MFT Question

[PMac500]

Hi

I am relatively new to Festool and very happy with my purchases of a Domino, CT22 and Rotex sander.  However,  I have my eyes on a MFT and plunge saw.  I apologize in advance if this sounds like a silly question, but when you cut on the surface of the MFT top, do most people put scrap pieces of material under the cut so as not to cut into the top or is the depth of cut so precise that you either don't need it or any marks are negligible?  I am leaning toward the 75 despite the increased weight.  I figure the one time that I need the extra depth, it will be there.

Thanks!

 

[Frank Pellow]

Let me be the first to welcome you the Festool Owner's Group forum.

Everyone that I know and that I know about that has an MFT used with a plunge saw, cuts right into the table.  If you are careful, the grove that you make will be no deeper than 2 to 4 millimetres and that doesn't seem to weaken the table.  I have an MFT which has been used that way for about 4 years.  About once a year, I fill the groves with auto-body filler.  Also, you can turn the board end for end and/or flip it over to change the position of the grooves.

 

[ForumMFG]

Pmac, use the search feature on this forum and you will find a lot of threads that talk about this.

 

[Brice Burrell]

Pmac, I'm one of the few people that put scraps down to prevent cutting into the top of my MFT. I did cut into the top where the guide rail attaches but anytime I make other cuts I go to my scrap pile. My MFT is four years old with only one kerf width cut in it. 

 

[Holzhacker]

Cut into my lovely MFT, are you insane? Seriously though, I have not cut into my MFT. I have a few pieces of 1/2' plywood scrap that I have cut to size and place under all my boards before cutting. 1 the length, 1 the width of the MFT by about 8" wide and a few smaller scraps. I know eventually I will cut into it but would prefer to postpone that day as long as possible.

 

[peter halle]

I'm a contractor.  I need the scars.

It's a tool - not a finger.

Peter

 

[score0matic]

I don't have an MFT but I went about 4 months before I started cutting on my Walco's bamboo .

 

[Rob Z]

Hi Peter, I'm with you on that...I figure if there are marks on the table it means I have been making money.

I like Frank's tip about using Bondo to fill in the grooves...great idea!

 

[mwhafner]

While I try to keep the damage to a minimum, I do use my MFT for cutting.  Just be careful with the depth of cut, and you won't harm the integrity of the table. 

 

[tbellemare]

I concur with Craig, Rob, and Matt - if you pay attention to the saw plunge depth, and it's pretty easy to do on the MFT, just put the work piece on and set the plunge depth according to the work piece. You will have a kerf in the tabletop but that's where you're, "in the groove".

It helps you realize if something has gone awry with your repeatable set up. Normally, everything will be "dead on" over and over again. If it's not, something, or somebody is causing the problem.

The machine(s) and the accessories aren't likely to change unless they are abused or adjusted.

You should be able to run miles (or kilometers) with this equipment and not see significant deviation.

Tom

 

[RONWEN]

I'm an amateur woodworker so my MFT's stay in my shop all the time.  When I got the first one I just couldn't bring myself to cutting into the table right away so I bought a piece of 1/4"x24x48 MDF to lay on top of the MFT for cutting.  It's just the right width that the first row of holes can be exposed so I stick a couple Qwas dogs in that row.  They stick up above the MDF enough to be useful for aligning (squaring) the workpiece to cut. I use that same row for clamping with the Festool clamps if the piece needs clamped.  As I say once I got into the habit of using the MDF I just never stopped using it.
If I were a contractor carrying the MFT around to job sites there is no doubt that I wouldn't bother with the MDF.  As has been said, the guide rail goes in the same spot every time so you really only end up with a narrow, shallow strip cut into the MFT top which keeps the rest of the table flat for other work.

 

[festooltim]

I have two mft-3's to make them lighter for on sight work i replaced the tops with MDO plus if they get wet it doesn't swell up. I mostly wanted to save weight, when you carry them through a house and up stairs every little bit helps.

 

[RONWEN]

I have two mft-3's to make them lighter for on sight work i replaced the tops with MDO plus if they get wet it doesn't swell up. I mostly wanted to save weight, when you carry them through a house and up stairs every little bit helps.

I'm curious if you created the same hole pattern size & locations in the MDO top? 

 

[festooltim]

Yes i cut them to size clamped the old one on top of the new one and used a long 1/2" spiral bit in a plunge router being careful to hold it centered then let the top rub around the holes in the original top. It cuts a perfect hole if you don't nick the side of the original. I did nick a few holes but if you take your time it does a good job. I believe their is a video on you tube of someone doing this.   

 

[Nigel]

One thing I have found that relates to repeatability and transport of the mft.I always take off the rail and carriers for transport.Depending on how often this happens I can get a build up of "crud" (a tiny amount)in the alu extrusions.When I slide in the carriers,especially the front one it compacts against the stops and knocks everything out of square.It takes a fair while to happen but leaves me scratching my head every time!Does anyone else get this problem?It's entirely due to transport so if you keep it all in the shop there should be no problem.

 

[Dan Clermont]

I cut into my MFT. Just never seemed to have enough scraps around to avoid it. If you are careful and consistently line your guide rail up properly the goove will only be the width of the blade

Dan Clermont

 

[Daniel_n]

I also cut into my mft's. It's easy and cheap to make new tops MDF-inserts when they are worn out.

 

[MarkF]

Ask yourself: Self, do you want a heirloom piece of furniture or a workbench? If you want pristine use some foil faced styrene as a topper and protect your precious.

Don't ask how I know this but if you accidently cut all the way through a short section of your MFT top you can put a piece of masking tape underneath, plug up the kerf with whatever putty/Bondo you like, let it dry, sand it smooth and pull the tape off.  If the kerf gets wide enough you can inlay scraps of hardwood like I did.