mft3 squaring woodpecker slop stop

[eet]

ok. this is getting stupid. after struggling with squaring the mft3 i purchased woodpeckers mft layout square. oh and the slop stop. two none festool items that should have been a festool made included item.  well the slop stop helps keep the rail from moving side to side. and anyone saying you have to skew the rail. shut the      up(pardon my french). that is a useless fix. my other complaint is woodpeckers mft square. i can square to 90 then flip the square to check again and the mft is out. really? who wants to buy my mft3? i need the money for a table saw.

 

[tjbnwi]

I have 8 MFT-3's, all perform very well. They're far more accurate than my Laguna sliding table saw.

I do have Slop Stops on them, this agree with you on. Did't use a square to set them up.

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

dude. 8 mft's? sliding table saw wins hands down.

Reading your first post you don't even own a table saw. How would you know which wins?

Do you have a sliding table saw? I own an 97" stroke unit and my MFT's are more accurate and faster for cross cutting.

It's to a point the slider is just a dust collector. Going to sell it.

My shop process anywhere from 60 to 100 sheets of cabinet grade plywood a week. All done with track saws, GRS's and MFT's.

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

to tom. were you  wanting 9?

Depends on price and location. All but one of mine was purchased used.

Tom

 

[duburban]

to tom. were you  wanting 9?

I'd own 10 if I could gather enough used. They're just great work surfaces for site or shop.

I'm getting the impression you haven't really worked with yours much, there are great resources here, do you need help finding them?

 

[tjbnwi]

wow you seem like an angry dude. i have and have had all the tools. i am just commenting on the frustrations of the mft. if you don't have any problems with it and cant provide advice do something else with yourself.

If this is meant for me, not angry at all. Have no reason to be angry.

Tom

 

[ChuckM]

after reading the several threads about mft, after market track saw accessories for square cuts/parallel cuts, I m glad that I am still using a traditional table saw and mitre saw to do my woodworking.

 

[Lincoln]

I've set up my mft with an incra fence and Mafell rail. Haven't had a problem with square. Maybe the fence is the issue? They don't look/feel particulary robust.

 

[DynaGlide]

[popcorn] [popcorn] [popcorn]

 

[waho6o9]

Bench and rail dogs work best.

Public domain from System 20 mm: Runde Bankhaken
View attachment 1

 

[Sparktrician]

[member=68791]eet[/member], you might want to review the process that I use for squaring my MFT.  It works well for me. 

wow you seem like an angry dude. i have and have had all the tools. i am just commenting on the frustrations of the mft. if you don't have any problems with it and cant provide advice do something else with yourself.

Understand that you're frustrated, lad, but you might want to lose the bitter.  This is a forum where you will find the best possible input from highly experienced woodworkers, all of whom are well-equipped to offer constructive advice to help you with your challenge.  [smile]

 

[Birdhunter]

I've never used the protractor that came with the MFT. I just use Qwas dogs and Parf dogs and the drop down rail. Except when one of the bolts holding the drop down rail came loose have I ever had an out-of-square problem. I check the squareness with a Woodpecker framing square and the track is always square as are my cuts.

Is there any correlation to squareness problems and the use of the protractor?

 

[duburban]

ok.then do you have a solution for maintaining square?

This is like a guy yelling at a library because the doors don't automatically open for him.  [sad]

 

[semenza]

wow you seem like an angry dude. i have and have had all the tools. i am just commenting on the frustrations of the mft. if you don't have any problems with it and cant provide advice do something else with yourself.

I understand your frustration with the MFT but you need to check yourself.

Tom is one of the most helpful, highest contributing, information providing members on this forum. There is nothing he posted to you that is angry. The only one posting angry in this and your other topic is    you  .

Kill the rants, take it down a notch and you might get some useful help.

ok. this is getting stupid. after struggling with squaring the mft3 i purchased woodpeckers mft layout square. oh and the slop stop. two none festool items that should have been a festool made included item.  well the slop stop helps keep the rail from moving side to side. and anyone saying you have to skew the rail. shut the      up(pardon my french). that is a useless fix. my other complaint is woodpeckers mft square. i can square to 90 then flip the square to check again and the mft is out. really? who wants to buy my mft3? i need the money for a table saw.

      In the case of the Woodpecker's square issue ..................... have you checked  the square to be sure the reference device is accurate?

Seth
   

 

[Kodi Crescent]

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]

You mention the MFTs are fastest and most accurate for cross-cutting.  I agree that they cross-cut extremely well, as long as the piece is less than 24" wide.

Are you breaking down all your sheets on MFT's?  How are you getting parallel rips on sheets and cross-cuts on panels over 24" wide?

Are your MFT's set up in a line lengthwise, or are they connected in clusters width-wise?

 

[tjbnwi]

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]

You mention the MFTs are fastest and most accurate for cross-cutting.  I agree that they cross-cut extremely well, as long as the piece is less than 24" wide.

Are you breaking down all your sheets on MFT's?  How are you getting parallel rips on sheets and cross-cuts on panels over 24" wide?

Are your MFT's set up in a line lengthwise, or are they connected in clusters width-wise?

[member=8843]Kodi Crescent[/member]

The sheets are ripped on my cutting table using the GRS and TPG's. Prior to the TPG's I used the WP parallel guides. The TPG's are far superior.

If there are just a few cross cuts they'll be done on the cutting table, repeats will be done on the MFT's.

Pictures of the cutting table and one of the MFT's with a few stops and a UG wing for out feed support.

Tom

 

[Kodi Crescent]

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]

Thanks.  Do you make a cross-cut on the new sheet to establish a straight surface to reference the GRS to, or do you start from the factory edge?

I see you have the Gecko.  When you do parallel rips, how do you deal with any flex at the rail GRS connection that pulls it off of 90 degrees?  Are you measuring to a mark on the far end when you affix the Gecko to ensure that any rail stress/flex is removed prior to the cut?

Does the Gecko prevent the issue where you align one end of the rail to a mark, go to the other end and align it, run back to the previous end to check (it usually moves), and then run back and forth between the ends repeatedly to get both ends aligned to the marks?  This has been a frustration for me while working alone.  Are two people helping to align the rail for this operation?

 

[tjbnwi]

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]

Thanks.  Do you make a cross-cut on the new sheet to establish a straight surface to reference the GRS to, or do you start from the factory edge?

I see you have the Gecko.  When you do parallel rips, how do you deal with any flex at the rail GRS connection that pulls it off of 90 degrees?  Are you measuring to a mark on the far end when you affix the Gecko to ensure that any rail stress/flex is removed prior to the cut?

Does the Gecko prevent the issue where you align one end of the rail to a mark, go to the other end and align it, run back to the previous end to check (it usually moves), and then run back and forth between the ends repeatedly to get both ends aligned to the marks?  This has been a frustration for me while working alone.  Are two people helping to align the rail for this operation?

[member=8843]Kodi Crescent[/member]

The process is, clean up one long edge, I use the anti kick back device that comes with the saw to set the rail, square one short edge. Work off of these edges.

Set the rail using the GRS, have not had a tension issue on pre-fin, the rail slides easily, that is why the Gecko is on the rail in the picture. On raw I do give the rail a "shake" to make sure it relaxed. No mark on the for end. Set the rail and make the cut. I know that one of the members here has a video up of his first impressions of the GRS. Dave S (can't recall his last name right now) from Australia I believe. Shows the process from start to finish.

To help with the "rail dance", when you set the entry end, place the saw on the rail.

Tom

 

[Klemm]

I know that one of the members here has a video up of his first impressions of the GRS. Dave S (can't recall his last name right now) from Australia I believe. Shows the process from start to finish.

To help with the "rail dance", when you set the entry end, place the saw on the rail.

Tom
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Dave Stanton on YouTube : festool triton makita track saw grs 16 review dave stanton woodworking how to basics 9:07

worth watching . . .

Hans