MFT table that really is multifunctional

[Ken Milhinch]

I am an avid fan of the Kreg Pocket Hole system, so I recently bought a couple of their bench clamp plates and fitted them to my MFT. They work beautifully.

 

[Ken Milhinch]

Following on from that, I also decided to make use of the MFT for my newly arrived Jessem Slot Mortiser. I attached the mortiser to a piece of Cypress, and turned up a couple of 20mm dowels to act as locating pins on the MFT. Add two Festool clamps from below the table and it also works beautifully. ;D

 

[wnagle]

I like the kreg clamps too...but I wanted to keep my mft top free of metal... so Qwas and I made these.

 

[Ken Milhinch]

Very nice Wayne, and probably more versatile than mine, as I presume you can put the clamp anywhere on the table. Why the aversion to metal on the table ? Is that because you do some cutting on yours ?

 

[wnagle]

Yes you can clamp them in any hole... and I didn't want to run my saw blade into the metal by accident.  Also in the pic in front of the clamped board is a Qwas bench dog.  I have a few sets.  They help with lining up the fence or the rail to a perfect 90 very quickly.  They also work well a stops for other clamping tasks.

 

[Ken Milhinch]

OK. I use my table for pocket holes, sanding, routing, assembly and now loose tenon mortising. I also use it for finishing sometimes, as the shellac stains show. : However I never have used it for cutting, as I have a PM2000 for that.

 

[wnagle]

I have a cabinet saw also.  However, since I've started with the festool line, I do things differently than in the past.  I work alone so now I cut my plywood 4x8 sheets with the ts55 and guide rails.  It is much safer than trying to handle big sheets alone on the table saw.  I cut to final dimension and get better more precise cuts than on the table saw.  Also larger crosscuts...either very wide or very long I like to do on the MFT/3 or cutting table.  I'm setting up my Kapex soon so it will play in the mix as well I hope.  I wish my table saw had a riving knife...next one I guess.  Although I don't know if i'd get a 50 inch cut again.  With my new festool methods, 30 inch cut would be fine and free up some space.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Following on from that, I also decided to make use of the MFT for my newly arrived Jessem Slot Mortiser. I attached the mortiser to a piece of Cypress, and turned up a couple of 20mm dowels to act as locating pins on the MFT. Add two Festool clamps from below the table and it also works beautifully. ;D

Ken, Sounds like a stealth gloat there...  How about a review or at least your first impressions of the Jessem mortiser??

 

[Hotwheels]

Wayne,
I can't find the clamp dogs listed on QWAS site. Are these available to buy or are these one time items that are not commercially available? Thanks
JR

 

[Warrior]

The qwas dogs are available through www.festooljunkie.com

Eiji

 

[sw1211]

There's also a similar style available on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Festool-MFT-bench-dogs_W0QQitemZ270326550232QQcmdZViewItemQQptZWoodworking?hash=item270326550232&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

 

[nickao]

I am not sure that qwas has any of those clamp dogs left, I think I may have purchased the last two directly from him. They do not sell those at the Festooljunkie as Steve said it was a one time thing. Festooljunkie does sell the other Qwas dogs just not the ones for the pocket screw clamp.

If you want I can ask him if he has more.

Nick

 

[Ken Milhinch]

Following on from that, I also decided to make use of the MFT for my newly arrived Jessem Slot Mortiser. I attached the mortiser to a piece of Cypress, and turned up a couple of 20mm dowels to act as locating pins on the MFT. Add two Festool clamps from below the table and it also works beautifully. ;D

Ken, Sounds like a stealth gloat there...  How about a review or at least your first impressions of the Jessem mortiser??

Maybe not a stealth gloat, more of a driveby but anyway my first impressions are that it is great, and a quality piece of manufacture. John Lucas has done something of a review here. http://www.woodshopdemos.com/jess-zip-1.htm

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi all,

Another slick way to mount most anything to an MFT2 or 3 is to use the space between two tables by mounting a plate on top of the aluminum side profiles and flush with the tops of the adjacent tables.  I posted a tutorial on my web site http://jerrywork.com on doing this to mount routers in both inverted and horizontal positions that may be of interest.  This area works just as well holding tools in an upright position.  Using the space between two tables takes advantage of the strength of the aluminum side rails and positions the tools where the controls are easily reached.  The top surfaces of the MFTs form large, flat in and out feed tables to support your work pieces.  And, best of all, mounting and demounting takes only a few seconds and no modification to the tables or the tools is required.  Hope this helps.

Jerry

Following on from that, I also decided to make use of the MFT for my newly arrived Jessem Slot Mortiser. I attached the mortiser to a piece of Cypress, and turned up a couple of 20mm dowels to act as locating pins on the MFT. Add two Festool clamps from below the table and it also works beautifully. ;D

 

[honeydoman]

yes I also love the mft tables here is a little project I had to route out a diamon shape in some doors for a entertainment center cabinet I am just finishing up and they wanted something to tie it to the fire place which had this diamond shape on it... so the mft table worked great as usually,l and as you can see from the top, i do put it to use, about time for a new top!

i will post the finished picture tomorrow night, friday or sat... of the finished project under the correct heading!

 

[Dave Ronyak]

honeydokreg,

Thanks for posting how you are adding decorative features to the paneled doors.

Are you guiding the router freehand using the board behind it as a straightline reference?

Why did you not couple the router to a Festool Guide Rail and use stops to limit travel of the router?

Are you using a core box style bit?

No doubt the results will be very attractive.

Dave R.

 

[honeydoman]

honeydokreg,

Thanks for posting how you are adding decorative features to the paneled doors.

Are you guiding the router freehand using the board behind it as a straightline reference?

Why did you not couple the router to a Festool Guide Rail and use stops to limit travel of the router?

Are you using a core box style bit?

No doubt the results will be very attractive.

Dave R.

yes I am free handing the router using the board as an edge guide.  I was going to use the guide rail but could not find the screw to hold the rods into the guide piece. probably lost it.....  yes that is a box core bit that I also use for fluting.

and the results did come out very nice.

free handing was faster and I could just run the router up to the end of the next point, really was no big deal  thanks

 

[woodshopdemos]

Maybe not a stealth gloat, more of a driveby but anyway my first impressions are that it is great, and a quality piece of manufacture. John Lucas has done something of a review here. http://www.woodshopdemos.com/jess-zip-1.htm

I di work with the Jessem Slot Mortiser but never finished it. I had problems with their instructions. They were preliminary when I got them and hopefully improved now. It is built like everything from Jessem - quality engineering. ANd it did work and make good mortises but wasnt able to figure out their mesuring system. More scales than a fish.