MFT cabinet

[gasman]

With my grateful thanks to jmatz and others for inspiration - I made a copy of his MFT1080 cabinet with a few mods shown here
[attachimg=1]
There are 3 bays for systainers - 2 on the front and 1 around the left hand side - plus 1 set of drawers to keep festool -type extras.
I have also modified Jerry Work's ideas for a squaring jig - because I wanted to be able to insert it and tighten it up from above since there is not much room under the MFT once it is on top of the cabinet.
First, I happened to have 2 thin scrap pieces left over of a material like Corian. These were perfect to create my 2 pieces of the squaring jig. Then I used a plastic spacer 'washer' with an 8mm hole, together with a 60mm long 8mm bolt and nut. Then I got a whole bunch of rubber door stops from the local hardware store, turned the rubber on my lathe down to 19mm diameter, cut off a 10mm thick piece of this and sandwiched this between the plastic spacer and the corian.
[attachimg=2]
With 4 of these drilled at intervals along the corian 'leg' of the squaring jig and inserted into 4 holes on the MFT, I can tighten the bolts from above so that the rubber is compressed, expands laterally and locks the jig in position. The shorter left-hand leg of the squaring jig is just run along the slot in the aluminium frame of the MFT as Jerry described.
[attachimg=3]
This seems to work well although I have not yet used it 'in anger' to clamp anything up.
My apologies if the images do not post - this is my first time!
Thanks to everyone for the ideas / inspiration

 

[Eli]

Very nice rig. Love it.  ;D

 

[honeydoman]

nice cabinet and a great idea

 

[Markus K.]

very well done! Mostly I like the Casters, it's a great idea! I've got only a small shop and I've wheels on every equipment, except the Tablesaw! Another great Thing is the space under the Benchtop.

It must be more stably then on it's own legs?

 

[gasman]

The castors are just ordinary 4" lockable ones from the local hardware store - but the rotation of the castor locks as well as the wheel rotation - so in fact they are very stable when locked. I have tried putting considerable pressure laterally on wood clamped to the table and there is little if any movement.
Thanks for all your encouragement - I am going to add some of the other 'user mods' to the NFT in this section over the next few weeks.
My local Festool dealer knows nothing about the MFT3 - he thinks I am making it up!

 

[Markus K.]

gasman, thank you for your answer. I used on the Routertable and the Kapexstand Polyamid-wheels, 6 inch. Every single one can carry a load of 150 Kg! I know, smaller and cheaper ones will do the same job, but I had an option to get this wheels for nothing  . and they work like yours!

I mean the MFT itself with folded legs on the Cabinet must be more stably as on its own legs? Or is there no difference?

Ask your dealer about the new OF 2200, if he knows nothing about this also, change your Dealer! (I'm just joking)

 

[gasman]

Actually he did know about the OF2200 router - but he says that it is actually being made by Mafell in their German factory shock horror!
I think I may remove the MFT legs altogether - I do not think they add stability and I think they just prevent me using that space under the table for more systainers

 

[Dan Clark]

According to Bob Marino, the old OF2000 was made by Mafell, but the new OF2200 is all Festool.

Dan.

 

[Markus K.]

I know the EB 2000 is/ was built by Mafell. But Mafells small Router LO 50 is a Festool! I will find out, who fabricates the EB 2200. The Lock/ Unlock- Mechanism and the quickrelease for the Guidebushes is not Mafell-like, you can find this Features on the OF 1400.

 

[Ned]

Nice, gasman.

You might be interested in these MFT Clamps.

I've put a link in that thread to this one as well.

Ned

 

[gasman]

Thanks Ned
I would love to get some of those - but I fear I will not find them on this side of the pond.... Any Brits know different?
Thanks

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Gasman,

Great update on Jerry Work's squaring arms (which I made).

Were the plastic washers/disks available in the diameter needed (20 mm?) to fit the holes in the top of the Festool MFT or did you have to buy them oversized and turn them on your lathe?

Also, were any special techniques needed to turn the rubber components on your lathe?  I have always thought rubber was hard to turn or otherwise machine except by freezing then grinding while turning.

Dave R.

 

[gasman]

I used the lathe to turn both of them down to size - the rubber wasn't too bad done with a skew chisel - the plastic was easier. The door stops started out with a screw hole down the centre - so I just had to enlarge that with a 10 mm drill bit (centrotec, obviously ;D)

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Thanks for those helpful details.

Dave R.

 

[butzla]

Great cab gasman!  Do you have additional pictures of left side and rear?  I'd like to build me one of these.  Also, if you have any design drawings and /or dimensions I'd be much obliged.  Thanks in advance!