MFT template

[Dusty.House]

Hi All,

I'm planning to CNC a template for creating MFT tops, I've been unsatisfied with the other methods I've tried so far, and I have a CNC now.

The template is 16.9" (428mm) by 35.7" (908mm). The first set of holes are 70mm edge to center, all other holes are 96mm center to center. They are 30mm to fit a router guide. The green areas are recessed to fit a tracksaw clamp (12mm by 8mm)

I'd like feedback on:

a) Any issues with this design?
b) Do people find the 'two holes joined as a slot' useful.
c) Should I create any angled slots, if so what are the dimensions?

Thanks

Ben

View attachment 1

 

[ryanjg117]

What material will it be made from? At only 1/2" thick, that's smaller than the standard Festool MFT which uses a HDF I believe, and still sags. I would be concerned with sagging unless you are supporting it somehow. Supports present another quagmire, in that you want them to be as narrow as possible to avoid interfering with clamps projecting through the table. I adapted a large table made of 80/20 aluminum extrusion and put a custom top, CNC cut with 20mm holes at 96mm centers. Due to its size, I had to keep two large supports running across the bottom. Those supports were a full 40x40mm thick (standard 80/20 extrusion), but if I was smarter, I would have used a piece of steel flat stock. As it stands right now I have to be creative with the clamps and some angles aren't doable.

As far as slots and angled slots, it really depends on how you intend to use the table. If you think it will ever be used for routing or intend to mount a fence to it, I would recommend cutting a channel to accommodate a t-track and that will allow you to easily adjust a fence similar to what I've designed in my miter saw station here:

 

[Brian Puccio]

What material will it be made from? At only 1/2" thick, that's smaller than the standard Festool MFT which uses a HDF I believe, and still sags. I would be concerned with sagging unless you are supporting it somehow.

As a template for creating CNC tops, wouldn’t it rest entirely on the top OP is going to make and thus wouldn’t sag?

 

[newinwood]

How are you planning position template on top precisely? I would make at least three holes 20 mm in the corners for positioning.
Ed.

 

[Dusty.House]

What material will it be made from? At only 1/2" thick, that's smaller than the standard Festool MFT which uses a HDF I believe, and still sags. I would be concerned with sagging unless you are supporting it somehow. Supports present another quagmire, in that you want them to be as narrow as possible to avoid interfering with clamps projecting through the table. I adapted a large table made of 80/20 aluminum extrusion and put a custom top, CNC cut with 20mm holes at 96mm centers. Due to its size, I had to keep two large supports running across the bottom. Those supports were a full 40x40mm thick (standard 80/20 extrusion), but if I was smarter, I would have used a piece of steel flat stock. As it stands right now I have to be creative with the clamps and some angles aren't doable.

As far as slots and angled slots, it really depends on how you intend to use the table. If you think it will ever be used for routing or intend to mount a fence to it, I would recommend cutting a channel to accommodate a t-track and that will allow you to easily adjust a fence similar to what I've designed in my miter saw station here:

Hi Ryan, this is the template to create my top, not the actual top The top will be made from 3/4 MDF, laminated with Formica microdot, mounted on a 1530 Faztek aluminum extrusion.

Your note about the supports is something I need to think about. My plan means I will have two 1515 extrusions running the width of the board, that could become annoying...

 

[Dusty.House]

What material will it be made from? At only 1/2" thick, that's smaller than the standard Festool MFT which uses a HDF I believe, and still sags. I would be concerned with sagging unless you are supporting it somehow.

As a template for creating CNC tops, wouldn’t it rest entirely on the top OP is going to make and thus wouldn’t sag?

That's right, it's only 1/2" so it fully seats my 30mm router guide and gives me the maximum hole depth.

 

[Dusty.House]

How are you planning position template on top precisely? I would make at least three holes 20 mm in the corners for positioning.
Ed.

Hi Ed - I have found some bench dogs that are 20mm with a 30mm head, so in theory they fit in any of the holes. I think this is the way Woodpeckers template also works. Once they arrive I will test to ensure the same hole will work with the router guide and the bench dog.

 

[Grev]

[member=67145]DustyTools[/member] If I follow you correctly ... you're basically going to CNC a larger version of the Dominofix, which has four 30 mm holes for the guide bushing and two 25 mm holes (20 mm dogs w/25 mm heads) to hold the template in place.  I've always thought a larger template with a few 20 mm holes on at least two sides would work better.  The standard 20 mm dogs could be used to make sure the template was square to the panel when starting the first row, vs. just feeling and clamping.  I've noticed that no matter how flush you may think you have the template to the panel, as you move down the panel the holes may be off slightly.  Of course, a larger template would help, but the dog holes for indexing would make sure you're square.  Hope this makes sense to you. Good luck (photo of actual tops I'm working on today for my modular units).

 

[Dusty.House]

[member=67145]DustyTools[/member] If I follow you correctly ... you're basically going to CNC a larger version of the Dominofix, which has four 30 mm holes for the guide bushing and two 25 mm holes (20 mm dogs w/25 mm heads) to hold the template in place.  I've always thought a larger template with a few 20 mm holes on at least two sides would work better.  The standard 20 mm dogs could be used to make sure the template was square to the panel when starting the first row, vs. just feeling and clamping.  I've noticed that no matter how flush you may think you have the template to the panel, as you move down the panel the holes may be off slightly.  Of course, a larger template would help, but the dog holes for indexing would make sure you're square.  Hope this makes sense to you. Good luck (photo of actual tops I'm working on today for my modular units).

Thanks [member=63307]TrackTubesGuy[/member]

Yes very much like the Dominofix, just bigger and specifically wide enough so I can clamp it down to my top on both side as I work down the length. If these 20mm dogs with a 30mm head don't work out then I will switch to 20mm holes. My goal is to try to reduce the number of times I move the template, which I am thinking reduces any chance of drift...

 

[Klemm]

Hi All,

I'm planning to CNC a template for creating MFT tops, I've been unsatisfied with the other methods I've tried so far, and I have a CNC now.

The template is 16.9" (428mm) by 35.7" (908mm). The first set of holes are 70mm edge to center, all other holes are 96mm center to center. They are 30mm to fit a router guide. The green areas are recessed to fit a tracksaw clamp (12mm by 8mm)

I'd like feedback on:

a) Any issues with this design?
b) Do people find the 'two holes joined as a slot' useful.
c) Should I create any angled slots, if so what are the dimensions?

Thanks

Ben

View attachment 1

[member=67145]DustyTools[/member] - you may be able to save yourself the design time for an MFT top by simply downloading the free CAD files for CNC worktop routiing on our website:
TSOproducts.com/plans-drawings/ 

enjoy with our compliments
Hans

 

[Dusty.House]

Hi All,

I'm planning to CNC a template for creating MFT tops, I've been unsatisfied with the other methods I've tried so far, and I have a CNC now.

The template is 16.9" (428mm) by 35.7" (908mm). The first set of holes are 70mm edge to center, all other holes are 96mm center to center. They are 30mm to fit a router guide. The green areas are recessed to fit a tracksaw clamp (12mm by 8mm)

I'd like feedback on:

a) Any issues with this design?
b) Do people find the 'two holes joined as a slot' useful.
c) Should I create any angled slots, if so what are the dimensions?

Thanks

Ben

View attachment 1

[member=67145]DustyTools[/member] - you may be able to save yourself the design time for an MFT top by simply downloading the free CAD files for CNC worktop routiing on our website:
TSOproducts.com/plans-drawings/ 

enjoy with our compliments
Hans

Thanks, I'll check those out!

 

[Mario Turcot]

If my CNC was large enough I would not bother using a template or system to bore MFT like top. However it is not and if you still make your template, make it versatile by using both sides.

My suggestions:

Side one: is used as a starter on any corner of your top. add a pair of stop blocks to ensure it self position at 70mm center. You only need those stop blocks on one side one corner.
Side two: is used to bore all other holes.

[attachimg=1]
The dark rectangles are the stop blocks, they can be any thickness. Butt them on the corner to start boring.

 

[Dusty.House]

If my CNC was large enough I would not bother using a template or system to bore MFT like top. However it is not and if you still make your template, make it versatile by using both sides.

My suggestions:

Side one: is used as a starter on any corner of your top. add a pair of stop blocks to ensure it self position at 70mm center. You only need those stop blocks on one side one corner.
Side two: is used to bore all other holes.

[attachimg=1]
The dark rectangles are the stop blocks, they can be any thickness. Butt them on the corner to start boring.

Interesting, I like that idea! Maybe I could make an attachment that is held in by the bench dogs so it's removable....

 

[Mario Turcot]

Simple inset with magnets  [cool]

 

[Klemm]

[member=67145]DustyTools[/member]  - you can save some time by downloading TSO's free CAD files for CNC routing 20mm worktops like MFT and other sizes like a full x 8 ft sheet with a 20mm hole pattern:
https://tsoproducts.com/plans-drawings/

hope this helps
Hans

 

[Dusty.House]

[member=67145]DustyTools[/member]  - you can save some time by downloading TSO's free CAD files for CNC routing 20mm worktops like MFT and other sizes like a full x 8 ft sheet with a 20mm hole pattern:
https://tsoproducts.com/plans-drawings/

hope this helps
Hans

Yup, I got that the first time you replied

My CNC won't go the width of my table, so a template is my best option.