Why I Love the MFT/3

[peter halle]

I was on the fence for a long time about the usefulness of the MFT/3 in my situation as a totally mobile carpenter.  Then after reading post after post a couple of years ago I made the purchase.  It now travels with me every day and I find different uses for it all the time.

Last Thursday I was packing for shipment some things called Fogtainers - you may have heard of them somewhere else here on the Forum  [scared].  I spent 8 hours on the kitchen floor immersed in bubble wrap, tape, etc.  My helper L spent much of the day holding the roll of bubble wrap.  There had to be a better way.

At the end of August 2009, at the first Festool End-User class the participants were asked about their usage of the MFT's.  The reason - more MFT's are sold here in North America than in other places around the globe.  The answers varied all over the place.

Here is my latest usage for the MFT/3.  It eliminates a helper and will allow me to be more efficient.  I admit that this will not be as beautiful as many jigs / setups here on the forum, but I don't have the storage space for jigs, etc. and cost much in time or materials.  I try to be lean.  One photo does answer the question:  "Can a square peg go into a round hole?"

Maybe these will insire you to think outside the woodworking hobby / profession to see how you can utilize this product to its full potential.

Peter

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[Jonhilgen]

Ahhh!  I hope that's mine! [big grin]

That's it, I'm definitely getting an mft.

 

[atomicmike]

Wow! I never knew bubble wrap was so abrasive. Look at all those cut lines it left in your MFT!  [eek]  [big grin]

 

[jonny round boy]

At the end of August 2009, at the first Festool End-User class the participants were asked about their usage of the MFT's.  The reason - more MFT's are sold here in North America than in other places around the globe.  The answers varied all over the place.

I think there's one simple answer to that - space. In the US, you generally have bigger houses, bigger yards, and bigger vehicles than anywhere else on the planet.

I'd love an MFT for my workshop, but when I was self-employed, working in clients' houses, I don't think it would have been any use to me. Firstly, I didn't have room for it in my vehicle. Secondly, of all the different houses I worked in, I can count on one hand the number of properties that would have had the room to set it up (come to think of it, I can only think of one, and that was an empty house).

 

[peter halle]

Ahhh!  I hope that's mine! [big grin]

Nope.  The boxes with the X on them are yours.

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[jonny round boy]

Here you go, Peter:

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PS - If that FOGtainer isn't Jon's, it must be one of mine!

 

[peter halle]

Wow! I never knew bubble wrap was so abrasive. Look at all those cut lines it left in your MFT!  [eek]  [big grin]

Mike,

At least it shows that I don't baby my top!  

 

[peter halle]

I don't want to make this about the 'tainers.  One of the versatile abilities of these tables is that they can clamp on the top and all 4 sides.  That is different than the majority of work tables.

Here is a picture of another use of the MFT/3 I did in 2008:

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You can follow the short thread here:  link

 

[jmbfestool]

Here you go, Peter:

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PS - If that FOGtainer isn't Jon's, it must be one of mine!

Our uk new build houses are ridicilously small the ones I have worked on you can only get a single bed in 2 rooms and a small double in the master and no room for wardrobes in any of dem. I would consider the houses two small form a 2 bedroom it's basically a single bedroom house size but tried to cram 3 bedroom so they can sell the house for more even though the house is to small for a normal family. I say no more just to many people coming in into this country.

Jmb

 

[jmbfestool]

I don't want to make this about the 'tainers.  One of the versatile abilities of these tables is that they can clamp on the top and all 4 sides.  That is different than the majority of work tables.

Here is a picture of another use of the MFT/3 I did in 2008:

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You can follow the short thread here:  link

I often have my mft set up for doors like how you clamped the wood I clamp the door saves making a wooden block and wedge as I always loose dem pepole think its fire wood.

Jmb

 

[Ken Nagrod]

I say no more just to many people coming in into this country.

Jmb

You guys have been saying that since the Vikings dropped by in the 11th century  [tongue].

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Here you go, Peter:

[attachimg=1]

PS - If that FOGtainer isn't Jon's, it must be one of mine!

Funny thing is it doesn't appear Japan is on there or maybe they are.  I think their housing ranks the smallest square footage or meterage.

 

[tiralie]

The correlation that because there is more space in US (NA) homes and therefore more sales of MFT's is a typical cause and effect fallacy.
While I am surprised that the US (NA) buys more MFT's than else in the world I suspect price (utility) of the MFT vs. cheaper alternatives has as much or more to do with it's high sales here than the amount of space in US homes.
I would have thought that the MFT would have been more popular in areas where space or real estate was at a premium. I always thought the MFT was invented for a market that needed a workbench that could be folded up and stored because there wasn't space to dedicate a permanent place for one.
Needless to say, I have no room to set up a permanent workbench and the MFT was the best solution to my problem. The MFT is way cheaper (even at the high price they are going for in Canada) than assuming more overhead for permanent fixtures.
Tim

 

[dsweetser]

Leave it to Peter to put a square peg in a round hole for the FOG!

 

[peter halle]

I usually set mine up outside.  That way I am not crowded.

The only reason I could shoot that picture is because I took down the Christmas tree and gave me the room to set it up.

Countries with large expanses of open space will have to come to grips with housing sizes.  I have no doubt that it will not happen in my lifetime- 5o years from today..

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I actually use my Kapex mft/3 a lot in side someones house.

Lot smaller foot print.  I wish they made one that size with the taller legs like the regular one.

My top looks great, underneath the 1/8" layer of glue, paint, stain, grease, food stains, etc.

 

[atomicmike]

My top looks great, underneath the 1/8" layer of glue, paint, stain, grease, food stains, etc.

Maybe you could patent that formula and sell it to your fellow FOGgers as an "MFT protectorant".

- Mike

 

[jmbfestool]

The correlation that because there is more space in US (NA) homes and therefore more sales of MFT's is a typical cause and effect fallacy.
While I am surprised that the US (NA) buys more MFT's than else in the world I suspect price (utility) of the MFT vs. cheaper alternatives has as much or more to do with it's high sales here than the amount of space in US homes.
I would have thought that the MFT would have been more popular in areas where space or real estate was at a premium. I always thought the MFT was invented for a market that needed a workbench that could be folded up and stored because there wasn't space to dedicate a permanent place for one.
Needless to say, I have no room to set up a permanent workbench and the MFT was the best solution to my problem. The MFT is way cheaper (even at the high price they are going for in Canada) than assuming more overhead for permanent fixtures.
Tim

I agree with Jonny it is because of space space in your van and space in side some ones house but also another thing which adds to it is the weather!  You  can work out side all the time we can't as it often rains. Also a MFT can not be left out side in the rain normal trestles which most joiners the uk use can be left outside. So due the the reason we often have to work inside the homes it also adds to carrying it about more and further and it is not a light bench in my opinion.  In the past I have had my trestles set up out side and it rained den stopped it rained den stopped all day so during them periods of non rain I was able to do some work which needed to be done outside due to no room inside. If I was using the MFT I would of had to fold the legs carry it inside and back out again every time but my trestles I just left out side.

For workshop joiners I think

1. Der ain't that many one band workshop joiners mainly a small or large company I don't know just ain't heard or met many 1 band workshop joiner.

2. Company i worked all 10 workshop lads did not own a festool tool just loads of hand tools and some basic power tools as they use all the machinery to do der work and build benches with the wood in the shop in work time so really why would they want to go out and spend money on MFT.

Just from fog I get the feeling der r more joiner/carpenters 1 man bands across the bond dan here. We have a lot site contractors im properly wrong.

Jmb

 

[Kristian]

Peter, in your last picture posted where you clamp the work piece to the side of the MFT: does that clamp in a true 90 degree angle to the worktop or do you have to make small adjustments to the workpiece to get 90 degrees?

- Kristian

 

[peter halle]

Kristian,

I just checked mine.  My top is a true 90 degrees to the side rail.

Peter