Mft/3 hole size and movement.

[P_Bennett]

Hi all

Just purchased the mft/3 and have purchased some different types of dogs ( not purchased the superparfdog yet but thinking I may have too.

I have read that the 20mm holes are exactly 20mm but was wondering if any of you fine lady/gents would know the +/-tolerance applied to the hole.

I’m finding about 19.90 - 20.19 so nearly 0.3mm

I know this is not much but I work to microns in my day job so 0.30mm is a lot to me [emoji23]

By the way I’m new to woodworking and would be grateful for any help

Thank You

Regards
Paul

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The actual tolerance would very by manufacturer, to some degree at least.
If you notice in the forums here, there are posts where people are experiencing problems of "too tight" and "too loose". Some of this is based on the top, whether it's a legit MFT or a shop made unit (either drilled by hand or CNC)
That said, mine is hand drilled with the Peter Parfit system. All of the Festool elements and dogs fit it perfectly. They are tight enough that they will not "drop" in, they must be pushed. But they are not so tight as to be hard to remove.
The Parf dogs also fit the same way, as do the cheap ones made by Clear style.

So, I would say that mine have to be very close to the size of the factory made MFT/3, the fit of the Festool ones is dead-on. (no movement, but not a pain to remove.

 

[tsmi243]

Does your day job involve MDF?  Try to maintain a perspective here  [big grin]

 

[mino]

That 0.3 mm difference - for an original MFT/3 - is indicative of some type of an issue. MDF or no MDF.

If all holes were smaller /or bigger/, it can be a case of differing humidity etc. but they should not be so different within a single slab.

I would return it to the retailer and seek either a different MFT/3 or a replacement slab.
I remember the MFT is classed as a "tool" by Festool not an "accessory", so some type of return policy as well as warranty should apply.

But before that, be careful that you measured the true width - MDF is relatively soft and brittle, so you really need a proper tool to measure the "real" diameter of the hole. Generic calipers may not get deep-enough into the holes to measure correctly ...

On return aspect:
E.g. it is possible the table was stored incorrectly - e.g. one side of it long-term exposed to cold, creating a humidity difference which would have permanently changed the hole size one one end compared to the ones on the other end of the slab. Such "damage" would not be seen bare eye ...

 

[P_Bennett]

That 0.3 mm difference - for an original MFT/3 - is indicative of some type of an issue. MDF or no MDF.

If all holes were smaller /or bigger/, it can be a case of differing humidity etc. but they should not be so different within a single slab.

I would return it to the retailer and seek either a different MFT/3 or a replacement slab.
I remember the MFT is classed as a "tool" by Festool not an "accessory", so some type of return policy as well as warranty should apply.

But before that, be careful that you measured the true width - MDF is relatively soft and brittle, so you really need a proper tool to measure the "real" diameter of the hole. Generic calipers may not get deep-enough into the holes to measure correctly ...

On return aspect:
E.g. it is possible the table was stored incorrectly - e.g. one side of it long-term exposed to cold, creating a humidity difference which would have permanently changed the hole size one one end compared to the ones on the other end of the slab. Such "damage" would not be seen bare eye ...

Morning thank you all for the advice!

I used a Mitutoyo 3 led internal bore micrometer to check the holes.

I shall call the retail store

Once again thank you one and all

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk