MFT and Guide Rail Alignment
- Thread starter Qwas
- Start date
John Langevin
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- Jan 23, 2007
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Kudos to QWAS and all who have contributed so far to this thread. I think this idea of using the MFT dog holes has the potential to be the most useful thread so far. We are all familiar with the severe design limitations of the Festool protractor Head/Fence setup. I had been thinking about accurately establishing some marks on the front table rail to slide the guide rail support bracket to set angles but this sounds much better.
This is another example of where I think Festool falls down on the job a bit. They know how accurately the dog holes are machined yet they make no mention of it. In my brief time at this forum I don't recall anyone using the holes except for clamping or positioning auxillary work surfaces. Lets all put on our thinking caps and see what we can come up with!
This is another example of where I think Festool falls down on the job a bit. They know how accurately the dog holes are machined yet they make no mention of it. In my brief time at this forum I don't recall anyone using the holes except for clamping or positioning auxillary work surfaces. Lets all put on our thinking caps and see what we can come up with!
It turns out that cheap and easy to use dogs can be made from 20mm
diameter PVC pipes, as used in France to run electrical wires along
walls in a basement. I just cut a number of 50mm sections from a spare
pipe I had and they serve the job perfectly. Simply push them in the holes
and they stay in there by friction, without risking to damage the MDF.
I verified with my 24'? Starrett combination square that fences can be easily
set at 90 and 45 degrees. Pics attached.
One limitation though: holes are at fixed locations. No problem with
installing rail and fence at an accurate 90 angle, but setting another
fence at a fixed right or left distance from the blade for accurate cuts
can't be done unless using an extra rectangular jig (an MFS to stay
green).
The MFT3 fence can slide in both directions which is an advantage over
fences that can only be installed at fixed locations ....
diameter PVC pipes, as used in France to run electrical wires along
walls in a basement. I just cut a number of 50mm sections from a spare
pipe I had and they serve the job perfectly. Simply push them in the holes
and they stay in there by friction, without risking to damage the MDF.
I verified with my 24'? Starrett combination square that fences can be easily
set at 90 and 45 degrees. Pics attached.
One limitation though: holes are at fixed locations. No problem with
installing rail and fence at an accurate 90 angle, but setting another
fence at a fixed right or left distance from the blade for accurate cuts
can't be done unless using an extra rectangular jig (an MFS to stay
green).
The MFT3 fence can slide in both directions which is an advantage over
fences that can only be installed at fixed locations ....
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2007
- Messages
- 636
Perfect Parallel Cuts on the "Waste Side"
With this system we can make perfect parallel cuts and rip cuts on the right side ("waste side") of the table.
Find a board, piece of plastic, sheet metal, etc. that is the same size as the kerf of the saw blade. My kerf happens to be 3/32 and I found a board 7/64 thick (plenty close for me, plus it gives me some extra for sanding).
Next mark where your cut needs to be. Put some bench dogs into the holes on the waste side, rest your "Kerf Board" against them and slide the board to be cut against the Kerf Board.
Bring the guide rail to your cutting mark (I left the mark just to the right so you can see it after the cut).
[attachthumb=1]
[attachthumb=2]
Remove the Kerf Board and slide the cutting piece against the bench dogs. Make sure your work piece is secured by the rail and remove the bench dogs.
[attachthumb=3]
Make your cut and examine your work.
[attachthumb=4]
[attachthumb=5]
Fairly simple and pretty safe. And, no boards are trapped on the waste side that might cause a kick back.
With this system we can make perfect parallel cuts and rip cuts on the right side ("waste side") of the table.
Find a board, piece of plastic, sheet metal, etc. that is the same size as the kerf of the saw blade. My kerf happens to be 3/32 and I found a board 7/64 thick (plenty close for me, plus it gives me some extra for sanding).
Next mark where your cut needs to be. Put some bench dogs into the holes on the waste side, rest your "Kerf Board" against them and slide the board to be cut against the Kerf Board.
Bring the guide rail to your cutting mark (I left the mark just to the right so you can see it after the cut).
[attachthumb=1]
[attachthumb=2]
Remove the Kerf Board and slide the cutting piece against the bench dogs. Make sure your work piece is secured by the rail and remove the bench dogs.
[attachthumb=3]
Make your cut and examine your work.
[attachthumb=4]
[attachthumb=5]
Fairly simple and pretty safe. And, no boards are trapped on the waste side that might cause a kick back.
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- Sep 22, 2007
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mhch said:
I like those bench dogs! Cheap and easy. I tried our American PVC and metal conduits and pipes but couldn't find any that fit good.
I did think about using the regular bench clamps. They work but are a little time consuming to setup. But it is an idea if you wanted to clamp the workpiece anyway.
[attachthumb=1]
What about a group order !!!
a 2 meter pipe costs 0.69 euro, about 1 USD, from which 40 dogs
can be made: very cheap.
These are very easy to get from any DIY store.
I could easily buy some, cut pipes into 200mm sections, pack as a group of
10 sections, and ship at a very low cost since this is so light !!
May be hide a plug-it pigtail in the middle
but that will raise the
cost significantly
a 2 meter pipe costs 0.69 euro, about 1 USD, from which 40 dogs
can be made: very cheap.
These are very easy to get from any DIY store.
I could easily buy some, cut pipes into 200mm sections, pack as a group of
10 sections, and ship at a very low cost since this is so light !!
May be hide a plug-it pigtail in the middle
but that will raise thecost significantly
- Joined
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Great idea!
Personally, I'm not interested. I have enough ideas for bench dogs to last a lifetime.
Yesterday I received more aluminum extrusions to make a fence out of. My original idea was to use these with the grooves I cut into the table top. But now I'm thinking I might attach some bench dogs to the bottom and use them with the holes.
More things to ponder...
Personally, I'm not interested. I have enough ideas for bench dogs to last a lifetime.
Yesterday I received more aluminum extrusions to make a fence out of. My original idea was to use these with the grooves I cut into the table top. But now I'm thinking I might attach some bench dogs to the bottom and use them with the holes.
More things to ponder...
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2007
- Messages
- 636
Slopes
Here is another idea, mainly for American framers but useful information for all.
The table top is a grid of 12 holes horizontally and 9 holes vertically. Framers and roofers generally refer to a (roof) slope in inches of rise per foot across. Let's pick on example of 3 inches per foot. You can easily duplicate that slope or angle on the table. Slip a bench dog in the top right corner hole, come down 3 holes and then all the way to the left. Slip a bench dog in this hole, put a long straight edge between the dogs and align you board for cutting. Clamp the board down and remove the straight edge. Make your cut.
I don't know if those on the metric system refer to slopes in the same way or not, but you can do the same by coming across 10 holes instead of 12.
Here is another idea, mainly for American framers but useful information for all.
The table top is a grid of 12 holes horizontally and 9 holes vertically. Framers and roofers generally refer to a (roof) slope in inches of rise per foot across. Let's pick on example of 3 inches per foot. You can easily duplicate that slope or angle on the table. Slip a bench dog in the top right corner hole, come down 3 holes and then all the way to the left. Slip a bench dog in this hole, put a long straight edge between the dogs and align you board for cutting. Clamp the board down and remove the straight edge. Make your cut.
I don't know if those on the metric system refer to slopes in the same way or not, but you can do the same by coming across 10 holes instead of 12.
nickao
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Ned Young said:
Thanks Ned. But let's remember all the thanks goes to Festool for designing this great table.
Let's just hope all of this concept will apply to the MFT3 also.
And let's hope Festool makes us some great bench dogs in the future.
John Stevens
Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2007
- Messages
- 815
Qwas said:
Well, I aligned my guide rail with the holes, but I never thought about the parallellogram! That's sweet. Thanks for the idea. Can't wait to see what else you come up with. Please hurry, because I'm almost finished my latest version of a jumbo MFT, and revisions will only get more labor-intensive as I get closer to completion. ;D
Regards,
John
I think I just talked myself into getting with the Qwas program here.
A lot of the stock that I cut on the MFT is less than 14mm high, that is, the stock isn't as thick as the standard (MFT Mk I) fence is in its lowest position. I've been coping by adding a subtable, essentially shimming the work high enough that fence and rail would work.
Forget that! Using the approach described here, I can easily make a fence 1.5 mm high if I need to. Switching from 1/2 inch (~13mm) plywood to 3mm masonite and then to 3/4 inch (19mm) stock will be a lot less effort.
Now I've got serious motivation to join this project.
Ned
A lot of the stock that I cut on the MFT is less than 14mm high, that is, the stock isn't as thick as the standard (MFT Mk I) fence is in its lowest position. I've been coping by adding a subtable, essentially shimming the work high enough that fence and rail would work.
Forget that! Using the approach described here, I can easily make a fence 1.5 mm high if I need to. Switching from 1/2 inch (~13mm) plywood to 3mm masonite and then to 3/4 inch (19mm) stock will be a lot less effort.
Now I've got serious motivation to join this project.
Ned
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