mft table not very sturdy

[edadmartin]

hey, I've had my mft since 2008,I've always used it with mixed feelings.The tables is semi permanent, in my garage shop you cant carve chisel pound or sand on the table the legs are not rigid like a wood bench, the only thing that keeps it in the shop is the saw and saw guides and clamps I have purchased for it, other wise Id get rid of it. I added a full length shelf with v cleats, to try to stiffen it up but that really wasn't enough. Im not spending more dough on stiffeners from festool they want a stupid amount of money for them and really thyey should have been included with the rickety table( poorly executed design, me thinks) and Ive read where it still doesnt fix the problem .Id sure like to hear about what other mft owners have done to bullet proof this table????? got ideas ????

 

[Gary in Texas]

Ed,

Don't know what kinda replies you will get about "beefing this table up" from other owners, other than making your own sysport type base.

The MFT was never intended to be a replacement for a work bench, or be solid enough to allow work such as can be performed on a workbench.  It is a portable work bench that excels in use with the track saws.....

Gary

 

[Birdhunter]

I added an extension for a heavy vise to my dual MFT setup. The extension features a steel leg set I purchased from Amazon. My dual MFT setup is now rock solid. I can plane, hand saw, and whatever now. Somewhere on this site are pictures of the extension and a description of how it was made. Maybe someone can find it and repost it.

 

[mouppe]

It's a portable workbench designed for power tool use. There's not much you can do to make it suitable for hand tool work.

I'd build a traditional workbench if I were you and enjoy the best of both worlds.

 

[Nick C]

No, it isn't sturdy like a traditional woodworking bench. It's designed to be portable. If you want a traditional bench and don't need the portability, buy or make one.

 

[Iceclimber]

I personally am not overly impressed with the MFT's.

Maybe i just don't know how to use the MFT or i am just used to working other ways after years of being a tradesman.

The only thing i really like the MFT for is the ease of clamping. Its pretty much become my go to surface for sanding more than anything else. Oh and my CMS VL is attached to it. I guess i would not want to be without it now that i have it but so far its my least favorite and used Festool.

Don't worry even my not so favorite Festools i still really like.

If you buy a MFT thinking it is going to be the be all end all bench you will be disappointed. I think most that purchase the MFT have previous woodworking experience and know what it will and will not be. Its another tool in the stable and that about it imop..

 

[Grasshopper]

I love my mft but do find it a little shaken at times. I'm ok with it though.

What I find is odd is that it feels low to me. After a long day my back aches from bending over the table. I sure wish mine were a few inches taller.

 

[Birdhunter]

Search "MFT Vise" June 2012 by Birdhunter and the thread shows pictures of the vise extension. It truly made my MFT setup rock steady.

 

[jamanjeval]

I have the MFT and even with the cross members it has a bit of wobble when using a hand plane. When I need to use something like my stanley no 8 or anything else where I need to apply a lot of horizontal force, I fold the legs and use it on the floor.

My complaint is with is the plastic ends that join onto the metal tubes of the cross members. They have dimples that protrude though holes in the tube. These have unsurprisingly rounded off. When set up, there is not a problem. But breaking it down, the only thing holding the tubes on are the plastic clamps further up that clip onto the horizontal tube that runs between the pairs of legs.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the MFT.