I just got some bench dogs for the MFT top but they are fitting a little loose. My caliper says my (new) MFT holes are 20.12mm and my (old) MFT is only 19.95mm yet my bench dogs are undersized at 19.84mm. Is this right, or is my caliper off? I have seen many other posts that say the holes are 20mm. I am just curious, what should the exact diameter of the MFT holes be? Thanks.
MFT Exact Hole Diameter?
- Thread starter whansen
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The holes in the MFTs are meant to be 20mm. While I've not personally taken calipers to my table or others, I expect, just like all things made of wood, there are some variances as wood is not a 100% stable material like metal. Humidity and other environmental conditions can play a factor, even with MDF.
That said, five hundreds of a millimeter is a rather small variance. And, twelve hundreds of a millimeter is a really small amount as well. Of course, each person has their own requirements and definitions of what's acceptable.
Maybe some of our other members who have reliable calipers handy and fire off their measurements so we can get a consensus.
Shane
That said, five hundreds of a millimeter is a rather small variance. And, twelve hundreds of a millimeter is a really small amount as well. Of course, each person has their own requirements and definitions of what's acceptable.
Maybe some of our other members who have reliable calipers handy and fire off their measurements so we can get a consensus.
Shane
I am not too worried about the difference in size, but there is noticeable play in my new dogs. I am curious because I am having some custom Qwas dogs made to use with a jig I am making. If I can, I would like to get a snugger fit with the dogs I am having made. Thanks!
leakyroof
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Contact Qwas about your concerns. Steve has this down to a science. He will ask a question or two, about your old versus new top, and figure out what will work best for you. Lee Valley has been playing with their dog/jig offerings as well since they introduced their MFT kits. I think at one point they were using 3 different diameters to please their customers with regards to fit in the holes of an MFT top, so you're not alone in this.... [embarassed]whansen said:
Corwin
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whansen said:
You will often read here that the holes are 20mm. However, I suspect that no top has ever had holes that are a perfect 20mm. In any event, the older MFT's had somewhat smaller holes than later ones -- your old MFT must have been from around 2006 or so, as yours has about the same size holes as my oldest MFT while the ones I purchased a year or so later were noticeably larger.
If I were in your situation, I would consider purchasing a new replacement top for your older MFT(s). That way, your old and new MFTs should have [about] the same size holes. The advantage, obviously, would be that you wouldn't need two different sized dogs and therefor you could use any of your [like-sized] dogs in either/any of your MFTs. Beside, the tops are a consumable and you may find another use for your old one...
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