What accessories to buy for my new MFT?

[GaryLaroff]

Today my new MFT/3 arrived from uncle Bob.  Now I would like some advice on the best accessories to buy for optimizing its use.

My woodworking is as a hobbyist furniture maker with most of the material being hardwood.  I don’t build kitchen cabinets.

I also don’t have any Festool plunge saws, jig saws or routers so there is no immediate need for the Guide Rail, but there are plans for a TS55 or TS75.  I have a lot of hand tools and routers.  My Festool products include the Domino, Kapex, CT22 with boom and a lot of sanders: RO-125, ETS-150/3, ETS-125, DTS-400, RTS-400, RS-2, DX93 and LS-130.

The MFT/3 will be used as an auxiliary table replacing plywood-on-saw horses and will be folded up most evenings to make room for the car.  I also have a big traditional heavy European workbench and a higher wooden carving station.

Today I bought the clamping elements and a pair of the shorter screw clamps.

What other MFT accessories do you suggest I get and why?

Thank you in advance for you advice,

Gary

 

[erock]

add some storage to your mft.
[attachthumb=#]

[attachthumb=#]

easy to make with some scrap laying around with 1/4-20 t-bolts.

eric

sorry...not 1/4-20....used 5/8-16 t-bolts.

 

[ScotF]

Cross-members are awesome IMHO.  Really add to the stability.

Scot

 

[tbellemare]

An extra Stop Flag is a good idea, though it's most useful when making cabinets. Since you aren't making cabinets, the utility is diminished.

Tom

 

[alanz]

Like some others here, I built a shelf to store the saw.  It gives me a place to put the saw down between cuts and doesn't interfere with whatever is on the table top.

I also have a couple of wire baskets from Ikea that help keep small items nearby.

And although I haven't made a photo of it yet, I finally arranged a vise setup for the MFT/3.  It's a clone of the Zyliss clamp, with the advantage of the clone being that the mounting clamps are slightly wider than the Zyliss, so the clone mounts nicely on the aluminum rail.  I made an insert for the rail's "V" so the top of the vise is level with the table top.  I'll try to remember to make some photos of the setup today.  I have a Zyliss brand clamp that I also use on a 100 year old Christiansen workbench, and it's nice to have the interchangeable parts.

 

[Sparktrician]

I'd suggest three things to make the MFT more useful (in addition to the suggestions that others have made): 
1 - four (or more) Festool Quick Clamps (http://www.festoolusa.com/products/mft-multifunction-tables/clamps/quick-clamp-491594.html), available from Bob Marino,
2 - A SuperSet of 4 Qwas Dogs and 2 Rail Dogs which are also available from Bob Marino, and
3 - A set of adjustable hold-down clamps (http://www.adjustableclamp.com/hd-1652.htm). 

[smile]

 

[GaryLaroff]

Thank you for the ideas.  I'll quickly get a set of the cross-members and play with the quick clamps at my local dealer.

Does hanging a temporary shelf or bin as in the suggestions damage the extrusions or are they robust enough to even hold up the TS55 as shown by AlanZ?

I'll look at the Qwas website to understand the Qwas dogs.  These aren't the same MFT dogs that are frequently on eBay, are they?

Gary

 

[Kevin D.]

And although I haven't made a photo of it yet, I finally arranged a vise setup for the MFT/3.  It's a clone of the Zyliss clamp, with the advantage of the clone being that the mounting clamps are slightly wider than the Zyliss, so the clone mounts nicely on the aluminum rail.  I made an insert for the rail's "V" so the top of the vise is level with the table top.  I'll try to remember to make some photos of the setup today.  I have a Zyliss brand clamp that I also use on a 100 year old Christiansen workbench, and it's nice to have the interchangeable parts.

I'd really like to see what you've done using a Zyliss clamp.  I have one, that basically has been sitting in its case for years, and would love to put it to good use.

Insofar as the OP asking about add-ons for the MFT, I love my clamping elements, and the Quik Clamps.  I have on my list to get a second set of each at some point in the future.

You may already be aware, but old B&D Workmate accesories work in the ALMOST same size holes of the MFT.  The MFT is thicker than that intended for the Workmate components, but they still work.  

These old Workmate Hold Downs "GripMates" are used greatly with my MFT.  Unfortunately they stopped making them years ago as far as I know.

[attachthumb=#]

 

[GaryLaroff]

Yes, I too would like to see how you mounted the Zyliss.  I have a NOS Swiss-made Zyliss in the original box just waiting to be put to good use.

May I assume that almost all the Lee Valley 3/4 inch bench accessories also fit the MFT?

Gary

 

[PeterK]

I have the Lee Valley bench pups and clamps and they work fine for holding stuff. They are not as tight fitting as Qwas dogs so not recommended as precision items for squaring your fence for instance. If you find 20mm smooth shaft bolts, they work great as they are precise fit. I got some from McMaster Carr.

 

[Theshipstore]

The Ebay Dogs are Walko Style they have a threaded bottom to tighten up a plastic sleeve in the 20 mm hole on the MFT table.
I use these with some rails I purchased from 8020 to maintan a square setup for gluing up my cabinet doors.
They are more a semi permanet style dog as opposed to Qwas Dogs which I use also
They both have their value for me...But I willl say I Love my Qwas Dogs

 

[alanz]

Kevin and Gary,

Here are a few photos of the Zyliss clone clamped to my MFT/3

As you can see, I made two modified "V" wedges that sit in the aluminum channel of the table.  This brings the top of the wedges level with the top of the MFT, so the clamp mounts treat it as a level top.  This facilitates many of the nice features of the clamping setup.

As mentioned, the OEM Zyliss clamps mounts don't fit as they are shorter than the clone's mounts (in the photo, the Zyliss brand is the one on the right)

So, I use the Zyliss brand clamp on another work bench and am just starting to use the clone (which accepts all of the Zyliss parts) on the MFT/3.  I'm just starting to explore using some of this systems clamping options... it's a pretty versatile rig.

I hope this gives folk some ideas for additional clamping on the MFT/3.  The trick is finding a clone with wide clamps.  I lucked out... I was in a store and they had found this in their warehouse and just wanted to get rid of it.  Price for the clone (with all the accessories): $25.   Couldn't pass that up!

 

[Kevin D.]

Thanks Alan.  I'm going to dig mine out and see how I can similar.  One thing though, is I have a MFT1080 instead, but that I think will probably make it easier not having to create a V groove to fasten it.

 

[GaryLaroff]

Thank you Alan.  Good photos.  It is now time to dig out the Zyliss and take a good look at that clamp.

Gary

 

[alanz]

I missed uploading the photo of the clone vs the OEM Zyliss mounting clamps... now you should be able to see the difference (Zyliss on the right).