the print function on recent versions of the Mac OSX operating system.  In the case of this thread the created .pdf is 2.1mb in size.  Hope this helps.

Jerry

 

[Eli]

Thanks Brice, and thanks Jerry.

 

[fidelfs]

For the window guys:

You can download a free software called PRIMO

This software will install a printer definition in your system printers (window operating system).
When you want to convert into pdf use the print option of any software (mozilla, Internet explorer, word, notepad, etc.) and select the printer name PRIMO.

Then the printout instead of going to a physical printer it will create a pdf file.  You may choose any location destination for the file.

It has a good feature where you can append to the file.  Let's say you have to different source files and you want to create a unique pdf file.

It will allow you to print the first file to a pdf file and then the second source file you can select the append option and it will "append" to the pdf file.

It is very simple and never fails.

Have Fun!!

 

[Tinker]

For Mac OSX users it is even easier.  Just go to the index and click and drag to desk top
Tinker

 

[Tinker]

I have been trying to make comment on this thread for two weeks.  I just found a way, but it is impossible for me to read, either as I type or as a preview.
I just want to say how much I appreciate all the work Brice has put into this subject.  A great job.

I have no way to check my typing or any of the content until I try to post

This is crazy and only happens with a few threads
Tinker

 

[poto]

Hi Brice,

Thanks for the great post on the MFS - it does far more than I ever imagined.

I'm curious - when you cut the strips from the board that's clamped and flush to the MFS, do you ever have problems with the saw blade jamming? I've had problems when I try to saw through stock clamped on the right of the blade...

 

[alg]

What is the smallest circle diameter that the MFS400 can do? I see it can do very large circles, trying to see how well it would work compared to using a Jasper jig for small speaker driver cutouts (tweeter, mid-range, woofers less than 7 inches).  I was able to get the Jasper Model 200 to work with the OF 1400EQ using two longer screws.

Excellent job Brice. You have a knack for teaching.

 

[Eli]

At some point you'd be far better off with a hole saw.

 

[Tinker]

[When I clamp pieces on the right side of blade, I only use the clamps, not the clamping elements.  If you use a scrap to hold the wood the way Brice shows in front of the blade, the combination of clamp and the piece in front prevents any movement.

Tinkerquote author=poto link=topic=2275.msg24330#msg24330 date=1200976484]
Hi Brice,

Thanks for the great post on the MFS - it does far more than I ever imagined.

I'm curious - when you cut the strips from the board that's clamped and flush to the MFS, do you ever have problems with the saw blade jamming? I've had problems when I try to saw through stock clamped on the right of the blade...
[/quote]

 

[Brice Burrell]

  Poto, I've not had any trouble clamping on the right side of the cut. As Tinker points out the key is to prevent the stock from moving, with the wooden fence extension and clamp, it does just that. You could post on the Dumb and Dangerous thread in the how to section, it is about cutting problems and dangers. Explain you setup and we can see if anything you are is is at fault.

  Alg, the smallest diameter circle you can cut with the MFS is around 3"-3 1/4". Hole saws as Eli posted or if you need a cleaner cut than a hole saw will produce, a router with small circle templates could be used.