MFT Surface - Is Oiling Necessary? Recommended?

DrD

DrD

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Mar 29, 2013
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In a few different discussions here on FOG, oiling the MFT surface has been mentioned.  Is oiling recommended?  Is oiling beneficial?  Are there drawbacks?  What oil is appropriate.  I do understand that if MDF - the material from which the top is fabricated - gets wet it will swell/expand/bubble.  Will oiling prevent or minimize this?  I am a newbie, and a hobbyist, and is apparent from my other posts, still learning.

Thanks
 
I'm not sure what others use, but if I had an MFT I'd probably coat it with dewaxed shellac (sealcoat). It makes for a nice surface; I've done it to zci's for my table saw.
 
I bought a decent used MFT800 . The previous owner had never made a cut in the top, but I had to replace the top since he'd spilled every possible liquid on it, and most of the holes had swollen up in size permanently.
So, I oiled my new top to help prevent THAT from happening if glue or some other item were to get dripped on it now that I've got it.  I vote for sealing of some kind since MDF doesn't play well with liquids..... [eek]
 
Shellac works great.

I have spilled entire cups of coffee on them and they clean right up.

I shellac all 6 sides when I get them, if they get bad looking I sand it right off and I add more shellac. Between flipping them over from time to time and sanding them off and re-shellacking I get a good amount of life out of them.

Without the shellac they would not look near as nice, be as easy to care for or last as long.

I use a thin 1 or 2lbcut shellac or the ready mix sanding sealer, I find the other to be too thick.
 
What do you guys think about spray on lacquer? I have a couple of cans of an odd sheen kicking around.
 
I've done exactly that and the mdf really soaks it up. You'll easily go through two cans before you get a uniform coat.    It works ok. If you primarily keep your mft in the shop it will be great.  The coated surface becomes a little slick compared to the raw mdf, so you'll need to get used to that.  I might try oil next as it may suit my needs better than lacquer/shellack.  Better yet, I would like to change out the mdf completely with something more weather resistant.
 
Thanks for all the responses.  If there are more suggestions, I'd love to hear them. 
This does bring to question why there is no direction/suggestion from the mother ship/Festool about what they think is the best way to protect/save their product; it's not as if a replacement table is inexpensive.  I'd like to hear what Shane, or uncle Bob, or Tom has to offer.

Thanks
 
My MFT lives in the van or on site. I oiled both sides with counter top oil and it works very well. I also cut directly into the top so every few months it gets filled with 2 pack and sanded flat and re oiled. The holes are reamed out with a 20mm bit. It's holding up very well despite all the scars
 
Alex said:
If it was necessary to oil them, Festool would deliver them to you like that.
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I doubt it. They probably view it as a consumable.

By the way, as to the merits if oiling/not oiling, I can see pros and cons for both.
 
I don't see the point of doing anything to the top. If you want to avoid glue drips, paint spills etc why not just put down a piece of wax paper when you need to?

I even planed away the finish on my hand tool bench as I prefer working on the wood in its raw state.
 
In response to Alex, all due respect, Festool tools are fantastic, hold up well, Festool service is great, great dealers, etc, etc.

BUT if you really want to know something about the tool, you MUST search away from Festool, i.e., Brice with his blogs and monographs, erock for the LR32 videos, Paul Marcel, and all the others who give of their time, expertise and experience here and on other sites.  At least to me, it is obvious that Festool is not always/mostly forthcoming on the recommended best practices in the use of their products.  Just my opinion.

Thus, since MDF is a very good work surface, and is very susceptible to swelling in the presence of liquids, what is the optimal sealant to provide the most efficient/effective life/use of this product?
 
Thanks NightWalkerGR,

Do you use a 1 or 2 pound cut, or is it a spray?

DrD
 
DrD said:
In response to Alex, all due respect, Festool tools are fantastic, hold up well, Festool service is great, great dealers, etc, etc.

BUT if you really want to know something about the tool, you MUST search away from Festool, i.e., Brice with his blogs and monographs, erock for the LR32 videos, Paul Marcel, and all the others who give of their time, expertise and experience here and on other sites.  At least to me, it is obvious that Festool is not always/mostly forthcoming on the recommended best practices in the use of their products.  Just my opinion.

Thus, since MDF is a very good work surface, and is very susceptible to swelling in the presence of liquids, what is the optimal sealant to provide the most efficient/effective life/use of this product?
Click to expand...

Funny thing is, when people start a sentence with something like "all due respect", you know something disrespectful is going to follow.

DrD, you assume way too much from my one little sentence you react to.

Also seems to me you don't really want people's opinions, you only want the one you have formed already confirmed.

Fine by me.

But puh-lease, don't give me some goddam lecture about what sources I should check. I'm not by far as good a woodworker as some people here, but when it comes to information gathering I can give a lot of people a run for their money.
 
For instance MDF, I don't just know about it because I read a Festool website. It's a far more popular material over here and I've been working with it since it became readily available about 25 years ago. Amongst many other things, I've built a whole bunch of workbenches out if it, and 2 of them I made for myself and have for about 15 years now are still in perfect condition, untreated.

And Festool generally does know what they talk about. Untidy Shop nailed it when he said Festool probably sees the MFT top as a consumable. Which is right, they don't call it a "sacrificial" top for nothing. You use it until it's not functional anymore and you get a new one. That's how Festool envisions it.
 
Alex, please let me apologize, I did not mean to offend you. 

I meant to take exception to the fact that if Festool thought it important, they would say something.  In my experience, if I want to learn something about the use of a Festool product, I find Festool to be uninformative, at best.  Thus, I have found most of the truly useful assistance comes from the users, like you and others, not the manufacturer. 

Of course they view the top as a consumable - we're just talking about the rate of consumption, and being a less than affluent Southern Boy, I would rather spend my $$ on something other than a top were it to accidentally get wet.

Again, no disparaging comments/thoughts were directed towards you.  I value your comments.

 
I just spent 30 minutes filling in the track saw cut (went a tad too deep) on my MFT with 2-part wood filler. Other than using a 2'X2' sacrificial MDF surface for drilling, gluing, etc; I don't do anything with either of my MFT tops. They "live" in a dry basement shop and are never exposed to weather.

When they get beat up, I'll flip them. When those sides "die", I'll replace them.

I am careful about getting liquids or glue on the MFT surfaces. If I get a spill, I wipe it up immediately.

I don't plan to treat the surfaces as I believe Festool would have treated them if that was the best thing to do.

P.S. I do heavy Internet research and I watch Halfinshy's and other's videos.
 
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