MFT - Cut the top or not

[Oso Rojo]

I curious how other people use their MFT when sawing. I've seen both scared and clean MFT tops in various videos, so I'm curious what the majority do.

Thanks for your input.

 

[nclemmons]

I have the one kerf in my top.  Not cut up like a lot that I have seen on FOG.  The kerf in the top reduces splintering on the underside.

Too much trouble for me to deal with a backer board.

neil

 

[RJNeal]

I have two kerfs, one is the normal one and the other at 90* when I needed to cut a wider board. I placed the back fence and guide rail on the end of the table. Otherwise I use backers or off the edge of the table.
I also use the table sometimes for glue ups and want a flat surface.
Good luck,
Rick

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

There are saw kerfs all over my mft/3's. I do not use it with the fence thingy either

 

[tjbnwi]

I use my MFT as an assembly table, I prefer not having kerfs all over the top. I'll use a piece of cardboard as a barrier sheet.

Tom

 

[ThomasC]

My mft's have a few kerf marks...

TC

 

[Potts17]

Holy cow! That's a lot of cuts!

 

[mouppe]

I had cuts all over it before I flipped it. Now I try to keep them in just a couple of areas but I'm not overly careful about it.

 

[Birdhunter]

I have one kerf that's about 1-2mm deep where the flip down fence guides the TS55. I screwed up once and had the saw set too deep and almost scored the metal side of the MFT.

I filled in the kerf with epoxy wood filler to get kerf back to 1-2mm.

I use a 2' by 2' sacrificial surface on top of the MFT when I drill so as to not drill into the MFT top.

I'm one of those guys who vacuums/cleans his tools before putting them away, cleans his guns after every use, sweeps the shop floor ,and keeps all chisels, knives, etc razor sharp. I don't consider myself obsessive. It's just that I enjoy walking into my shop with everything clean, stowed properly, and ready to go to work. I also do a lot of high precision woodworking and see sawdust as an impediment to accuracy.

 

[epicxt]

I have cuts all over both sides of mine. On the last project I worked on I was building a bunch of corbels from glulam material which I was sanding and puttying any small holes/cracks so I started filling in some of the kerfs with the leftover putty after each application.
I view the top as a consumable, much like sandpaper and figure I lose more $ in time spent futzing with saving the top than it's worth.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Don't have an MFT, but if I had, I'd cut it all over. That's what it's for. When something is for your work, use the heck out of it, don't treat it like it's a collectable. Put the cost in your prices. Efficiency.

figure I lose more $ in time spent futzing with saving the top than it's worth.

This.

 

[rst]

I use a piece of 1/4" tempered masonite as a backer board, but have plans to make a UHMW dovetailed insert in the top for long term use.

 

[Kev]

My mft's have a few kerf marks...

TC

Looks like a 3D rendering of an ancient city or something .. cool [wink]

 

[shed9]

My mft's have a few kerf marks...

TC

Looks like a 3D rendering of an ancient city or something .. cool [wink]

I thought that [smile] map room from Raiders of the Lost Ark?

 

[itchy]

Cut it up!

 

[SoonerFan]

I have the one kerf in my top.  Not cut up like a lot that I have seen on FOG.  The kerf in the top reduces splintering on the underside.

Too much trouble for me to deal with a backer board.

neil

+1 exactly the same for me.

 

[peter halle]

The other thing you could do is both.  Use one side for cutting, remove 4 screws, flip, smooth side up for assembly.  If you need to cut again, flip and reattach.

I am a cutter.

Peter

 

[epicxt]

I am a cutter.

Peter

Loved that movie!

 

[Tinker]

My first was the MFT 1080.  I cut it.
When i used it for assembly, I covered the glue areas with wax paper, but some glue always managed to escape. It was a pain to chisel or sand f if it got into the kerf cuts.

when i got my MFT/3, i cut a batch of narrow strips of MDF and with waxed surface, glue drips are no longer a problem. I don't have to spend a lot of time moving he strips around and spilled glue is no longer a problem.

I like the non cutting of MFT surface much better.
Tinker

 

[iamnothim]

In six months I've cut the heck out of one of mine.
Wait until you forget to change the depth setting on your TS......  Then there's bevel cuts.  [eek]

That's what it's there for.