MFT top thickness advice needed.

[JC1]

Hi,

 I've just joined this excellent community having spent the last couple of days trying to digest as much information as I can about a soon to be purchased TS 55. This will be my first Festool purchase and one I'm very looking forward to getting  

I've watched numerous reviews on the benefit of combining the TS55 with an MFT table and I'm thinking about buying an MFT top to incorporate into a home built workbench.

What I'm a little unsure of is the thickness of the various MFT tops and I was hoping someone could confirm please the actual thickness of the following MFT tops; MFT/3, MFT/1080, MFT/800 and the MFT/Kapex

Thank you,

 

[squarecut]

Just measured my MFT/3 top & I get 19.5 mm in thickness. I assume they are all the same, or within a few 10ths of a mm.

 

[tiralie]

Hi,

 I've just joined this excellent community having spent the last couple of days trying to digest as much information as I can about a soon to be purchased TS 55. This will be my first Festool purchase and one I'm very looking forward to getting  

I've watched numerous reviews on the benefit of combining the TS55 with an MFT table and I'm thinking about buying an MFT top to incorporate into a home built workbench.

What I'm a little unsure of is the thickness of the various MFT tops and I was hoping someone could confirm please the actual thickness of the following MFT tops; MFT/3, MFT/1080, MFT/800 and the MFT/Kapex

Thank you,

Welcome to the FOG.
My MFT/3 and Kapex are 19.6 mm.
Probably absorbed some moisture over the years...
Tim

 

[JC1]

Thank you.

The reason for being a little unsure of the thickness's is Amazon lists the MFT/3 as 0.8", the MFT/1080 as 1.2", the MFT/Kapex as 1.5", and the MFT/800 as 1.5".

The one I'm considering is the 1080 but if it's 1.2" thick, as Amazon claims, then I was a bit concerned that some of the Festool clamps might not work with that particular top. The clamps I'm thinking of getting are the SCREW CLAMPS and possibly the RATCHET CLAMP.
I thought I read somewhere on the forum that these clamps won't go through the thicker tops, hence my uncertainty.

 

[tiralie]

I thought I read somewhere on the forum that these clamps won't go through the thicker tops, hence my uncertainty.

obviously it depends on the size of the hole, but those clamps will work on the 20mm holes in the mft's

 

[Corwin]

Thank you.

The reason for being a little unsure of the thickness's is Amazon lists the MFT/3 as 0.8", the MFT/1080 as 1.2", the MFT/Kapex as 1.5", and the MFT/800 as 1.5".

The one I'm considering is the 1080 but if it's 1.2" thick, as Amazon claims, then I was a bit concerned that some of the Festool clamps might not work with that particular top. The clamps I'm thinking of getting are the SCREW CLAMPS and possibly the RATCHET CLAMP.
I thought I read somewhere on the forum that these clamps won't go through the thicker tops, hence my uncertainty.

The information you read on Amazon is wrong.  All the tops are of the same thickness.  And you are correct in your concern that the Festool clamps will not fit in a thicker top -- at least not unless either the hole are larger or the holes are counterbored on the underside...

 

[JC1]

That's a big help. Thanks very much.

For some reason the 1080 top appears to be less than half the price of the MFT3 top here in the U.K. even though the 1080 is actually bigger in size, which is another reason I thought the thickness's may vary. Good to hear they're all the same thickness and the clamps will work fine. I guess the large price difference must be because the MFT3 top is the current model  ???

 

[dltflt]

I believe the MFT/3 is larger 1102 x 718

 

[Corwin]

I believe the MFT/3 is larger 1102 x 718

Nope.  The MFT/3 is slightly smaller.  I think the MFT 1080's top was/is about 1166 x 726 or so.

 

[Peterm]

Thank you.

The reason for being a little unsure of the thickness's is Amazon lists the MFT/3 as 0.8", the MFT/1080 as 1.2", the MFT/Kapex as 1.5", and the MFT/800 as 1.5".

Just add my welcome; I feel we've been here before...

 

[Dave Rudy]

For some reason the 1080 top appears to be less than half the price of the MFT3 top

The MFT1080 has been discontinued for some time.  The MFT3, although smaller in size, presents some important improvements, notably these two: it's work surface is at a higher and more useful height; it has a vastly improved fence holding and angle-setting system fir cross cuts.  Compare the two fences and you will see immediately the difference.

That said, there has been much discussion here about squaring your stock and saw rail to the table top hole grid, which is cnc square, as opposed to the rail.  If you use the tabletop squaring system, the new fence becomes of very little value.  And the 1080 has an additiional t track which is most useful.

If you put it all together, you have a larger much less expensive table.  Using the grid system, squaring will be identical on both.  So the only downside would be the shortness of the working height.  There is an elegant solution here on the fog for the problem if you search for it.  Things can be extended by making leg sections with tenons inserting the tenons into the existing legs.  You can make the tabletop height whatever you like.

I would get the 1080. (I have one of each, and like them both, but am nit making your choice at the moment).

HTH

Dave

 

[Harvey]

I think doing it your way is a good idea. If you’re doing 90 or 45 degree cuts you’ll get good results using the top with bench/rail dogs. If you want other miters you’ll need to adapt some form of miter gauge to the top. The MFT/3 top is bolted to the frame in the corners and supported all the way around by a lip in the aluminum extrusion.
I haven’t seen a 1080 or 800 top but I thought I read that there’s minor differences in the hole size (compared to the MFT/3). The Qwas website has their manuals online, which give an excellent idea on how to use the dogs.
http://www.qwasproducts.com/Home.html

 

[Stone Message]

Hi,

 I've just joined this excellent community having spent the last couple of days trying to digest as much information as I can about a soon to be purchased TS 55. This will be my first Festool purchase and one I'm very looking forward to getting  

I've watched numerous reviews on the benefit of combining the TS55 with an MFT table and I'm thinking about buying an MFT top to incorporate into a home built workbench.

What I'm a little unsure of is the thickness of the various MFT tops and I was hoping someone could confirm please the actual thickness of the following MFT tops; MFT/3, MFT/1080, MFT/800 and the MFT/Kapex

Thank you,

The thickness of the top is the same as 19mm (or 3/4") MDF bought in the UK. I would think twice about buying an MFT3 top to put on your own bench when you can buy a whole sheet of the right material for a third of the price and it then allows you to make three tops ! That makes it 1/9 th of the cost.

If you decide to make up your own top, try and get CNC grade board which is also called HDF (MDF=Medium density fibre,   HDF=High density fibre).

I used HDF on my mobile bench top. It is only a couple of UK pounds more than regular MDF and really does machine well.

If you have problems finding a supplier of HDF then PM me and I will help out.

Peter

 

[JC1]

Thank you all very much for all the helpful advice. I've just ordered an MFT 1080 perforated top and I managed to get it for a good price, due to a very slight knock on one of the edges. This isn't going to matter to me and giving the edge a quick trim will be the first job for my new TS 55 when it arrives this weekend.

Thanks for pointing out the differences between the 1080 and MFT3 tables. Unfortunately my budget won't stretch to the table itself, just the top, which I'm planning on using on a couple of Black and Decker workmates, temporarily anyway, until I build a workbench incorporating the new top. I'm also pushed for space and my woodworking space is just a balcony or a communal garden at the moment, hence the versatility of the workmates.

The thickness of the top is the same as 19mm (or 3/4") MDF bought in the UK. I would think twice about buying an MFT3 top to put on your own bench when you can buy a whole sheet of the right material for a third of the price and it then allows you to make three tops ! That makes it 1/9 th of the cost.

If you decide to make up your own top, try and get CNC grade board which is also called HDF (MDF=Medium density fibre,  HDF=High density fibre).

I used HDF on my mobile bench top. It is only a couple of UK pounds more than regular MDF and really does machine well.

If you have problems finding a supplier of HDF then PM me and I will help out.

Peter

Peter,

  It was actually thanks to your superb videos that got me interested in the TS55 and MFT table. I've watched your bench build videos many, many times and originally I was inspired to follow your instructions on making the top myself. You make it look very easy but unfortunately I'm a relative newcomer to woodworking and I wasn't confident that I could accurately make the top. My primary use will be for cross cutting and ripping using your Parf and bench dogs (which I've ordered today) and I knew that any inaccuracies on my part would be severely detrimental to the end result.
I'm a little disappointed not to have met the challenge but should I decide to make a top in the future at least I now have an accurate template to follow.
Coincidently, Timbmet is actually within walking distance from my home, so at least I've got the materials near by, if and when they become needed.
Thank you for your help