Newbiest of newbie questions: what's an MFT for?

[Deadeye]

Lots of videos on how to make them; but how do you use them?
Other than sticking in a couple of bench dogs to plane against.
Any videos on their versatility?

 

[Jacob]

What is an MFT?

 

[ScaredyCat]

Lots of videos on how to make them; but how do you use them?
Other than sticking in a couple of bench dogs to plane against.
Any videos on their versatility?

Have a look at some of the videos by Peter Millard (a member here too) - for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V-p5F7SjO4 for a demonstration.

If you've built it properly then you can get guaranteed 90 and 45 degree angles. Useful, for example, when cutting sheet goods. Also, since you have a series of holes, you can put clamps through them and clamp almost anywhere on your work.

What is an MFT?

Shirley, you jest? Multi Function Table...


.

 

[Jacob]

.......

What is an MFT?

Shirley, you jest? Multi Function Table...


.

Cheers ta.
Some sort of gadget accessory designed to extract cash from an unwary newbie?

 

[ScaredyCat]

I wouldn't class Peter as an unwary newbie...

 

[Jacob]

OK I can see that if you work in a very small workshop, make a lot of complicated stuff from sheet and have a lot of festool kit, then it could be handy.

 

[ScaredyCat]

OK I can see that if you work in a very small workshop, make a lot of complicated stuff from sheet and have a lot of festool kit, then it could be handy.

I agree with the first part, very handy for small workspaces - I'm currently building Timothy Wilmot's MFTC because it folds into a compact space which is something of a premium for me, albeit with drawers not systainer storage - but no festool stuff is required to benefit from an MFT.

 

[Bcuthbert21]

Ok as another newbie I can see the versatility of the MFT but why are the holes spaced at 96mm

 

[bjm]

Comment removed - earler post covered it!

 

[Cabinetman]

If it’s any consolation, I’ve been making furniture all my life and I’d never heard of one either until I came on here and then I had to look it up, lol.

 

[bjm]

Ok as another newbie I can see the versatility of the MFT but why are the holes spaced at 96mm

Because 97mm would just be wrong!

 

[mynamehere]

96mm would be a multiple of 32mm, a size used for kitchen cabinets and all the spacings that come with it if I'm not wrong, Google 32MM system if you want to know more.

Cheers!

Ferenc

 

[petermillard]

More detail than anyone could ever want About the 96mm hole spacing and the 32mm system in these old threads on FOG:-

96mm hole spacing MFT:-
Any magic to MFT hole spacing?

96 mm MFT hole spacing

And the 32mm system in general:-
32 mm system help

I’ve done a couple of vids in the MFT here and here, covers the basics.

 

[bjm]

More detail than anyone could ever want About the 96mm hole spacing and the 32mm system in these old threads on FOG:-

96mm hole spacing MFT:-
Any magic to MFT hole spacing?

96 mm MFT hole spacing

And the 32mm system in general:-
32 mm system help

I’ve done a couple of vids in the MFT here and here, covers the basics.

I knew someone sensible would provide a proper answer!! I learnt something new today.

 

[Ollie78]

I have the Festool original one, it is very useful to me and it saves my back as it is a reasonable height, it is truly multi function.
Quick to set up, a reasonable work area, side clamping, top clamping, strong, fairly stable, ideal for repeated square cutting on stuff like flooring, good for gluing up stuff using the dogs, many other things.
I get the CNC machined birch plywood replacement tops now as they are nicer and cheaper than the official ones (also lighter weight).
It looks expensive at first glance but its the sort of thing that works out quite cheap on a price per year basis and becomes worth its money over time.

Ollie