Rabbets with TS-55 and MFT

[VictorL]

I was going to post it long time ago, but didn’t have time. I’m not sure if somebody published it already.

Rabbets with TS and MFT.

This method has limited niche for numerous reasons, but it works.
The first limit is length of board. It’s a little bit less than length of the side MFT’s profile.

1. Register guide rail. I’m using FS-1400/2 rail along long side of MFT table. For registering I’m using piece of plywood with rabbet. I’m clamping to the side of the MFT table. Then I’m using rabbet for aligning rail.
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2. Clamp piece where rabbet should be cut. Set depth of cut equal to thickness of plywood plus 5mm. Make a cut.
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3. Place piece under the rail. I’m using LR-32 linear stops for registering  board.  
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Setup depth for ½ of plywood thickness + 5mm
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4. Made second cut
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VictorL

 

[BobKovacs]

Hmmmm....I think I'll stick with using my router for rabbets- this looks like a case of trying to make a tool do something it's really not meant to do.

 

[HowardH]

I was thinking the same thing.  It also brings up another point.  This Festool system is so flexible it allows the user to try to do things that if you stepped back for a minute and examined it, you would might find a more traditional solution that could be easier and safer.  Festool has some wonderful solutions but any one particular tool (ts55 is this case) can't do everything. I would never give up my router table, band saw, jointer and planer and I need to buy a table saw again.  I miss it too much.  Those tools have their Festool counterpart to some degree but many times a particular operation can be done with a stationary machine faster and easier.  On the flip side, my Festool system allows me to do things so much easier, faster and more accurately than any other thing out there.  There's nothing wrong with having the best of both worlds!

 

[VictorL]

Oh yes, OF 1010 is doing this job better. There was an academics interest. I made a lot of cabinets for one project, and I made a lot of rabbets with my OF-1010. Rabbeting router bit just became dull and I've tied to smell burning wood.  After I disassembled router, and pack it neatly at the bottom of  systeiners pile I realized that I need a couple more rabbets.  Portable table saw was buried behind pile of plywood and cabinets, burning wood smell was so nasty, so I thought about some alternative. Why not? This example just shows that Festool is THE system. MFT is not just a table, this is greatest tool, the centerpiece of the Fetool's system along with dust collection.

Regards,
VictorL