MFS: Notes on the MFS

[Ned]

• 1/4 inch square nuts are a good fit in the clamp slots; 1/4 hex nuts will also work.  5/16 nuts will not fit.

Added to the head of this thread.

 

[Ned]

Added extrusion dimensions to the Notes at the head of the thread.

 

[Ned]

Added link to Brice's thread to the first post here.

 

[Ned]

Modified earlier post in this thread.

[quote author=this used to say]4.  In Europe, 200, 400, and 700 rails are sold separately.  We should encourage Festool USA to make them available in NA.

4.  [As of 4/1/2008] Festool USA lists all rails (properly, Extension Profiles) as standard stock items, sold in pairs.
[/quote]

Self-explanatory.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Modified earlier post in this thread.

[quote author=this used to say]4.  In Europe, 200, 400, and 700 rails are sold separately.  We should encourage Festool USA to make them available in NA.

4.  [As of 4/1/2008] Festool USA lists all rails (properly, Extension Profiles) as standard stock items, sold in pairs.

Self-explanatory.
[/quote]

Good.  But they were available that way earlier.  After reading Brice B's tutorial and Jerry Work's MFS manual I "vowed" I would not buy an MFS until the extra V-nuts and pairs of MFS extrusions were available separately.  I ordered the special nuts first, and after they came ordered the MFS 400 and a pair of 700 mm extrusions from Bob. M. and they were quickly delivered, as usual.

Dave R.

 

[TahoeTwoBears]

Okay, I raised this issue once before, but back then I didn't have the MFS. Finally bought the MFS 400, and intend to add the 700 and 1000 profiles soon. I still haven't figure a way to store them securely and nicely. Since the original thread, has anyone come up with something innovative? I can see that if you're not careful, you could rub the markings right off with them kicking around and being vibrated in the truck.

Looking for ideas............

Mike

 

[Les]

I made a simple storage box with a hinged lid.

 

[Eli]

Since the beginning of thread I got the smaller set and the 1000's. I keep the 1k's in their original cardboard box, and all the other stuff in an Anvil Case briefcase I had. I'm thinking pretty soon I'll be getting a pelican rifle case for the 1k's and the Kapex fence extrusions, maybe the CMS fence if I can fit it in.

 

[TahoeTwoBears]

Eli,

That's an excellent thought. With no shop, everything needs to be portable and storable (is that even a word?). I've been pondering the fences for both my 1080 and now my MFT/3, but never even thought of them in the same vein as the MFS. I suspect that if I already had the 1k, I'd have thought differently.  I'll have to do some measuring and find a good dealer. Thanks for the heads up.

Mike

 

[Eli]

My shop is very small, and everything has to go to site. I use a few anvil cases and a large rolling pelican already. I might have stayed in cardboard with everything, but I had some cases already.

 

[monte]

Mine get hung up as they stay in the shop,

but if I were to travel with them,  I'd be looking at something like these.

http://www.fishingwadersocks.com/gun-socks.htm

(call to double check fit)

R.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[attachimg=#]

 

[TahoeTwoBears]

My shop is very small, and everything has to go to site. I use a few anvil cases and a large rolling pelican already. I might have stayed in cardboard with everything, but I had some cases already.

I'm guessing that you picked up your knowledge of these things in your business? I hadn't been exposed to them except for the small Pelican cases I see at REI. Pretty cool stuff. I find myself in the weird position of living in two different homes right now, and they're 500 miles apart. Everytime I need something, it's at the other place. I don't know if we're going to be to figure this life out or not, but it is what it is for now.

Mike

 

[Eli]

My shop is very small, and everything has to go to site. I use a few anvil cases and a large rolling pelican already. I might have stayed in cardboard with everything, but I had some cases already.

I'm guessing that you picked up your knowledge of these things in your business?

True. Very common to pack small expensive lights, cameras, etc. in them. Mine don't have foam but you can get it for any of them. The Anvil cases I've had for years, cheap at Showbiz Expo Convention special pricing. The Pelicans I have are 1650's I think? Large rolling cases. The CMS accessories, table inserts, hoses, extension tables all go in one, I haven't pirated the other one yet for Festool but I probably will soon.

I used to get mine from http://www.cases4less.com/  , but there are many sites and they might not have the best prices anymore. I think Anvil is out of business, but That place TCH we've been talking to has all the bits to make custom cases. I guess I've got to find an Australian distributor that doesn't want my firstborn in terms of price, unless I can get someone in the states to send them like russian nesting dolls!

 

[TahoeTwoBears]

Eli,

Thanks for the link. I checked them out. They're in El Cajon which isn't too far from Oceanside. I'll check them out when we're there next.

Thanks.

Mike

 

[TinyShop]

Resurrecting this thread to add some photos snagged from the Geat website:

Some nifty clamping elements which were available as accessories:

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=13]

Modern equivalents could be milled out of aluminium or stainless with the appropriate Acme threaded hole or threaded stainless steel insert for this Bessey spare part:

View attachment 4

Using a pivot point (I'm guessing something like a hex bolt, fender washer and star knob) installed in a t-slot in conjunction with the router slide, one can easily mill teardrop shapes:

View attachment 5

Using two fixed points and the router slide, one can easily mill triangular shapes.

[attachimg=6]

Another simple pivot point fixture for circle milling:

[attachimg=7]

[attachimg=8]

A simple fixture for drilling evenly spaced holes (in conjunction, I would assume, with an inverted drill bit or steel dowl/pin for marching the drill along):

[attachimg=9]

What I'm guessing are steel strengthening plates intended for use with the aforementioned clamping elements for positioning the MFS atop of a narrow piece of material (parts of the plates are visible to the discerning eye in the second photo (the reason for the area circled in red):

[attachimg=10]

[attachimg=11]

Plastic end caps for protecting the cut ends of the MFS profiles (one is installed in the above photo):

[attachimg=12]

A router table insert (which built upon the concept that one could use the MFS as a mobile worktop and clamping surface, etc.):

[attachimg=14]

[attachimg=15]

And, finally, an ingenious fixture for milling ellipses:

[attachimg=16]

[attachimg=17]

For posterity....

 

[butzla]

It's a damn shame the MFS is NAINA anymore.  Thanks for resurrecting the thread.  I forgot about Jerry Work.  Good stuff!

 

[Roseland]

The MFS400 looks remarkably like:
https://www.virutex.es/productes/?accio=producte&id=145

The only difference I can see is that the rails do not have scales on them.

Virutex claim to sell in 5 continents, so I guess there is a good chance they sell in the USA.

Incidentally, the MFS is one of my most used tools; I use it on just about every project I do.

Andrew

 

[gunnyr]

I messaged Virutex sometime ago asking about NA availability and never received a response.  If anyone has any luck please post an update.

 

[Svar]

It's a darn shame the MFS is NAINA anymore.

Today it's not a problem. Woodpeckers Variable Router Jig is even better option.

 

[Cheese]

It's a darn shame the MFS is NAINA anymore. 

The MFS is still available from the UK.  [big grin]