Square for the mft3

[jmac80]

Hi
Can anyone recommend a good quality square for setting up my mft/3 and other related tasks like kapex, bandsaw fence etc etc.
I see woodpeckers did a mft one time tool square but that thing was super pricey and i didn't like how it was adjustable, I would like just a solid one piece square.
What's the verdict on the cheaper woodpeckers squares like the "woodpeckers precision square 12"
Thanks

 

[Slartibartfass]

Just use 3-4 dogs.....

 

[sancho57]

When I took my first end user class, we used the 1281 woodpeckers square. It will do the job just fine.

 

[NL-mikkla]

Just use 3-4 dogs.....

I think this will be a little hard to use for kapex and bandsaw fence
But perfect for mft, i do this all the time with dogs,

 

[grbmds]

I would second jobsworth's recommendation on the 1281 square from Woodpeckers. I bought one about 3 months ago and fined myself using for many tasks from checking squareness to measuring and marking 90 degree cut off lines. It appears to be "perfectly square", at least as far as I can tell with my eye. It's a square with many uses.

Also, though, I have found that plastic drafting triangles are very square and they can be bought at any office supply store. The drawback would be that they are so thin that the guide rail would need to be flat on the table to work.

Sometimes you can find machinist's squares that are not real expensive on the internet. Some are actually long enough to be useful for squaring up the MFT fence and rail.

As another said, you can use dogs from one of the companies that sells MFT dogs. They will not only help you square up to the MFT holes but are useful for many other things also.

 

[jmac80]

Thanks very much guys.
Ordered the 1281 square in metric along with the woodpecker mini square.
Cheers

 

[truck90278]

not sure which of the woodpeckers square is the 1281, but I use their 18" square, was using their 12", but the 18" works well. 

 

[jmac80]

not sure which of the woodpeckers square is the 1281, but I use their 18" square, was using their 12", but the 18" works well.

It's this one:

12" x 8"

Between that square and my dogs I should be sorted for the mft.
Also be useful for my other machines.

 

[waho6o9]

Could be spendy shipping this to the UK. Around 20.00 USD

http://www.andersonplywood.com/square-for-festool-mft-square/

 

[waho6o9]

[attachimg=1]

 

[tallgrass]

i see you have one of Joe's fine products. i have one as well. [big grin]

 

[jmac80]

Thanks [member=7659]waho6o9[/member]
They don't appear to ship overseas, It will not allow me to select a country other than USA.

 

[sancho57]

Paul Sefton sells it in the UK

http://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/epages/eshop814530.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/eshop814530/Products/WP_1281R300

Woodcraft.com sells it in the states and will ship over seas.

 

[jmac80]

Hi [member=10147]jobsworth[/member] that is where i ordered it from.
I was referring to that plywood square posted by [member=7659]waho6o9[/member] , Was interested to see what the postage price actually was.

 

[Stone Message]

Hi
Can anyone recommend a good quality square for setting up my mft/3 and other related tasks like kapex, bandsaw fence etc etc.
I see woodpeckers did a mft one time tool square but that thing was super pricey and i didn't like how it was adjustable, I would like just a solid one piece square.
What's the verdict on the cheaper woodpeckers squares like the "woodpeckers precision square 12"
Thanks

Hi James

For value for money and perfect accuracy I would get an engineer's 12" square. Mine came from The Woodworkers Workshop:

http://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/epages/eshop814530.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/eshop814530/Products/FISSQUA300

At £52 including VAT it is brilliant.

Peter

 

[Acrobat]

The big box stores sell a Stanley large yellow plastic triangle square that has a nice wide flat edge perfect for butting up to the rail and fence. Cheap and accurate to set up the rail square I have found. Otherwise dogs do a great job too.

 

[Stone Message]

I would caution everyone to check any square that you are about to buy as I have been surprised and disappointed by the squares in our big box stores.

I will never buy a "woodworking" square again as a result.

Peter

 

[sancho57]

The big box stores sell a Stanley large yellow plastic triangle square that has a nice wide flat edge perfect for butting up to the rail and fence. Cheap and accurate to set up the rail square I have found. Otherwise dogs do a great job too.

I'd check it with a known good square square before I'd use it for setting up My MFT.

That is if you want to insure accuracy

 

[Sparktrician]

The big box stores sell a Stanley large yellow plastic triangle square that has a nice wide flat edge perfect for butting up to the rail and fence. Cheap and accurate to set up the rail square I have found. Otherwise dogs do a great job too.

I'd check it with a known good square square before I'd use it for setting up My MFT.

That is if you want to insure accuracy

I've found that all of my Swanson Speed Squares are dead-on square.  I have three 6" and one 12".  Not so for others that I've tried. 

 

[Acrobat]

The big box stores sell a Stanley large yellow plastic triangle square that has a nice wide flat edge perfect for butting up to the rail and fence. Cheap and accurate to set up the rail square I have found. Otherwise dogs do a great job too.

I'd check it with a known good square square before I'd use it for setting up My MFT.

That is if you want to insure accuracy

Sounds like from Peters experience he hasn't had any luck with one like it, so he recommends an engineers square, fair enough, but I have to say I must be lucky so far since I have been using it things have definitely improved and I am amazed at how easy it is now to get accurately square cut boards after previously being just that smidgeon out. I wouldn't hesitate to get another one if I ever bugger this one up. It's one piece solid plastic with a nice wide lip so not likely to knock out of square if it falls off the mft so that's another bonus as well as inexpensive to replace.