MFT router table

[Lee Schierer]

I was doing a project today that involved clamping a jig to my router table which is the extension out feed table for my Table saw. I had some difficulty clamping the pieces of the jig where I wanted them. This evening, I saw the discussion of the Woodpecker corner radius jig and there was a link to o home made jig. What caught my attention was the MFT table top (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2J0sy9ktCc&t=232s) being used to make the radius jigs. I'm interested in modifying my existing router table to accommodate the Festool Quick Clamps for future jig needs. I cannot add the Festool pre-drilled sheet to my existing table, but I can bore teh holes into my existing table. What I need to know is what diameter are the clamping holes and what is the spacing between holes? Does anyone own one of these that can help me with these dimensions?

[Tom Ewell]

20mm holes, spaced 96mm OC is the MFT layout.
Layout the pattern as square as you can get it.
Lots of ideas on how-to are over at FOG.

[Van Huskey]

The key to the MFT layout is if it is "perfect" it allows for all manner of procedures to be accomplished with very high accuracy using dogs (of which there are many designed for the MFT) and fences. Some have their non-OEM MFT tops CNC cut but Peter Parfitt's UJK Parf guide system lets you recreate a very exact spacing with nothing else but a drill. http://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technology-parf-guide-system-102278# There is no US distributor but Axminster has painless shipping to the US.

Before you drill out an approximate MFT grid take some time to investigate the benefits of the MFT and all the Festool and 3rd party accessories available and what they can allow you to do once you see what can be gained by and exact 96mm spacing I think you may want to go that route.

[Bruce Page]

Any idea what flavor of fiber board Festool uses? Obviously it's not borg mdf.

[Peter Kuhlman]

You can purchase the Festool MDF top with the holes from dealers. Pricing is somewhere around 86-135 depending upon size from Bob Marino. I recommend purchasing from him as he really protects items for shipping. Anyhow the premade top from Festool is already CNC machined accurately and would be very difficult to duplicate at reasonable cost.

[Lee Schierer]

My table top is 3/4" plywood so it should work pretty well.

[Van Huskey]

My table top is 3/4" plywood so it should work pretty well.

Obviously, 3/4" ply will work fine. If you don't want to use any of the possibilities of the exact 96mm spacing and just want to use the 20mm dog hole accessories then the spacing is not critical. In fact if you only want to use it for clamping options and have no desire to mesh it with the Festool ecosystem there are plenty of products made for "standard" 3/4" dog holes and a 3/4" bushing from Lee Valley and a 3/4" bit will allow you to build a simple jig to get even rows, Lee Valley also makes a 20mm bushing to drill MFT compatible holes vertically. Again I suggest you investigate the wide variety of uses for the MFT top and decide if you want to avail yourself of those possibilities, if so them you want an accurate grid and the Parf Guide system is the way to go unless you have a CNC plus you can use it for multiple or replacement tops in the future OR it would be an easy sale, at least on FOG, and you could get most of your money back.

[Lee Schierer]

I don't need the accuracy portion as much as I need to hold things down at time and I can't always reach the area I need held down with my current set of clamps. I don't plan on investing in a lot of Festool jigs and accessories.

[glenn bradley]

For just holding things down a standard 3/4" dog hole would allow you to use various after market holddowns. Some require a thicker top to work but, I made these out of some harbor freight f-style clamps and use them quite a bit.

349515 . 349517 . 349516

You can also just do this if you don't do it very often.

349518 . 349519

[Van Huskey]

I hate it when I lose a long post!

In short if you don't have a tracksaw or use a guided router then you don't need accuracy of the grid, you also can choose 3/4" or 20mm dog holes as there are plenty of options with both, you don't have to use Festool's quick clamps. Check the Lee Valley site or catalog for clamping options for both sizes.

I like an accurate grid because of all the options it opens up. Check out some of the youtube videos on MFT use and MFT copied benches.

While these aren't MFT copies they are some of my favorite multipurpose benches and will give you an idea what sort of things can be done with an gridded worktop. Not in English but very cool in my book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cepg2DAkKQE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb7j6QGZoF0

The second is a take on the first bench which is from a German WWing magazine.

To others that demonstrate some of the aspects of a MFT type grid, both by Peter Parfitt who does excellent vids and makes excellent products

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQJhVMUYmmQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbsRAIS5CoU

In the second he shows how accurate the cuts can be. I am not trying to sell you on using an accurate grid but by spending a little money to get a (near) perfect grid you open up a ton of options down the road.