MFT3 squaring best practices?

[sansbury]

I finally got my MFT set up this past weekend and I’m having less than great results getting consistently square cuts.

I initially set it up using the Sedge method as follows:

1. Pushed both track brackets against the stops as they came out of the box
2. Locked down brackets and laid track down across table
3. Loosened the two Allen screws on the protractor and aligned the guide rail using an 8x12 square
4. Locked down guide rail and tightened Allen screws
5. Rechecked squareness
6. raised track to working height to make a test cut

What I am seeing right now are two things:

- When I change the height of the track and relock the brackets, I seem to lose squareness. Is this to be expected?

- Even if I resquare the track at the working height, I am getting deviations of up to 1/16” over longer cuts. I think I’m being careful to make sure the track is engaging the alignment pin and that I’m lining the workpiece up against the guide rail, but maybe I need to be more so?

I’m not getting complete garbage results and have been able to get some good cuts but it’s just not as consistent as I hoped.

Is the point of this mainly to help you whip out panels for cabinet bodies and 1/16” over two feet is good enough for that? Or can I improve my technique?

 

[SoonerFan]

3. Loosened the two Allen screws on the protractor and aligned the guide rail using an 8x12 square

I had the same challenges when using a 12” square. I was off but just barely. I switched to a much larger Woodpeckers square. I then added a “Slop Stop” to the underside of the rail. For me the larger square solved the initial issue and the Slop Stop guides the rail onto the pin in a consistent location. These two really helped me get repeatable 90 degree cuts.

 

[sansbury]

What exactly is this Slop Stop you speak of

 

[waho6o9]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn11.bigcommerce.com%2Fs-c7n52h%2Fimages%2Fstencil%2F1280x1280%2Fproducts%2F20824%2F43659%2FSlopStop4__98773.1415391632__01803.1551550318.jpg%3Fc%3D2&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f998c5fb4c0e0b5e1c7bfb708af3926e2dc07c1c4b00db2c0b485e2bc1269562

 

[ReneS]

I put a tiny piece of Gorilla tape on the "pin" on the front bracket. This takes out the slop caused by the pin being just a little narrower than the slot on the underside of the rail.

I use a large Woodpeckers square to check for squareness.

I have had to adjust things several times, sometimes I think because I heat my garage (shop) only when I am working in it and the changes in temperature cause unequal expansion and contraction in the various components.

I had some good results by adjusting the position of the hinge bracket so that the rail drops down on the front bracket without racking. Before that, the rail would be pulled over 1/16" or so when dropping down on the pin.

Lastly, I tend to make adjustments by moving the front bracket (and once I moved the hinge bracket) more than moving the fence. It is easier and faster. Once the bracket is in the right location, I move the stop into position.

 

[nclemmons]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn11.bigcommerce.com%2Fs-c7n52h%2Fimages%2Fstencil%2F1280x1280%2Fproducts%2F20824%2F43659%2FSlopStop4__98773.1415391632__01803.1551550318.jpg%3Fc%3D2&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f998c5fb4c0e0b5e1c7bfb708af3926e2dc07c1c4b00db2c0b485e2bc1269562

Festool Front Rail Support Slop Stop - Etsy

This Saws item by Stuparkercreations has 37 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United Kingdom. Listed on Mar 11, 2025

www.etsy.com

 

[SoonerFan]

What exactly is this Slop Stop you speak of

Seems others beat me to it and already showed the Slop Stop. As I mentioned, works great for me. I think Festool should add something like this to the MFT/3.

 

[woodferret]

For those with 3d printers

Festool MFT guide rail slop stopper by fedor | Download free STL model | Printables.com

Eliminates the slop in the t-track of the Festool MFT/3 guide rail, which may develop over time from the steel support. | Download free 3D printable STL models

www.printables.com

 

[peter halle]

I never seemed to have the issues that others have had, but I still wanted to try out the TSO Rail Hinges and they are so much more precise and are designed to deal with these kinds of situations.

MFT Aligned Guide Rail Support Upgrade Kit

Upgrade your Festool MFT/3 MultiFunction Table with the MFT-Aligned Guide Rail Support Kit, ensuring precise rail alignment and accurate cuts for professional results.

tsoproducts.com

 

[PaulMarcel]

I never seemed to have the issues that others have had, but I still wanted to try out the TSO Rail Hinges and they are so much more precise and are designed to deal with these kinds of situations.

MFT Aligned Guide Rail Support Upgrade Kit

Upgrade your Festool MFT/3 MultiFunction Table with the MFT-Aligned Guide Rail Support Kit, ensuring precise rail alignment and accurate cuts for professional results.

tsoproducts.com

ha! Same. I've never had a problem with the slop since I push diagonally so it registers against the left side of the pin. Same idea as pushing stock through a table saw: push into the fence.

 

[derekcohen]

I built my own hinge, and the pin is made of UHMW, which has a little compression, and tapered for a tight fit.



Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[jeffinsgf]

ha! Same. I've never had a problem with the slop since I push diagonally so it registers against the left side of the pin. Same idea as pushing stock through a table saw: push into the fence.

Paul, do you use a new style (green stripes) rail or an old single-rib all aluminum rail? I'm using an old style rail on a MFT-1080 and your nifty mod for a back fence and I have never had an issue with inconsistency. I typically set the front pin so I have to nudge the rail slightly to pop it in.

 

[PaulMarcel]

Paul, do you use a new style (green stripes) rail or an old single-rib all aluminum rail? I'm using an old style rail on a MFT-1080 and your nifty mod for a back fence and I have never had an issue with inconsistency. I typically set the front pin so I have to nudge the rail slightly to pop it in.

Oh so that's what the /2 on FS 1080/2 is all about. Mine is the /2 looks the same as the MFT/3 rail and all my other rails. Never seen (or knew about!) the older rail.

I don't even keep the front pin unit on the table. I store it in front of the rail otherwise my shorts keep catching it haha. Despite removing it and putting it back on repeatedly, I've never seen the calibration change and never had a problem with the pin 'slop'. But if someone wants to snug the pin up with some tape or something, go for it if it solves a problem. I guess I have 99 problems, but this ain't one

If you decide to store the pin unit like this on the back rail, pop a bit of hot-melt on the nut or it will eventually vibrate loose behind the table

 

[nclemmons]

ha! Same. I've never had a problem with the slop since I push diagonally so it registers against the left side of the pin. Same idea as pushing stock through a table saw: push into the fence.

I have the TSO hinges and they are excellent!

 

[Lincoln]

As annoying as it is, you really need to throw some (more) money at it to get consistent results. If I could have, I would have bought the basic table with aftermarket hinges, but we can only get the full set up down here in Aus, so I felt obliged to use as much of the supplied hardware as possible. I ended up getting the TSO 'MFT Aligned' set, which includes a 'slop stop' for the rail. It also fixes the problem of misalignment after raising/lowering the rail. From memory, it's about US$150, which is well worth it as it makes a big difference.