Matchfit dovetail clamp system or UJK dovetail T track for the mitre track on router table?

[bp122]

Hi All, happy Wednesday to everyone!

I am going to be making some changes to my router table setup, which currently is combined with the table saw extension wing. The changes will be that I'm getting rid of my table saw and making the whole thing an offset router table with MFT capability combined with the Microjig Matchfit system with dovetail grooves to act as a secondary assembly table.

Now the question is, I think I will need a track for running the mitre fence / coping sled for the router table, which of the following options do you think is the best bet according to your experience:

1. Make an extra dovetail groove and use the Matchfit hardware (supplied in the kit) to run the coping sled and design it to cater for angled bits

2. Go for UJK dovetailed T track (image below)

3. Go for a dual track which has a normal mitre track and a small one for featherboards etc

4. Just a single mitre track

I prefer option 1 as I won't need a mitre fence and will have all the hardware I need. But wondered if the friction between the dovetail grooves and the hardware will be high to make the sliding action of the mitre sled difficult. Or for any reason this is a bad idea.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Spectric]

I no longer use aluminium track since moving onto the matchfit system which is just so flexable and easily adapted to what ever you are looking to do. If you have watched the video's then I am sure you have already answered your question but yes forget the ali track. I will say that the track that is fitted to most router table tops is handy for featherboards but if you are making you own then use dovetail slots which can then allow you to run wood through the cutter at any angle.

 

[bp122]

I no longer use aluminium track since moving onto the matchfit system which is just so flexable and easily adapted to what ever you are looking to do. If you have watched the video's then I am sure you have already answered your question but yes forget the ali track. I will say that the track that is fitted to most router table tops is handy for featherboards but if you are making you own then use dovetail slots which can then allow you to run wood through the cutter at any angle.

Thanks, I think you answered it exactly how I needed it.

Have you tried the dovetails into a melamine covered chipboard and tried the clamps on it? I have tons of the stuff to use on other things.

 

[Spectric]

Never using chipboard or particle board yet but I suppose it all depends on the grade.

 

[MikeK]

Now the question is, I think I will need a track for running the mitre fence / coping sled for the router table, which of the following options do you think is the best bet according to your experience

This might be the only point where Roy and I disagree, but I'm not sold on the Matchfit dovetail clamp system. I am not gentle with my MFT-style worktable/assembly table, and I doubt it would be very long before the feathered edges of the dovetail track started chipping away. To date, the 96mm on center 20mm hole pattern has not left me wanting for clamping options.

I can't see any benefit from having the dovetails milled into the router top as an option for the mitre fence and coping sled. The T-track in my router table is also a horizontal bearing surface for the mitre rail. When (if) it ever wears out from sliding the mitre fence to and fro, I can replace it with a new section of track. If I cut a dovetail into the router table, and it wears out, then I have to replace the table. If I was forced under pain of death to incorporate a dovetail track feature in my router table, then I would use the UJK dovetailed track.

Also, my coping sled does not ride in the T-track. It rides on the surface of the table and slides along the fence.

 

[mikej460]

Have you watched this vid from @petermillard?

 

[bp122]

Have you watched this vid from @petermillard?

I just did. Explains it well.
Question is, does the relief bit come with the pro set or do you have to buy that separately? Peter Millard said he has been supplied with it, but the woodworkers workshop website says only one router bit supplied.

And if it doesn't come included, would you recommend it?

 

[gcusick]

The Matchfit devices seem to be all about providing flexibly-located fixed points for clamping etc. I’m not sure how well a mitre square or coping sled would run in a dovetail groove machined into MDF of ply. So, for this purpose, I’d go with the aluminium track. And bear in mind that most mitre squares use a 19mm track.

 

[gcusick]

I just did. Explains it well.
Question is, does the relief bit come with the pro set or do you have to buy that separately? Peter Millard said he has been supplied with it, but the woodworkers workshop website says only one router bit supplied.

And if it doesn't come included, would you recommend it?

The relief bit is not part of the Pro set. It’s about £30 more. Matchfit is not cheap!

 

[bp122]

This might be the only point where Roy and I disagree, but I'm not sold on the Matchfit dovetail clamp system. I am not gentle with my MFT-style worktable/assembly table, and I doubt it would be very long before the feathered edges of the dovetail track started chipping away. To date, the 96mm on center 20mm hole pattern has not left me wanting for clamping options.

I can't see any benefit from having the dovetails milled into the router top as an option for the mitre fence and coping sled. The T-track in my router table is also a horizontal bearing surface for the mitre rail. When (if) it ever wears out from sliding the mitre fence to and fro, I can replace it with a new section of track. If I cut a dovetail into the router table, and it wears out, then I have to replace the table. If I was forced under pain of death to incorporate a dovetail track feature in my router table, then I would use the UJK dovetailed track.

Also, my coping sled does not ride in the T-track. It rides on the surface of the table and slides along the fence.

I agree that it may not be necessary for using just in the MFT system, but I'm looking at using these for vertical clamping as well on the side of the router table.
I'm taking inspiration from Dennis from hooked on wood from YouTube and his design of a router / assembly table.

 

[bp122]

The Matchfit devices seem to be all about providing flexibly-located fixed points for clamping etc. I’m not sure how well a mitre square or coping sled would run in a dovetail groove machined into MDF of ply. So, for this purpose, I’d go with the aluminium track. And bear in mind that most mitre squares use a 19mm track.

I suppose that's a good compromise.

 

[MikeK]

Have you watched this vid from @petermillard?

If your question is directed at me, then yes I have seen Peter's excellent video. I watched other Matchfit videos, and most appear to be sponsored, but there are a few that are not. I watched one that goes to ridiculous extremes to show failure by using methods that might never occur in a shop. My concern about the longevity of the edge is not the Valchromat being pulled out from the clamp, but being damaged from above when I use the work surface as an assembly table.

I am not implying that the Matchfit system is bad, only that it does not fit my workflow. If I was designing a new shop from scratch, I might consider incorporating the Matchfit design somewhere, but so far I haven't needed anything more than what I have. In addition to the 200 holes in my work surface, I have 28 meters of horizontal and vertical track around my table that works perfectly with the Festool and smaller Bessey clamps, as well as M8 carriage bolts.

 

[mikej460]

If your question is directed at me, then yes I have seen Peter's excellent video. I watched other Matchfit videos, and most appear to be sponsored, but there are a few that are not. I watched one that goes to ridiculous extremes to show failure by using methods that might never occur in a shop. My concern about the longevity of the edge is not the Valchromat being pulled out from the clamp, but being damaged from above when I use the work surface as an assembly table.

I am not implying that the Matchfit system is bad, only that it does not fit my workflow. If I was designing a new shop from scratch, I might consider incorporating the Matchfit design somewhere, but so far I haven't needed anything more than what I have. In addition to the 200 holes in my work surface, I have 28 meters of horizontal and vertical track around my table that works perfectly with the Festool and smaller Bessey clamps, as well as M8 carriage bolts.

No Mike, it was for the OP. I share your concerns about table top damage, that's why I'm interested in Peter's trial.

 

[Spectric]

but being damaged from above when I use the work surface as an assembly table.

I have not had any issues with the edges being damaged but one very annoying thing is picking screws and such out of the groves.

Also, my coping sled does not ride in the T-track. It rides on the surface of the table and slides along the fence.

Is that a Woodpeckers sled by any chance? I have one and it is great.

 

[mikej460]

I just did. Explains it well.
Question is, does the relief bit come with the pro set or do you have to buy that separately? Peter Millard said he has been supplied with it, but the woodworkers workshop website says only one router bit supplied.

And if it doesn't come included, would you recommend it?

I don't have any experience of it to recommend or not, that's why I'm interested in what Peter concludes. At the moment I share @MikeK concerns about wear.

 

[MikeK]

I have not had any issues with the edges being damaged but one very annoying thing is picking screws and such out of the groves.

I have a shelf under my top that catches everything the falls through the holes.

Is that a Woodpeckers sled by any chance? I have one and it is great.

Yes, it is the Woodpeckers sled. I used it to make rail and stile doors for an office project, and it worked great.

 

[Sideways]

The Axminster T track is my choice. If you can't apply a decent pressure on a hold down there's not too much point having it. The Axi combines the mechanical fixing of the dovetail and the durability of metal. Use it judiciously where you expect to need it a lot, like clamping the fence for a DIY router or secondary drill table.

I share MikeK's reservations about Matchfit.

Clamping through 20mm dog holes is easy and versatile, Festool style or Hooked on Wood. They have a lot of the utility of the old holdfasts just updated for use with thinner benchtops.

Another twist on the T track idea are the clamping devices sold by Ruwi and reviewed on the Manor wood youtube channel. Those are costly but if you have a lathe and a mill, they look easy to replicate. Ruwi aren't doing anything terribly original. The mechanisms they use can be seen on old Wadkin and SCM sliding table saws from decades ago. Ruwi just modernise these with off the shelf lever cam handles from Kipp.

 

[Droogs]

The name says it all in regard to the mitre. By all means have the dovetails all over the bench top & sides if it is being used as a MFT or to give clamping flexibility but as a guideway for use on a router table to guide my mitre fence/sled, then the metal channel every time due to, friction, accuracy, durability, strength, wear resistance and ease of replacement. Also the amount of slop needed to ensure a friction free non jamming running surface would infringe the ability to keep accuracy and precision all the way through the cut on an angled piece/contoured piece.

 

[Peter Sefton]

If it's an assembly table or for jig making the MATCHFIT is an excellent choice, as once you have the system you can build it into any table, machine or jig you want too without keep needing to buy more track.

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/micro-jig-matchfit-dovetail-clamp-pro/
If you are mainly using it on the router table I would go for the Incra Mitre Channel as it's the standard 3/4" x 3/8" (19mm x 10mm) this will fit a huge range of mitre gauges, feather boards and jigs.

My feeling is any dovetail shape grooves or tracks will be good for clamping against be may cause friction with sliding actions, or will produce sideways slack to run freely.

Another option is our AUKTools Dual Track, this incorporates both standard 3/4" Mitre Track and 1/4" T Track, this is the section used on our JessEm and Larger AUKTools router table tops.

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/auktools-dual-track-700mm/
Cheers

Peter

 

[petermillard]

I just did. Explains it well.
Question is, does the relief bit come with the pro set or do you have to buy that separately? Peter Millard said he has been supplied with it, but the woodworkers workshop website says only one router bit supplied.

And if it doesn't come included, would you recommend it?

I was a bit sceptical about the relief bit tbh, but it does a great job, clearing out the bulk of the waste and leaving a slight round over on the shoulder to minimise splintering if you’re working with eg plywood; doesn’t make much odds with MDF. As @Peter Sefton says, it seems a good system for clamping, jigs etc… though I’m still getting to grips with it vs regular MFT holes. I know some folks moan about things falling through the MFT holes, but pencils in the dovetail slots can be a pain!