mft3 table, mft3 top, or parallel guides

[paulhtremblay]

I am about to buy a Festool ts 55 track saw, a 55 inch track, and a vacuum for making cabinets (mostly out of MDF) for my house. A bit later I will compliment my setup with a Dewalt DW 745 table saw for smaller cuts.

I also would like to invest in some type of Festool system to allow for repeatable parallel cuts, and accurate 90 degree cuts. Originally I had planned on getting the parallel rails with extensions, and the table top, and making my own solid base. But then I saw the Festool video and realized the full table had tracks on the side that allowed for cross cutting. At the same time, I have read reviews (on Amazon, specifically) that note that the MFT3 table will not provide accurate 90 degree cuts each time. So my options are:

1. Parallel rails with just table top. Advantages: ability to make repeatable parallel cuts, and use quas dogs for 90 degree cross cuts. Base will be stronger than MFT3 base. Disadvantages: MFT3 top alone may not allow for repeatable, accurate cuts.

2. Full MFT table. Advantages: rails on table can be calibrated with care to get accurate, repeatable cuts. Disadvantages: lets a bit less steady. Narrow rips without parallel guides may be more difficult. MFT3 may not give complete accuracy.

There is an option 3, where I get the parallel guide rails and the full table, but I would like to avoid this if possible, since my initial investment is already going to be quite a bit.

[This is a repost from the same question asked in the wrong forum; apologies to the moderators.]

 

[iamnothim]

My MFT/3 is dead on accurate.  I have made 90 and 45 cross cuts and compound 45 + 45 bevel.
Dogs and acc's just add to the flexibility.
Watch the Paul's
Halfinshy videos on the MFT/3

Look very closely at the parallel extension guide videos.  I don't think they do what you think they do.
They are more for production cabinet making.  Buy a second MFT instead.

 

[paulhtremblay]

My MFT/3 is dead on accurate.  I have made 90 and 45 cross cuts and compound 45 + 45 bevel.
Dogs and acc's just add to the flexibility.
Watch the Paul's
Halfinshy videos on the MFT/3

Look very closely at the parallel extension guide videos.  I don't think they do what you think they do.
They are more for production cabinet making.  Buy a second MFT instead.

I saw all three of these videos. It seems to me that the MFT with just the dogs provides square cuts. With the dogs that go right through the table, you can fit the rail into  holes running one way, and then use the dogs to align the board on a row of holes perpendicular. Without the parallel guides, how does on repeat cuts? If I need my cabinet sides 24 inches wide, I want all panels in all cabinets to match exactly. It wouldn't matter if all sides were 24 1/32"", so long as they were all that width.

 

[PaulMarcel]

Just use a stop block.  Mark your first cut, line it up under the rail then before cutting, clamp a scrap block on the table abutting the stock.  You can do it on the offcut side or the side behind the rail (so the keeper is the offcut or under the rail, respectively).  Very easy and fast.

If you are looking to cut thin pieces, the offcut side is best so the rail is sitting solidly on stock.  If your stock isn't super wide, you could cut one stile/narrow piece on the offcut side then put that piece under the back of the rail as you advance the stock to make the next cut.  After putting that first piece under the rail, you'll have it all stable... although getting the narrow stock square to the back dogs can be tricky depending on what you're doing.  For your big cuts, what I described above is how I've done it with perfect repeatability.

 

[Birdhunter]

My set-up is 2 MFTs joined with connectors and with braces on each leg. I added an extension for a heavy duty woodworking vise. The extension is supported on one end by the MFT and on the other end by heavy steel legs. The set-up is rock solid and, with Qwas dogs, produces totally square and repeatable cuts.

I have an Industrial Sawstop table saw that does all the stuff a track saw doesn't do well. My track saw is a TS55.

I've never used the protractor that came with the MFT. Maybe, someday......

A nice addition to the rail is a little gadget that fits onto the front track locator that eliminates any slop  in the track's left/right setting.

 

[tjbnwi]

Narrow rips are very easy with the MFT. These are all within a few thousandths of an inch of each other.

My MFT is out of square 0.0000" in 24", not going to get any more accurate than that. I just checked it again yesterday. I needed to gang cut some balusters on a dual bevel.

Long rips are also easily done with the TS and rail. Be them square or beveled.

Tom

 

[Hawkeye1434]

Paul are you serious you invest  festool but build cabinets for your house and family out of MDF ???????????.?.?.??

 

[paulhtremblay]

I ended up getting both the MFT3 table and the parallel guides. I finished my first project, a torsion box, and will post picts in another thread.

 

[grbmds]

I have an MFT and use it all the time with the TS55. I find it a great help for accuracy, cutoffs, cutting exact 45 degree angles and ripping. I did not invest in the parallel guides, choosing to buy rip stops. They have worked well for me. Others seem to have problems squaring the head and track on the MFT but I've been very successful. I do find that, once in a while, I will bump the track and then need to re-square it. I 've also bought the little insert for underside of the track which gets rid of the play when the track rests on its table support.