MFT Hole size regarding fit of bench dogs.

[lasttoleave]

Hi,

I have an MFT/3 and a set of Parf Dogs. I believe the MFT is around 4-5 years old.. but it was offered to me at a good price so I opted to get it instead of making my own bench. I have heard mixed things regarding the hole size of MFT tops, but generally it seems the "old" tops had slightly larger holes which mean bench dogs are loose fit.

The problem is I don't know if the top I have is an old or a new one, but the Parf dogs drop in with no resistance so I wouldn't describe them as a tight fit by any means, whether or not this affects the acuracy is yet to be determined.

Can anyone tell me if they have the Veritas Parf Dogs and a new MFT/3 and how the parf dogs fit in the holes? If a new MFT/3 Top would improve the fit I may consider getting one in future.

Thanks

 

[Len R]

I have the parf dogs and a new MFT/3 (2014) and the parf dogs are loose and can move around in the hole.  My fix for this problem is to wrap a small piece of scotch tape around the dog, which takes up the slack.  The problem is that the tape peels off after a short while. So I don't think that buying a new MFT/3 top will solve the problem.

 

[leer]

Since the MFT top is MDF, you might try an experiment in one hole.  Put some poly or varnish on a cotton swab and wipe the inside of the hole.  Let it dry and sand lightly, and see if the fit is good.  It may take several applications to get it right.  Of course, doing the whole top might be a real pain, and maybe that new top would be a good investment!

I used a ShopBot to CNC my large MFT-style top, and thru a trial and error process we did some test bores to determine the best size to mill the holes.  It only took 3 holes to get what I decided was a "good enough" fit.  I had Qwas dogs for my standard.  I bought Parf Dogs about a month later, and they were a perfect fit. They just sort of slowly drop down until they bottom out on the "collars".

 

[Hergy]

Well, I have just the opposite problem. I have an mft 1080 that I bought in 2005. It was pretty beat up so I decided to start with a clean slate. I flipped the top and got a nice clean top to start its' 2nd 10 year tour of duty. I decided to set it up using the technique by user 1/2 inch shy. I ordered some parf  dogs from Lee valley and they would not fit any of the holes which are supposed to be 20mm. The Parf dogs measure a consistent 19.90mm. As best I could measure the existing holes, they are perhaps around 19.60 mm. The thought of enlarging 84 holes does not register high on my fun meter, but I guess it's better than having the holes too big. If anybody has any ideas on an easy way to enlarge these holes please let me know. The best method I have found so far is to use a sleeve from my oscillating sander and meticulously sand the holes using a circular up and down motion. Takes about 5 minutes per hole till the dog will just fit. My plan "B" would be to get a 3/4 inch dowel and wrap with sandpaper and sand away. Any other ideas?

 

[Bohdan]

If you can get hold of one an expanding reamer would do the job but I think that it would be an expensive solution if you have to buy one.