As I mentioned a few posts back, I have been doing a bit more thinking and experimenting with the MFT and as a result I have a slightly improved understanding vs where I was a few weeks ago. I now see that there are a few extra options in terms of what setups you can have with the MFT and I have created a small table to try and get my head around it all. I figured this was worth sharing.
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What I see, with my limited understanding so far, are 5 basic setups, as outlined in the table above. Each of the setups have different capabilities, the biggest factor is the cross cut capacity in my opinion, but I have also listed the relative accuracy of each and also the convenience factor. Convenience is primarily defined as what action you need to take 'between cuts', as this is the thing that slows you down I feel and hence something I thought was worth thinking about. It is the one area where the hinged rail setup rules as you just pivot the rail upwards instead of removing it.
Finally, the column labelled repeat cuts defines the accessory needed for each setup in order to achieve that - my view is that this is one of the nicest thing about using these setups, the ability to simply set a stop against a calibrated scale and then simply push the wood up against it and cut. And then repeat if needed. It is a slightly different thing needed for each setup, here are the two options
Repeat stop - for rail square
[URL unfurl="true"]https://benchdogs.co.uk/products/rail-square-repeat-stop-festool-makita-triton-evolution-kreg[/URL]
Fence - for MFT
[URL unfurl="true"]https://benchdogs.co.uk/collections/benchdogs-bundles/products/the-fence-system-bundle[/URL]
Of course this isn't an exhaustive list, its just my view on the MFT world as of today, and seeing as my understanding has evolved somewhat since I last posted I thought it worth updating the thread. As I mentioned at the start, it could be useful for somebody.
Anyway, I will explain the 5 options and my thoughts on each. First off, here is the sketch which I drew the other day when I was thinking about this stuff - its what got me thinking about this in the first place.
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Setup 1 - 718mm MFT + Bench Dogs
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This is the most basic setup of all, and gives you 550mm cross cut capacity using a standard 718mm MFT top. There is no rail square and no hinged rail with this setup, you need to use the bench dogs to align both the workpiece and also the rail such that they are at a guaranteed 90 degrees to one another. The fact that you need to use dog holes at both top and bottom of the MFT means that you only have 550mm of space for the workpiece to pass through and so that's your maximum cross cut using this setup. The length of cut is restricted only by your bench, but a standard MFT is 1102mm and so you could probably cut about that length if you didn't have additional support from another table,
Note that without a rail hinge, you need to keep taking the rail off the workpiece after every cut and placing it down somewhere. You also need to do the same with the track saw. If you are used to using a mitre saw this may feel a little clumsy to start with, especially if you are tight on space and dont have an additional bench to put the rail and saw.
Here are some pics showing the rail in position, and then the rail taken off and stored to the side, and then finally taken off and stored on an extra bench. Sounds a but trivial, but this sort of stuff really affects your workflow and its something to think about.
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What is this setup good for
- It should get you 100% accuracy in terms of your cuts being 90 degrees
- Only suitable for 550mm crosscut maximum
- NOTE: you COULD get a larger crosscut capacity if you turned the table 90 degrees, but that could be a little problematic because you are then lining up the workpiece against a much smaller grid of dogs (they would be a maximum of about 550mm apart whereas when using the table the 'proper' way the dogs could be up to about 950mm apart). But it does mean your cross cut would increase to about 950mm which might get you out of trouble if you don't have any other options.
Need to continue in next post due to image limit.....
