MFT and or

[Woodmatt]

Hi All,
Over the years there have been many discussions about the use,accuracy ect of MFT's in combination with the guide rail and saw
I would be interested to know how many of you are using only the mft/guide rail/track saw for all your cutting and how many use this combination in conjunction with a table saw.
I ask as I have a table saw with a not very accurate,repeatable fence ( like most table saw fences) and am considering getting or making a large MFT to get more accurate cuts along with a good assembly bench.
I did consider getting the Incra set up but it will not fit to my current saw and I cannot afford to change the saw and get the Incra bits.

As a by the by Guido's MFT bench looks fantastic but would you consider that design ie not using any metal parts for the hinge and lock mechanism to be accurate for cuts over along period of time.

Matthew

 

[tiralie]

Hi All,
Over the years there have been many discussions about the use,accuracy ect of MFT's in combination with the guide rail and saw
I would be interested to know how many of you are using only the mft/guide rail/track saw for all your cutting and how many use this combination in conjunction with a table saw.
I ask as I have a table saw with a not very accurate,repeatable fence ( like most table saw fences) and am considering getting or making a large MFT to get more accurate cuts along with a good assembly bench.
I did consider getting the Incra set up but it will not fit to my current saw and I cannot afford to change the saw and get the Incra bits.

As a by the by Guido's MFT bench looks fantastic but would you consider that design ie not using any metal parts for the hinge and lock mechanism to be accurate for cuts over along period of time.

Matthew

Matt:
Get a better fence for your table saw. You will enjoy using your mft for what it was designed to do and you will get more out of you table saw. There are several after market fences that are excellent and will fit almost any saw.
I even have a Vega on my Bosch 4001 and it has vastly improved the accuracy of ripping long sticks.
Tim

 

[sancho57]

Hi All,
Over the years there have been many discussions about the use,accuracy ect of MFT's in combination with the guide rail and saw
I would be interested to know how many of you are using only the mft/guide rail/track saw for all your cutting and how many use this combination in conjunction with a table saw.
I ask as I have a table saw with a not very accurate,repeatable fence ( like most table saw fences) and am considering getting or making a large MFT to get more accurate cuts along with a good assembly bench.
I did consider getting the Incra set up but it will not fit to my current saw and I cannot afford to change the saw and get the Incra bits.

As a by the by Guido's MFT bench looks fantastic but would you consider that design ie not using any metal parts for the hinge and lock mechanism to be accurate for cuts over along period of time.

Matthew

Its all personal preferance and space requirements. I use only my festools. I have not turned my table saw on in quite a while.

It takes some getting used to and some time to develop your techniques but once I did I have no issues. Somethings are faster using a table saw than a MFT w/ a TS somethings are not

 

[ScotF]

The MFT is so versatile and much more than just a cutting station.  I personally have switched to mostly Festool TS cutting and I have a 3hp General  cabinet saw with an accurate fence at my disposal.  I like the dust collection of the CT and the accuracy and cut quality is great.  With the right setup and jigs you can achieve very accurate and repeatable cuts with a TS.  The is another thread on here from recent weeks about table saw verses TS saw and you are going to find arguments in both camps.  If speed is important, then an upgrade to your fence might make more sense as the table saw is faster with small rips.  If you are not in a hurry and want to reclaim some space, then the MFT might be a great addition to helping you and give you another way to work effectively.

Scot

 

[Birdhunter]

I would second the recommendation to get a better fence for your table saw unless the saw itself is the problem. Some saws simple won't cut true.

I use the table saw (Sawstop Industrial) for heavy duty highly accurate cuts, the Kapex for quick cross cuts, and the Festool track saw for breaking down sheet stock. I do use my twin MFT with the track saw, but I don't think it's a credible alternative to a heavy duty table saw. However, most of the work I do requires extreme precision.

I've gotten a lot more confident in using the MFT with the track saw since I acquired the large Woodpecker carpenter's square and a set of Qwas Dogs and the Slop Stop.  Those 3 tools permit much higher accuracy with the MFT rail system.

 

[farms100]

think of the difference between a run of the mill skillsaw and a track saw.

The same difference between a low end table saw and a 3-5 HP table saw with a good fence.

 

[JeromeM]

Hi All,
Over the years there have been many discussions about the use,accuracy ect of MFT's in combination with the guide rail and saw
I would be interested to know how many of you are using only the mft/guide rail/track saw for all your cutting and how many use this combination in conjunction with a table saw.

As a by the by Guido's MFT bench looks fantastic but would you consider that design ie not using any metal parts for the hinge and lock mechanism to be accurate for cuts over along period of time.

Matthew

i am one of those who built my own table with an MFT style top. I've just built a Paulk inspired mount for my rail and its working well. 

I have a nice combination table saw / planer (UK US translation jointer) but the table is very small.

For some things the table saw is the better tool but I would guess its about 98% TS55 2% table saw use.

 

[Woodmatt]

Thanks for all your thoughts guys.

From what you are saying it would seem I would be heading in the wrong direction by thinking the MFT/Guide/saw would be a good replacement for my table saw.

Birdhunter your method of work is just about how I was planning to work if I could find a better fence before I was considering the MFT route .
The saw I have is not exactly heavy duty but much better than most site saws.
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/kity-619-saw-table-230v-k100619116

I have just found this video which may be a possible way to go for the better fence with a few slight modifications.


Any further thoughts

Matthew