Need Advice (home made MFT)

[lablover27]

Just got into the festool clan with my new TS55  Already made a hard case for the rails    I'm sorry the guides

Anyway, My shop is not gonna change due to size etc.  My PM66 outfeed table is also my assem table.  It's basically 4x6 and I love it.  Built like a tank and aint gonna move.  It's dead flat.  Anyway, the way I made it many moons ago was to make it where I could replace the top when it get beat up too bad.  Think of laying a 1/2 MDF top on top of another top but it's nested.  Whatever, I want to make the top different so it's like  a MFT with the holes etc.  I can't seem for the life of me find anyplace that I can buy the rails like on the sides of the MFT.  Please be patient as I know not yet of the tech terms of all these festool goodies yet.  Just got it a few days ago 

Also, is it super critical to have the hole perfectly I think it's 96 mm apart?  Please explain why.  Pretty sure I will only do a few rows of holes.  I mostly crosscut 4x8 ply to more manageable sizes to use on the PM66 table saw.  There are times (IN THE WINTER)  The shop (aka garage) door does not open so I want to be able to rip as well.  Yea, bought the extra guide too 

Look forward to $pending more time here and on my tools 

Joe

 

[chrisrosenb]

The rails for the MFT are available. The part number is 488555. The rails are 79" long & sold in pairs for $198.

Chris

 

[Brice Burrell]

Joe, you may want to contact Festool. They have discontinued the older model MFT (in the N. America), they were removing the hardware from some and selling just the tables so they might have some extra hardware for sale. The MFT hardware and the rails Chris mentioned are the parts you'd need to make your own MFT. You'd need the rails or profiles, fence and miter head, front and rear mounting brackets and a guide rail to have all the parts. I'd recommend calling Festool or a dealer to see if you can get all the parts.

 

[lablover27]

Outstanding.  Thanks for the info guys

 

[chrisrosenb]

You also asked about the hole spacing. The hole layout is based on the 32mm system. Some Festool accessories use more than one hole at a time. The Kapex & the miter head for the 1080 & 800 MFTs come to mind.
If you plan to get any Festool accessories in the future that use more than one hole at a time, then the spacing is very important.

Chris 

 

[lablover27]

So, what is the spacing between each hole?  I thought I read 96mm but I could be wrong.  I'm trying to find a MFT manual.  I hear you make one kerf cut into the table but not sure why...OR I thought I read that someplace real quick then ignored it because I didn't own a festool anything  

BTW  I'm already eyeballing that beast of a router..And that Kapex (sp)   drooollll

EDIT EDIT....OMG  370.00 for the 1010 EQ  What time does woodcraft open    I'm all over that one

Joe

 

[tbellemare]

The rails for the MFT are available. The part number is 488555. The rails are 79" long & sold in pairs for $198.

Chris

You can also use the normal 1080 profiles that came with the table. That part number is 455242 and I happen to have a couple of them. They sell for $46.56 each.

Tom

 

[tbellemare]

So, what is the spacing between each hole?  I thought I read 96mm but I could be wrong.

Right...

Tom

 

[nclemmons]

Joe

Welcome to the forum.  The hole spacing on the MFT is 96mm.  The hole sizes are 20mm.  Nothing says you have to do that hole spacing, but certain tools like the Kapex are designed for the feet to fit INTO the 96mm hole spacing.  Same for the miter head on the older MFT.  The newer MFT attaches to the rail, so hole spacing is not critical.  So if you wanted to allow for that future consideration, you might make a grid of holes at 96mm, and then a wider spacing outside that grid. 

I made a workbench and bought a 20mm forstner bit and drilled holes and use it with the MFT clamps, some bench dogs and other items that work well between the MFT table and the workbench.  I have an MFT/3 and an MFT/Kapex, so I was less concerned with following the 96mm spacing but still wanted 20mm hole diameter.

You should be aware that if you go thicker than 3/4 on the top, you'll have trouble feeding the Festool clamps through the holes.  So take that into consideration if you might end up doing that.

You may also look at 8020.net - they make extruded aluminum rails which could be used if all you are looking to do is wrap the edges.  If you check on ebay, you can find surplus 8020 materials that can be purchased at reduced cost.  It won't accomodate Festool accessories as easily, however.

You asked about the kerf.  The MFT comes with a rail on two guides that clamp to opposite rails.  This rail is used for cross cutting when aligning to the fence and it has to movable stops for accurate positioning to a 90 degree cut.  So the kerf is there because of that set of stops indexing you to that position.  Some users have kerfs in all directions, some only the one kerf.  It really depends on whether you are only using the attached guide rail or if you are cutting in the long dimension on the table. 

One other consideration is the ability to turn over the top.  Some users who beat up the top with lots of kerfs, finishing and other dings will turn over the top to get a clean surface.  So think about that as you are designing how you might want to design the top.

Good luck -

neil

 

[Daviddubya]

There is a great MFT manual written by Jerry Work available on the Festool USA web site here:

http://www.festoolusa.com/media/pdf/getting_the_most_from_the_mft_multifunction_table.pdf

Warning - this link will download a 3.68 MB PDF file.  You can also get to this manual link by browsing the Festool USA web site to the MFT/3 page and clicking on FAQ's and Manuals, and there you will find the link on the left side of the page.

There have been numerous threads on the subject of home-made or shop-made MFT's here on the FOG.  Try the FOG Search function.  Here is one example:

http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=443.0

It will not be useful to drill the holes in your shop-made outfeed table/MFT, unless you drill them through the "nested" top and the underlying top you mentioned.  Also, it is hard for me to envision setting up and tearing down an MFT fence and rail on your table saw outfeed table - that would be very inconvenient.  Maybe I'm having difficulty seeing the various functions you intend to perform with this outfeed table/MFT combination.  Please post some of your intentions, and you will get lots of good advice and ideas.  Thanks.

 

[lablover27]

(QUOTE)
You should be aware that if you go thicker than 3/4 on the top, you'll have trouble feeding the Festool clamps through the holes.  So take that into consideration if you might end up doing that.

Bummer, my top is 2 layers of 3/4 BAltic Birtch and then one layer 1/2 MDF  Time to re-design

Guys Can't thank you enough for the info so far

Joe

 

[JeromeM]

Also, is it super critical to have the hole perfectly I think it's 96 mm apart?  Please explain why.  Pretty sure I will only do a few rows of holes.  I mostly crosscut 4x8 ply to more manageable sizes to use on the PM66 table saw.  There are times (IN THE WINTER)  The shop (aka garage) door does not open so I want to be able to rip as well. 
Joe

I have made several saw-horse/work benches and a mobile MFT style workbench top using the 20mm holes on a 96mm grid and IMHO the spacing is critical. One of my rows is about 3mm off and it means that I cant use it for accurate 90 degree clamping.

Also I will be making bases for tools  like my metalwork vice, 10" disk sander and bench grinder that will have locating pegs underneath that will lock into the MFT grid.

You can see my WIP thread on this at http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=7718.0

 

[peter halle]

You could of course buy a replacement top for the mft and then redesign around that.  Let the computers drill / route the holes.  The tops are reversible and replaceable.  Costs a couple of bucks, but you get the designed accuracy, two work surfaces, instant replace - ability.

Just a suggestion.

Peter

 

[score0matic]

Sense you are making this at home for your own use, and you are new to the festool system but not to woodworking in general  here are some things that I would like to have You think about.

1  What is your "primary purpose"  for the table space....  some possible answers.  Table saw outfeed,  Cutting table  ie rips and crosscuts with the rail saw, clamping table.

2  What do you primarily build in your shop?  cabinets, furniture,  crafts. 

3  Do you work with hard wood or sheet goods?

4  How do you envision using the home made MFT?

Observations.

1  the Fes system excels at sheet goods and cabinetry.

2  your table saw is better for ripping hardwood and small rips

3  If your projects involve allot of #2  then you may be better off moving your outfeed table and build your MFT on a mobile platform so you can still rip and use the mft separately.

4 if you are making a table for your shop consider making it 50"wide  this way you can make full sheet crosscuts using the festool rail guides set up to your table.

5  the hole pattern is something you can add later, after you have decided how you want to use it......for clamping and fixturing work you may want the top a certain thickness or a different pattern.  there are several threads over at www.talkfestool.com that discuss the better ways of making these.

The advice given earlier by neilc is excellent

on a final note: Play with your shop layout and work process flow  trying  temperary setups before you lock anything down. You will find as you slide down the Green slope much of the way you do things now will change for the Better, Faster, and Smarter  [cool]

Craig

 

[lablover27]

I use mostly sheet good but do use hardwoods at times for face frames etc.  I'm liking charlmon tips big time # 4 was interesting and may happen.  As a a matter of fact, I was thinking of incorporating the 20mm holes on one side of my outfeed and when I crosscut I can cut right into the table.  Got no probs with that but the table is so thick, I see no reason to make the holes.  I think I will redesign the table thickness and make it more like a torsion box, then use 3/4 MDF for the top.  Laying a sheet on the table and crosscut right on it with no buildup underneath sounds very cool to me.  I hate keeping those long sticks around to put under ply when cutting on the bench.

 

[Corwin]

I use mostly sheet good ...  Laying a sheet on the table and crosscut right on it with no buildup underneath sounds very cool to me.  I hate keeping those long sticks around to put under ply when cutting on the bench.

If you are looking to process sheet goods, then you might think about using a 4x8 sheet of pink foam on some saw horses with some 'long sticks' or ply between the two for additional support.  Then, placing your sheet goods on top for cutting.  Much simpler setup for large sheet goods...