Tinker said:
skids said:
markorjack said:
Tinker, I don't think that is the issue.
The point is that with no wood on the NFT3 at all, if you slightly push on the fence where it is closest to the rail, even then it will deflect.
It's not set up or user, it simply is a poor fence.
As an example I was tinkering with mine a little tonight after reading some of the suggestions in this thread.
Even with the fence not attached, I pushed down slightly on the back of the protractor, the whole aluminium extrusion on the back of the MFT flexes.
Why would you ever want to do that? Makes no sense to me. I mean if you want to prove something has flaws I suppose thats a way to do it, it I have never run into any reason I would have that happen in my work flows. So, at the risk of being blunt, who really cares?
Honestly, I find the fence pretty rigid on the MFT overall. But maybe you are making something that requires more precision than me. My biggest complaint of the fence system isn't the rigidity of the fence, it's the set up of it and the fact it hogs some of the table top space. And the fact some folks think it can replace a table saw, fact is it can't.
If anything deflects on the MFT it's the legs not the fence, it's almost a requirement of the MFT to have the extra leg supports. My fence is easy as pie to set ( i use dogs) and hold square ( I am not mobile).
I'm with Skids on the "why would you ever..." be pushing down on the back. That tail can probably wreck the whole frame if you put enough down pressure on it with the overhang it has. If the fence is set towards the middle of the table, there is little to no overhang, depending on how far in you set it. If the fence is close to the edge, a lot of overhang. Those MFT tables are plenty strong enough to handle what they are designed to be doing. If somebody wants to set out to prove they are not as strong as a Robo table or a cabinetmakers bench, I am sure they can have little trouble proving the point. I am in agreement on the same point. But for what they are made for, I think they are as stable as they need to be, fence, protractor, rail and table.
Tinker
Firstly, I didn't find that flex while looking for faults.
After reading some of the points on this thread by people adamant that the fence is fine, I figured maybe it was the way I was setting it up.
While attaching the protractor to the MFT 3 with the guide rail up, I noticed that the rail was moving a lot.
Wondering why, I played with the protractor a bit and even with the slight pressure required to fit it to the track there was movement in the extrusion.
All this does is highlight the point made earlier that the protractor attachment to the fence is a significant weak point detracting from the whole set up.
The protractor either moves due to the connection to the extrusion being rubber, or if it is done up tightly it moves the whole extrusion.
As for the overhang on the fence, my fence is set as far back as possible with the end slightly in from the cutting edge of the rail.
I defy anyone to go and put very slight pressure on the end of the fence close to the cut line, and not get 1 or 2 mm deflection.
And that is when the fence is set square.
When trying to accurately set it to an angle, which is one of the main selling points of the MFT, the fence is even worse.
How do people set their MFT's up to cut angles.
I use dogs where I can get the right angle, but if I need a different angle and have to rely on the fence I am often disappointed.
Skids, I am a woodworker, renovator and furniture designer/maker.
Everything I do requires precision.
Like I said, the MFT is brilliant, if only the fence was more accurate and more importantly repeatable.
Although I do have a lot of Festool gear, I am no fan boy and will point out a fault when there is one.
It is best to do so for the benefit of others so when researching before a purchase they can know exactly what they are getting.
