Mark18PLL
Established Member
Would you just use cheap ply or a lower grade of birch ply? I was also considering mrmdf both 18mm.
MFT Question
- Thread starter Mark18PLL
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pe2dave
Established Member
For me, No to mdf - need the holes clear, so can't coat. Cheap ply for long term use? Not for me.
I've no experience with long term use of MRMDF - just know that in my garage, mdf warps like a warpy thing.
Moisture resistant? Doesn't fill me with confidence?
I've no experience with long term use of MRMDF - just know that in my garage, mdf warps like a warpy thing.
Moisture resistant? Doesn't fill me with confidence?
pe2dave
Established Member
One more idea I'm going to adopt.
Rear fence using commercial 40x20 track and matching dogs.
HTH
Rear fence using commercial 40x20 track and matching dogs.
HTH
Don't mess around. See my post above. Unless your router has 100% perfectly central bush and bit - literally - it will be inaccurate. Just buy a CNC'd one
My next shop project will be a workbench similar to Ryan's BF/MFT workbench. Here is the first of four videos he made showing the construction.
He used a full sheet of MDF for the surface and outsourced preparing the MDF to several CNC shops before he found one that could accurately cut the 20mm holes. In the second video, he used a 50/50 mix of wipe-on polyurethane and mineral spirits to put four coats on the bottom surface of the MDF and fifteen coats on the top surface. The poly mix was absorbed quickly, and didn't foul the dog holes.
My workshop is much smaller than Ryan's, so my workbench will be 1 x 2 meters. I have the UJK Parf Mk II Guide System and will use it to make the dog holes in my workbench. I considered outsourcing the work, but the estimates were between €350 and €550 for the job. Given the problems Ryan had with his CNC work, I'll try the UJK Parf system first.
He used a full sheet of MDF for the surface and outsourced preparing the MDF to several CNC shops before he found one that could accurately cut the 20mm holes. In the second video, he used a 50/50 mix of wipe-on polyurethane and mineral spirits to put four coats on the bottom surface of the MDF and fifteen coats on the top surface. The poly mix was absorbed quickly, and didn't foul the dog holes.
My workshop is much smaller than Ryan's, so my workbench will be 1 x 2 meters. I have the UJK Parf Mk II Guide System and will use it to make the dog holes in my workbench. I considered outsourcing the work, but the estimates were between €350 and €550 for the job. Given the problems Ryan had with his CNC work, I'll try the UJK Parf system first.
HamsterJam
Let’s take it apart to see what’s inside….
Hi Sammy - the printed jig uses a drill and 20mm forstner bit rather than a router.
I was thinking that provided the grid of holes is equally spaced, the table should still be accurate for 45 degree, right angle and straight cuts.
I guess the question is whether the 3D printed jig has tight enough tolerance to create a precisely spaced grid of holes.
Ah, I see. The 20mm bit certainly takes the router inaccuracies aspect out.
robgul
Barry Bucknell is my hero
Make it good Birch ply as that will have more layers/veneers than cheap ply at the same thickness, and a better surface - yes more expensive but it's a one-off pruchase that should last a good while - and I've already given a view on MDF or MRMDF . . . avoid.
DBT85
Established Member
mrmdf is what they are made from for festool and what people like @petermillard made a living using without issue for all sorts of jobs.
petermillard
Established Member
My apologies if I haven’t responded - did you raise the question here or on YouTube, out of interest? I’m getting around ~300 comments and question per day via all platforms right now, and while I do my best to reply where I can some inevitably slip through, and if it was on an older video or in reply to another comment then it will get put on a back burner because, as crazy as it seems, I get notified about the comment, but not which video it relates to.
I do remember a question about bench heights though, as I went to the workshop specifically to check; I made a note of the height on September 22nd and responded to the question that day, though I don’t know if that was your question or not? I have a constant bench height of 810mm / 32” throughout, and the MFT is set On a low shelf to match that. HTH P
petermillard
Established Member
pe2dave
Established Member
Who works inside? The moisture content in my garage, through winter, is likely to be a tad higher - hence my concern.
petermillard
Established Member
Always tricky making these decisions based on our own (limited?) experiences. As @DBT85 says, (and thanks for tagging me in - not getting notifications for some reason
) like many people I made my living with MRMDF for decades without incident; I‘ve happily made my own bathroom cupboards and cabinets from it, and yes, the Festool originals are made with a version of MDF. As for questioning ‘moisture resistant’ i suspect the words are chosen carefully; If they called it “moisture proof’ then some chucklehead would put some in a bucket of water then run crying to trading standards when it inevitably swelled. See also ‘shower proof’ vs ‘water resistant’ vs ‘water proof’ clothing etc...FWIW my MFT top is from MR MDF, coated and stained, without any issues - but then my workshop ‘problem’ (aside from space, lol) is one of excessive dryness, not damp; if your workspace is damp enough to warp anything, but especially MDF, I’m not sure I’d really want to leave my tools in there!
As always, HTH, P
sometimewoodworker
Established Member
My workbench top was made with a router, OF 1400 and LR32 rail, it is not inaccurate. If a CNC top were available I may well have bought one, it wasn’t, I didn’t.
today I probably would not have a bench with all the holes drilled just all the 3mm guide holes for the Parf system and some strategically placed holes that I know that I’m going to need.
Wayside2020
Established Member
I built a new workbench and decided to go with the MFT route. I bought a replacement MFT top to use outside and also used it as a router template for my workshop bench. Used 18mm MDF and used varnish to seal it. Works really well. I thought the Parfguide approach seem a long way around.
pe2dave
Established Member
From videos, the parf guide uses a 'special' 20mm bit - to keep a clean hole, entry and exit. Seems to work too.
Has anyone found such a bit on sale anywhere in the UK please?
Has anyone found such a bit on sale anywhere in the UK please?
petermillard
Established Member
Axminster sell them as a spare part, about £40 I think. Never used one, but I’d assume the shaft thickness is proprietary to fit the jig.
pe2dave
Established Member
Thanks Peter... those 20mm dogs and other stuff are so useful, on the workbench as well as for sheet stuff.
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Re the new fencedogs fence - the flagstops - (again v.useful) - do they fit in your Oozenest 40 20 moulding please?
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Re the new fencedogs fence - the flagstops - (again v.useful) - do they fit in your Oozenest 40 20 moulding please?
I plan to make a base for my mft ala mr millard as the frame is all a bit wibbly wobbly. I have the original parf guide system but i don't use it for making MFT tops (far too lazy), I do use it on MDF bases for things like a leigh jig or pocket hole jig, that way i just drop them into place and use a couple of m6 threaded spinny handles underneath the mft to secure them the parf guide system is very accurate though.
Doug71
Established Member
My workbench is made of 3 MR MDF tops from CNC Design. I don't just use it for cutting on it is used for everything. When I first made it I considered the tops to be consumables, expecting to flip them after a few months then have to replace them a bit later but 3 years on they are still fine.
It's had a few coats of acrylic satin varnish to protect it. I did take a small chamfer off the inside of the holes like on the Axminster benches, I think this can stop damage when things get caught up on the holes.
I have one of the flat pack type Birch ply benches and that moves with the weather, if it has been sat in my van a few days it's much harder to slide together than if it's been stored in my house.
It's had a few coats of acrylic satin varnish to protect it. I did take a small chamfer off the inside of the holes like on the Axminster benches, I think this can stop damage when things get caught up on the holes.
I have one of the flat pack type Birch ply benches and that moves with the weather, if it has been sat in my van a few days it's much harder to slide together than if it's been stored in my house.
