mft 3 legs and rail clamps

[johnrichardson]

Does any one know what the extra hole next to the point where the legs screw onto the mft.... are they to reposition the legs so they are  in a vertical position...as opposed to  how  it came with slight splay .. if so  how do you take the legs off for repositioning the knobs seem captive..

  also on the  rail clamps  front and hinged end there is a 10mm - 50mm scale on the black part which  I assume is to  set the  height of the rail above the table surface... but there is no  registration  mark to gauge this    I have stuck a triangular pointer on the upright as a temporary measure ...

any hints appreciated  :  ps this table is pukka!

 

[Frank-Jan]

The extra hole is there so they can use the same type corner at each end. (One pair of leggs uses the inside hole, the other the one nearer to the outside.
I have noticed the scale, and lack of a pointer aswell, I was going to scratch the metal when the rail is zeroed to the table, but haven't done it yet; could you post a picture of the pointer you used?

And I have a new word of the day: pukka!

 

[johnrichardson]

Thanks Frank for the  info that seems to make good sense I have noticed the  legs on each end go into different locations.
Here is a pic of  the temp arrow its just a triangle of electrical tape!  Eventually  I ll  make a permanent mark on the  upright maybe hack it with a fine blade hack saw and fill the  kerf with glo in the dark stuff...  I just put some 20mm oak under the rail and positioned the tape triangle so it pointed to  20mm  ....  then to test I stacked two more 20mm oak scraps uder the rail and  sure enough the triangle pointed to 40mm !  Not making a permanent mark yet in case I missed something..  I  think I might paint the  the black  numerals  white or festool green to coordinate the whole setup..

 

[Len]

Hey guys, I have a new MFT and didn't want to start a new thread on one small question. Mind if I hop in here? So far, I have had a great time with the MFT and my test cuts were nice and square. Did I measure it with fine machine grade instruments? No, but all my squares all liked what came out and I think I can begin building some nice looking carcasses. There is one thing that bugs me. My guide rail, when resting on the pin, can be moved side to side just a tad. I mean, you hear and feel it more than you can see it, so this is super super minute, but my friend who has almost everything Festool owns says his does the same and it's no big deal. Is it normal, or am I missing something? I raise/lower the rail on either side and it is always present. There is a small gap between the actual pin and the sides of the rail. I was expecting it would sort of "click" in when you lowered it, but again I'm a newbie. Here is a pic. This is not my bench, but a pic I found on the web and edited with the text and arrow.

Here is a quote from the instruction manual of the MFT 1080

"The guide rail is properly set up when only a vey slight lateral pressure is necessary for the pin to engage into the guide rail."

In the spung position the rail will always index against the side of the slot.

 

[johnrichardson]

Hey guys, I have a new MFT and didn't want to start a new thread on one small question. Mind if I hop in here? So far, I have had a great time with the MFT and my test cuts were nice and square. Did I measure it with fine machine grade instruments? No, but all my squares all liked what came out and I think I can begin building some nice looking carcasses. There is one thing that bugs me. My guide rail, when resting on the pin, can be moved side to side just a tad. I mean, you hear and feel it more than you can see it, so this is super super minute, but my friend who has almost everything Festool owns says his does the same and it's no big deal. Is it normal, or am I missing something? I raise/lower the rail on either side and it is always present. There is a small gap between the actual pin and the sides of the rail. I was expecting it would sort of "click" in when you lowered it, but again I'm a newbie. Here is a pic. This is not my bench, but a pic I found on the web and edited with the text and arrow.

I think the tab that engages into the underside of the rail is tapered so as you push the rail down it  gets closer and closer to a good fit, if it was paralell sided it wouldnt get into the groove so smoothly and quickly, thats my theory anyway, 

once the saw s weight bears on the cutting rail the rail is pushed downward onto the tapered tab until it reaches the point of squareness/tightness in the groove  clever these  germans!!

just a n amusing note i managed to bevel the end of my mft3 fence when i didnt allow enough clearance for the sloping under blade ,,
on a positive note the cut was square/45deg and perfectly clean typical of festool ;D