MFT/3 Table

[Bmartin15]

Never done any woodworking but looking to start.  On the table do you cut into the table in one spot or would you keep cutting into different spots until the top would eventually need replaced?

 

[Michael Kellough]

By design you keep the guide rail where it is and change the angle of the fence so the kerf is always in the same place. The top lasts for years that way.

When the fence is in the way (and the hinged guide rail is not useful) I just remove them and put a thin piece of ply or mdf on the table to protect it. You only need to cut a couple mm’s into the sacrificial board. In a pinch I use whatever I can find like cardboard etc. After nearly twenty years my main MFT has just two kerfs, one on the top and one on the bottom.

But it’s your table and you can cut anywhere you want, and many owners do that.

 

[Birdhunter]

I use the drop down rail with my MFT and TS55 along with dogs for 90 degree angles. The MFT with dogs is also good for 45 degree cuts and whatever angles you can set up using dogs in different hole patterns.

Doing this will put cuts into the MFT surface. None should be more that 1/16 to 1/8 inches deep. You can flip the top. I do this about once a year because my MFT top sags over time.

It is smart to be careful when setting the saw blade depth. You do not want to cut into the rails.

I fill cuts in the top with two part wood putty. I just smush it into the cuts and sand when dry. I do this only because I am picky not because the functionality is impaired by the cuts.

 

[waho6o9]

I like buying the tops and using them on a Walko IV  workbench on top of Stanley saw horses.

You can use both sides and configure as needed. 

My MFT/3 supports my Kapex. 

The tops are a consumable so budget accordingly. 

Best

View attachment 1

 

[Df1k1]

Not only can you flip it but turn it 90 degrees as well. I turned mine a while ago and it’s time to flip it. Some people get very particular about putting cuts in their top. That’s their choice obviously. I just look at mine as a consumable product and cut away ( yet I try never to cut thru a dog hole. Maybe  I’m particular as well!)

 

[Vtshopdog]

Maintaining a single kerf cut in the top will help reduce splintering on your cut stock and can improve dust collection.

I keep a sheet of blue foam insulation around to use under stock when I want to cut outside my established kerf track.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The problem with the "single kerf" method is that it assumes that all you ever do is cuts with the saw perpendicular to the table. Any bevel cuts will widen (and therefore damage) that kerf.
If you are concerned about such things, a simple workaround is to just turn the top over for that and turn it back after. If you never bevel the saw, the kerf will last a surprisingly long time.
There are other methods too. Cutting a wider shallow groove in the kerf area and inserting a replaceable sacrificial strip is also an alternative. Filling the groove with a 2-part autobody type filler is another option.
I don't cut into my table at all, but mine is not an actual MFT. I have a secondary side-table for cutting. It has as replaceable end, rather than just a strip. It is aligned with a few of Dominos and held in by some Zeta connectors.
I occasionally use the extra piece of sheet goods as a sacrificial surface too. This is usually when I am cutting to a pencil line, rather than with a fixed rail.

 

[sancho57]

you can make a sacrificial top or simply place strips under the piece yer cutting, once you got the guide rail squared you should be cutting the same place. I also have a groove for cutting length wise.

make sure you set the blade to where it just kisses the mft top.

Now I dont sweat it, I just cut into the top its what its made for.

I also went and got the STM1800 added a couple of brackets screwed them to a sheet of MDF and use that as my cutting table using the TSO GRS. Makes life a lot easier.
Yea I know the intial out of pocket isnt inexpensive. But woodworking isnt a inexpensive hobby especially when yer using festools

 

[riffin-rich]

I also went and got the STM1800 added a couple of brackets screwed them to a sheet of MDF and use that as my cutting table using the TSO GRS. Makes life a lot easier.

[member=10147]jobsworth[/member]  Can you share a couple of pics to show what you did and how you did it? I’ve got a new STM1800 (I haven’t cut into it yet … I’ve been avoiding using it because I didn’t want to jack-up my “sacrificial” parts. On my own MFT/3 and second MFT, I regret that I have a widened kerf due to errors I made when I first started — such as forgetting to raise the front notch to square the rail and over-cutting. So I’ll also be making a filler strip for the MFT’s. I had also purchased the benchdog.co.uk quad mft hinge system but haven’t put it on yet - that will eliminate the widened kerf problem until I need to do an angled cut — but I’ll do that on the other table for exactly this reason.

 

[sancho57]

i dont have photos and Im out of town right now.

its quite simple really. I expanding the STM out to where it fits 4X8 sheet of MDF if I needed extra pieces for support I ordered them from Festool. Cut scrap wood to same size as the pieces that came with the STM added the additional brackets and screw the MDF down from the top to the pieces made out of scrap.

If you dont want to go the full 4x8 you can go 4x6.  or what even size you want. Ya obviously just cant fold up the STM for storage with the MDF top on it. But its easy to remove and put on. I pretty musch use it as both a cutting table and assy table

 

[peter halle]

[member=16696]riffin-rich[/member] , I believe that [member=10147]jobsworth[/member] did what is shown in the linked video below starting at around the 16:00 mark.  I also bought the extra pieces after seeing this video but I have yet to set my extra "stuff" up.

Festool Live - STM1800

Peter

 

[sancho57]

ya thats pretty much it except I used a full sheet of MDF

 

[riffin-rich]

Thank you both!

 

[Coen]

Never done any woodworking but looking to start.  On the table do you cut into the table in one spot or would you keep cutting into different spots until the top would eventually need replaced?

The rail attached to the MFT usually stays in one spot. I have a few extra spots where I have cut into the MFT, some on purpose, some by accident  [tongue]