MFS 700 Multi Routing Template

[justinmcf]

i have been researching the mfs 700 for quite a while now.
i will be building a timber deck and i shall build the stairs for this project also.
so i thought the mfs 700 would be a good jig to purchase for this project.

there is a total of 17 steps/threads.
they will be open steps/threads and i plan on routing the 250mm by 50mm steps/threads in to the stringer.
i have watched the festool mfs video. and i want to copy the festool bloke using the mfs for the same purpose.

i am very interested to hear peoples opinion of the mfs 700.
i would like to know about some great tips or tricks that you have worked out, after using the mfs for a while.
is there anything you don't like, that you would love to see changed to this jig?

i have looked at brice's website and read his review. very helpful brice, thank you very much.
i also followed the links to jerry work, ned young and john lucas.
these are all great write ups and well worth reading. i have quickly read through them, but i will have to take a few hours and read through all that info in detail when i get the time.

all advice is welcome, with regards to the mfs 700 , stairs or decking.

thanks in advance, justin.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Justin, I don't know what other projects you think you'll use the MFS for but I can tell you I use the MFS400 set much or more than the larger 700 set.  I tend to rout smaller mortises more of time like those of door hinges or other door hardware.  The max size you can rout with the 400 set is 80 x 320mm so it would work for your stringers.  I know logic might say to get the larger set and you'll be about to rout large and small mortises.  While that's true the larger set gets a bit unwieldy when used for smaller work.  Here in the US we can buy the profiles separately so you can buy one set and just the and extra profiles to make the other set and you'll have the best of both worlds and save a few dollars.  Here in the US you best leverage your investment with the 400 set and purchasing the 700 profiles separately.       

 

[justinmcf]

thanks for the reply brice.

i have a great little jig called the hinge setting device which works beautifully for routing door hinges using a small trimmer.
i also have 2 great mortise lock jigs, solid aluminium and stainless steel which are made by a local aerospace engineering company. (why they manufacturer wood working jigs on the side, i have no idea!)

my plan was to buy the mfs 400 at a later stage, but i will probably buy it first and buy the mfs 700 profiles separately as you mentioned.
i imagine the larger mfs 700 profiles would be great for routing semicircles, archways, etc. not that i am doing that type of work right now.

my priority are the stairs, so the mfs 400 is looking good!

cheers, justin.

 

[justinh]

I have always made templates for housed stringers.

You take a slice of the tread and riser material and mock them up on a 2'x2' scrap of plywood with the correct over hangs.  Use brads or screws to tack them down square to each other. Then you tack in your tapered wedges behind the riser and under the tread.  Around this mock up tack down strips of wood.  Then pull the center pieces.  You have now made a negative of your tread and riser.  Rough cut with a jigsaw about an 1/8" away from the strips of wood and then use a 3/4" pattern bit with short carbide to follow the strips.  You can either pull the strips of wood and use it as you template or clamp the assembly to another piece of ply and route a clean template with the 3/4" pattern bit.

If your tread has a bullnose on it you fill the round voids with bondo or water puddy before you pull out the tread scrap.  In this case you have to clap to the 2nd piece of ply for a clean template.

It can take about an hour to make one of these templates up and you use maybe $20 worth of materials.

The MFS may be able to form the perimeter of the mortise but there is no way to form it to allow for the tapered wedges which really give housed stair their strength. 

Justin

 

[justinmcf]

thanks for the reply justin.

i dont make many housed stairs.
i much prefer to get a stair company to make them for me.

when installing timber decks, sometimes an exterior staircase is required, and i prefer to do the work myself.

i do not use wedges for this application, though i agree that wedges certainly give the stairs great strength.

i have made my own "free jigs" from old ply in the past, but i can see multiple uses for the festool multi routing template, so i may go ahead and purchase it and see what potential it has.

thanks again, justin.

 

[Tim Morris]

Justin I have the 400, 700, 1 and 2 meter extensions. I used to make project specific "jigs" for my projects being that stairs or door hardware.

With stair it is conceivable to have multiple rise and run configurations on one project with the MFS I can run a set, re-set my jigs and run again no time making a specific jig for each application.

Same goes with door hardware as Brice referenced. It is common here in the US to use one size of hinge for interior doors and a larger heavier for exterior doors. It takes maybe a minute to reset the MFS for different sized hinges and I only carry one jig.

I agree with Brice the 400 is the most useful as I use it for a lot of door hardware, but I think you will find as you learn to use it other uses will present themselves and you'll be in the same boat as I was buying more and longer profiles.

One little trick I like is when I set up to run a half round or segmented arch casing I like to set up two of the guide bushes between the profiles one for the inside radius and one for the outside then you only have to set up once. This is assuming the profile you are making is wide enough to get both guides in and not have them interfere with one another.  [thumbs up]