Mobile workstation extension table wobble

[pfremm]

I have the mobile workstation with the extension table and it seems to have a lot of wobble.  Has anyone come up with a way to steady it a bit more for use with hand tools or is this just not possible?  Is standard mft tsble anymore solid?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ChuckM]

The MFT table is not rigid/sturdy enough for traditional woodworking (handplaning, etc.), nor is it equipped with a bench vise. The MDF top is not good for pounding (chisel work) either. Some people have beefed/ganged up their tables for that purpose.

 

[Birdhunter]

I have two MFTs linked together. I tried the braces and got some reduction in wobble but not enough. I built an extension to one MFT to mount a big vise. The extension has two heavy steel legs. There is almost no wobble even when sawing or planing. But, the tables are no longer mobile.

 

[AlexThePalex]

The MFT is meant as a portable sawing station, not a general workbench.

I remember a post long ago (maybe 8 to 10 years) from a member who also had this problem that it could not stand up to his handplaning, and he ended up making a two foot extension to the MFT that connected it to the wall.

And besides that solution, there are numerous posts here of people who took off the legs of the MFT and made their own cabinet/sysport under it with lockable casters.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I’ve done what Alex said and that made the MFT extremely stable.

Recently was working on a deck and braced the MFT to the deck rail with clamped on sticks and that made it very stable. It doesn’t take much, a strategically placed brace make a big difference.

 

[FestitaMakool]

I’ve got the mobile workstation, and am looking into how I can make a brace in plywood, as light as possible for the extension table. It’s good for many tasks, but not steady enough for work where you put your weight into it  [smile]. Especially the plastic lock that connects it to another table is way to narrow. A good start is to look into a couple of brackets to heavily assist the plastic bracket. And always use the adjusters on the feet on both the extension table and main “cart” to support it maximum to the floor.

As Alex and Michael Kellough says, connecting the MFT/3 to something heavy or firm as a wall makes all the difference. The original braces helps, but not too much. I’ve got the VL table at the end, plus another smaller extension table, and now I can do light planing, but not much more.

 

[nclemmons]

Check the adjustable feet on the table and extensions.  I had a lot of wobble in mine and realized the feet were not properly adjusted.  Not sturdy enough for handplaning, but definitely better with a little adjustment.