Work bench questions

[guitar_ed]

Hi All,

I have some questions about the Festool MFTs.  In fair disclosure, I do have a Festool router & sander, and I like the Festool quality.

The MFT 3 is large enough for my purposes.  I don't deal with full sheets of plywood, for instance.  Clamping is a need.  I will clamping work for sanding & routing.  I also want to use the table for cutting dovetails by hand.  This requires the wood to be held on end.  It is not obvious to me that there is a solution to task with Festool.

So my other option, is a bench from Sjobergs.  They come with clamping that I want, and they offer many different tables that would work.

http://www.sjobergs.se/en/products/hobby/

In terms of price, the two tables are not that far apart.  I can put wheels on the Sjobergs.  I can break down MFT easily.  My garage floor is not quite as level as I would like, and the MFT offers some height adjustment.

What it may come down to, for me, is the lack of clamping options for the side of the MFT to hold work pieces on edge.

Any solutions would be welcome.

Thanks,

edg

 

[copcarcollector]

The MFT has side extrusions that accept Festool clamps, so you can indeed clamp wood on edge and work with it...

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[Alli]

I find the MFT is great especially when used with a TS55 but like you I felt it lacked vertical clamping even though this is possible by using clamps in the rail I find that a little bit fiddly for small stock. Someone on here mentioned the   Sjobergs Smart Vice that can be clamped to the MFT which looks great for quick clamping / adjusting stock. I haven't yet got one but its certainly on my list.

 

[copcarcollector]

The Sjobergs Smart Vice is in my Amazon cart! Looks like a nice addition to the MFT

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[GarryMartin]

The Sjobergs Smart Vice is in my Amazon cart! Looks like a nice addition to the MFT

I have one. Very well made and very useful. You should know that you do have to assemble and glue it all together yourself though!  [blink]

 

[mouppe]

When you cut dovetails by hand, I presume you will also be chiselling out the waste? If so, I don't think the MFT will provide sufficient mass to counter the force of the mallet on the chisel. You need a heavy workbench to provide solid support when you do this. (Perhaps I have my terminology wrong but I hope you get my point.)

If you do go ahead with an MFT, I made a version of a traditional dovetail jig for it which I use with the Festool domino. You could use it for dovetailing, but as I said before, I don't think the MFT would provide the necessary stability or mass for dovetail work. This jig allows you to clamp pieces on edge really easily and stably for sawing etc.

I don't have a picture of it but here is a link to a video showing the jig. The relevant part starts at about 1.20 in.

 

[fshanno]

You might want to check out the Bench Horse from Blum Tool

It's a little portable bench that has cross bracing for traditional woodworking.

 

[semenza]

If you go with the MFT you may want to consider the add on leg braces for use for hand tool work.

Seth

 

[tiralie]

If you go with the MFT you may want to consider the add on leg braces for use for hand tool work.

Definitely recommended.

One (two is better) MFT with braces should be OK to plane on unless you are doing a lot of hard maple.

Take a look at the Moxon vice. It will work on an MFT, and you may like it better for dovetailing etc.

http://vimeo.com/72084180

I forgot to mention that you should also check out Paul Marcel's Moxon vice video...

 

[guitar_ed]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the thoughts & comments.

I forgot about having to chisel out the waste when dovetailing.  That is something to think about.

For the Sjobergs bench, I found these: Wonder Dogs from Lee Valley.  It took me about an hour and 2 different calls to Lee Valley.

Because I can put wheels on the Sjobergs, the issue is that the Sjobergs is $100 less expensive, but the MFT is storable.

More to think about.

edg

 

[guitar_ed]

Hi All,

I finally decided to get the Sjobergs.  It was the anticipated greater stability of the Sjobergs that finally did it, and the discovery of something called a Moxon vise.

First, even though it's not on the Sjobergs website, Home Depot carries Sjobergs.  And the Nordic 1450 is $40 less expensive than woodcraft.com  I ordered one, I expected a 2 week delivery.  It turns out to be a 2 DAY delivery, to the store.  No shipping fee.  So I will be on my way shortly.

The vise that comes stock on the Sjobergs, has a center shaft, which means that it's useless for dovetailing & like work.  In my search for a solution, I found the Moxon vise.  You can buy a kit of hardware for $150-$250, then add the wood.  You can get a full vise for $500.  Or you can buy the hardware at Home Depot for about $8, a pair of cheap vise grips for handles, $35 for lumber, and build a Moxon vise.  I chose the "build" option.  Will it be pretty?  Nope.  Does it need to be?  Nope.  Do I care?  Nope.

Lee Valley offers the Wonder Dog which is nice, except that it does not work well if have a narrow piece of wood.

There are clamps available for the MFT for $80 that will do the job just fine, if you go that route.

Later,

edg

 

[WPeters]

I've thought about getting that work bench (Sjobergs)  I'm interested in your thoughts once you get it all set up and use it.  Post pics and review?

 

[FOGNewbie]

I have a Sjobergs and a MFT with the crossbars. IMHO the MFT is much more versatile with power tools. The difference is planing. The Sjoberg bench will be better for certain hand tool use, with modifications. The issue with the Sjoberg bench is racking. To prevent this, I screwed plywood (you could use 1/4" or 1/2") to the sides of the legs on both ends and across the back. Major improvement. For the price point, a great bench.

You already know about the limitations of the bench clamps so I won't go over that too much. I usually cheat and put a second piece of wood that is about the same thickness to get "even" pressure on both sides if I have to clamp on one edge of the bench vise.

Thanks for the tip on the moxon vise. I think I may have consider getting one.

Here is a link to make your own Moxon vise: http://canadianwoodworking.com/plans-projects/build-moxon-vise Bench
BenchCrafted does sell the hardware as well as the full set up.http://www.benchcrafted.com/Store.html#vises