Assembly table with MFT top?

[Jon Snider]

In my new workshop I’m building I’d like eventually to have some type of assembly/work/outfeed table on casters so I can roll it around to wherever its most useful, or get it out of the way when a boat is being built.

I’ve looked at the MFT table at Woodcraft and spent some time reviewing various internet info and videos including Peter Parfitt’s stuff. But I’ve never used one and admittedly have very little real understanding of it’s use.

So, two questions:

Do I need one, assuming I already have a sliding table saw? I have read it is compatible with the Makita track saw which I also have although not sure of future role once slider is set up. My thoughts are, it seems it would be nice for clamping, assembly, etc.

Would it make sense as part of a larger, assembly type table, maybe occupying one end either using the Parf system to build or with a pre-made top? Any downsides to holes in half of the top?

Would appreciate any any advice as I’m pretty much new to all of this.

Thx

jon

[Jim Becker]

There are two things going on with your question.

On the idea of an MDF top, IMHO...no problem. In fact, two layers of MDF properly supported has a lot of mass and should be dead flat if you design things well. If you're concerned with the top wearing, then edge it so you can pop a replaceable hardboard topper on there. That said, the surface of my entire miter station is MDF that's only had a few coats of BLO over the years. It was installed back in the early 2000s, if I'm not mistaken. I have no issues with it and it's been dead stable.

Now relative to the forma, the advantage to MFT and similar setups is that they are portable and capable. For in-shop use, you may not have much need for the fence/track system on the full blown MFT...but...while I don't use mine much, there have been times when it's been the real deal for things like cross dados on shelving. Otherwise, when I pull out my MFT "in the shop", it's for additional assembly/work surface.

Any new surface I create for my shop (and I am seriously contemplating replacing the older miter setup I mentioned above with a different setup) will have the same 20mm hole grid spaced on 96mm as my MFT. I like the system and it works well for me. In face, I may even replace my more traditional benchtop with a grid system on a hefty torsion box because the old maple top just doesn't like to stay as flat as I want it to.

[Mark Daily]

Wow- that’s one expensive table! I’m also getting ready to build a portable assembly table I can store out of the way when I don’t need it. (My workshop is only 10’ x 20’)

I need something lightweight so I’m looking at making a torsion box out of 1/4” plywood with a 1/4” MDF top. My router table is on top of a cabinet with wheels. If I slide the fence off, I can just place the torsion box on top and roll it around.

The wheels have a certain amount of “play” in them that would allow the whole thing to wobble so I bought a set of workbench casters from Rockler that lift up and allow you to drop whatever they’re attached to onto the ground. If I choose this route, I will replace the existing casters with the Rockler casters.

That way, the only thing I need to store out of the way is the torsion box (table top).

One downside to this is the router table won’t be accessible while the top is in place.

Or I could mount the torsion box on some folding legs but I haven’t seen any that are lightweight and would be really stable.

[Jak Kelly]

Tables are a nice thing to have, but if not a daily necessity they can take up valuable space. My workshop has always been part of the garage to our house, so I have to keep parking in mind, or the ability to actually park a vehicle or 2 in the garage when necessary. The motorcycle and the wife's car have a permanent place in the garage as it is the only garage I have. At the last house I made a table with a hinged leg on it, the table top was hinged at the wall as well, it was all metal. That table came in very handy for me and I did lots of projects on it over an 18 year period. I have also considered installing another one at the new house, have thought about a more robust table, 3" thick wood top, maybe 6' long, 36" wide and make the legs permanently attached and in position on one end then hinge it over at the wall. That way when raised up for storage the legs would probably be really close to the ceiling. I always liked the first table because it provided some decent table top area and could be folded up tight to the wall and out of the way when not in use or needed.
But you may be looking for something totally different and not as restricted on space.

[Dick Mahany]

I was skeptical about the MFT table..........until I purchased one. Now I can't part with it. A few years back I relocated, and nearly all of my tools and benches were in storage for months. I needed to be able to build many cabinets for my soon new garage/shop but didn't have a table saw or workbench. I purchased a track saw and an MFT table and they enabled me to do nearly anything I needed to accomplish. The combination was game changing for me. All of those holes in the top are just so useful in so many ways and having them there doesn't impede function at all.

If I was in a different position, I probably would have built one due to the relatively high cost, but I needed something right away and the MFT fit the bill. I have since built a cart and an auxialiary top which I can move around in the shop and expand as needed. I would think the Makita track could be easily adapted to the MFT since it uses the lower t-slot to mount the track to the hinged pivot.

Here are a few pics to show some of the numerous uses for an MFT type table in use.

Cabinet door frame cutting.
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Rapid clamping for routing.
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Quick pocket hole set ups.
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Shelf pin hole drilling.
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Edge band clamping for applying and trimming.
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Domino fixturing for applied edge trim.
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Mobile assembly table.
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I don't own many Festools mainly because my trusty yellow, red and blue tools have worked so reliably and served me well, but this MFT is a very versatile table for fixturing, track saw use and assembly. It is not however a substitute for a solid good old workbench for uses such as hand planing. If one has a shop already, a better option might be to custom build a top to the size that best suits your needs.

EDIT: I had originally planned to sell the MFT once I was able to get my shop equipment out of storage, but I decided to make space to store it in the garage even though space is at a premium because it is so versatile and useful for my needs. It is a tight squeeze.
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[Dan Friedrichs]

Dick, just wanted to thank you for sharing those pics and explanation. Those are some really cool ideas for MFT use!

[Dick Mahany]

Dick, just wanted to thank you for sharing those pics and explanation. Those are some really cool ideas for MFT use!

Dan, you're welcome. Funny thing, I used to walk around a local Woodcraft and see their Festool display with an MFT table displayed front and center. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why anyone would want one of those, especially at the price they were charging. Never figured I'd one day be showing things like that :)

[Jon Snider]

Thanks too from me to all replies. Dan it looks like you’ve shown several reasons such a top would be good for part of an assembly/utility table even without using the track saw functions.

My top will prob be of two layers of MDF, just like my other shop cabinet tops, with some edging and some type of shellac, BLO, or poly finish. I’ll build it to support the tops well. In response to another comment above, if it was directed to me, it’s not my plan to make it very expensive. Just solid and functional.

Another question. With a double layer of 3/4” MDF, will the Parf dogs, veritas bench dogs, and the various festool clamps still work, assuming the holes extend all of the way through?

[Dick Mahany]

Thanks too from me to all replies. Dan it looks like you’ve shown several reasons such a top would be good for part of an assembly/utility table even without using the track saw functions.

Another question. With a double layer of 3/4” MDF, will the Parf dogs, veritas bench dogs, and the various festool clamps still work, assuming the holes extend all of the way through?

A double layer of MDF will not allow the Festool type clamps to be used. The reason is that the length of the flat fixed face along with the bend radius are such that anything thicker than 3/4" won't allow the clamps to be inserted and rotated through the 20mm holes. The dogs will still work fine although if using dogs that secure from underneath with a retaining knob, the screws would need to be longer.

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Maybe a little difficult to see but the radius on the clamp bend won't allow it to be rotated in material thicker than 3/4". Also, the clamp has to be fully extended even in the standard top in order to be inserted into the table top.
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I have seen some people grind the stamped keeper tab away on the clamp, then separate the clamp and insert the clamp bar from underneath, but I prefer to use them as designed.

[Jon Snider]

Thanks Dick. That was exactly my concern. I suppose I could build a double layer for the one half of the top without holes, and build some type of support, or maybe open torsion box, for the “MFT” section.

[Jim Dwight]

I have an assembly/outfeed table with 20mm holes on 96mm spacing like a MFT. It is 3 feet by 7 feet and is based upon a workbench design by Ron Paulk. The work surface is 3/4 plywood with a second sheet spaced down 8 inches so I can put tools on the lower surface to keep the top surface cleaner. I did something similar on the left side of my RAS/CMS worksurface but I used 1/2 plywood to make it lighter. I incorporated a t track and flip stops based upon Paulk's workstation for the Festool CMS.

Paulk's worksurfaces do not have all the features of a MFT but they have the top with holes and add the double layer top I find handy. They are meant to be portable and moved from worksite to worksite. For somebody who needs to store them between uses, the portability should also be nice.

[Todd Zucker]

One other nice feature of the MFT is the t-slot around the sides, which can be used to attach the MFT to other things, or clamp or attach other things to the sides of the MFT. If you leave it as a portable table (no cart), you could fasten one edge to another more solid bench or assembly table to give it more stability.

Mine is on a cart with the legs removed, which provides space for storage underneath. It is semi-permanent and never leaves the garage, but the wheels let me tweak the set up. Last weekend I completely reconfigured the garage and moved the track saw holder to the left side and put the Dewalt miter saw on a removable stand attached to the right side of the MFT, in line with the MFT's fence.

In the rear, I might come up with a way to connect the MFT to the router table to make a larger L-shaped surface. Always a work in progress.

I don't have a table saw, so I use the track saw a lot, but with your slider that might be less useful to you.

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[Jon Snider]

Thanks Todd. Was thinking about adding some to at least one edge, mainly for clamping.

[Jim Morgan]

You might think about Timothy Wilmots' multi-function shop cart, which has a MFT top. There is a build thread started by Jim Becker in the projects forum.

This serves as a shop cart
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A height-adjustable assembly table or workbench
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A clamping table
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A parts drying rack
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Or a sheet goods cart
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Cost including a replacement MFT top and set of casters purchased from LV, two sheets of 19mm BB, some t-track, and 20 bd. ft. of beech was about $350.

[tom lucas]

I have an outfeed table made from 4 sheets of MDF edged with 2x4 fir. I glued 3 sheets together and left the top sheet floating inside the fir frame so it could be replaced as it got beat up. I coated the whole thing with polyurethane. It's seen heavy use for about 8 years now. Still as good as new. It has a holes for holdfasts and a face vise on it. It's been incredibly durable. I think, in general, if you coat the MDF for fluid seal, and protect the edges/corners, it'll last a very very long time.

Love the TW multifunctional shop cart.

[Mike King]

Personally, I’d go for a torsion box with a mft hole system on a scissor lift.
https://youtu.be/VlM0aQ-VpUM

[Jim Becker]

That is an excellent setup, Mike! It certainly connects all the dots for me as I'm a huge believer in adjustable height work surfaces.

[Jon Snider]

Oh lord, I didn’t need to see that...

Wonder if you could mount it on Zambus casters?

[Mike King]

You could build it on a scissor lift cart. Or just by the Barth.

https://rangate.com/products/barth-lift-table-300

[Bill Lyman]

My experience is similiar to Dick Mahany's. Add to that - cutting boards square which are too wide to do easily on the table saw.

[Robert Engel]

Jon,

I will be redoing my assembly table soon. I've considered MFT vs T tracks and I've decided to go with T tracks along with holes that will accept Festool quick clamps.

In my view there are advantages to both. With MFT the big one is defined distances which makes setting up stops, etc much simpler.

I would be concerned that you can get a clamp in a two layered top.

Mike Farrington channel on YouTube has a video of setting up an assembly table using the Parf system. I believe that's what is pictured above.

I don't use BLO on MDF anymore. I prefer a poly/mineral spirit +/-turpentine mix.

[marty fretheim]

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This was much cheaper than the Barth table. Not finished here but I ended up with MFT holes on half the table. Torsion box with MDF and 3/4 HDF on top. Laminate on top of that. Glue doesn't stick to it. Quick clamps work great.

This is pretty sturdy but not really a neanderthal bench.

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[Jon Snider]

Jon,

I will be redoing my assembly table soon. I've considered MFT vs T tracks and I've decided to go with T tracks along with holes that will accept Festool quick clamps.

In my view there are advantages to both. With MFT the big one is defined distances which makes setting up stops, etc much simpler.

I would be concerned that you can get a clamp in a two layered top.

Mike Farrington channel on YouTube has a video of setting up an assembly table using the Parf system. I believe that's what is pictured above.

I don't use BLO on MDF anymore. I prefer a poly/mineral spirit +/-turpentine mix.

thanks Robert. Since you’re going w Festool clamps, your top will be 3/4”?

what is the polyurethane / mineral spirit/ turp recipe? I’ve used one called boat soup for gunwales, etc which is 1:1:1 linseed oil, turp and marine varnish. Takes forever to dry unless you add some Japan drier. Add a dash of pine tar and it smells great.

[Jim Becker]

Marty, I really like how you used the laminate on your solution...I may need to ponder that myself for my potential bench-top replacement.

[Jon Snider]

I have an outfeed table made from 4 sheets of MDF edged with 2x4 fir. I glued 3 sheets together and left the top sheet floating inside the fir frame so it could be replaced as it got beat up. I coated the whole thing with polyurethane. It's seen heavy use for about 8 years now. Still as good as new. It has a holes for holdfasts and a face vise on it. It's been incredibly durable. I think, in general, if you coat the MDF for fluid seal, and protect the edges/corners, it'll last a very very long time.

Love the TW multifunctional shop cart.

Thanks Tom.

Since the Parf Mk2 is now back in stock it’s time to fish or cut bait. It seems the choice of top comes down to holes for clamping vs. use with track saw. The way I’m understanding it, if you want to include the Festool clamps it needs to be a single layer 3/4” thickness.

If if I just want dog holes for clamping (where the Parf or a MFT type top isn’t really necessary), do the hold fasts fit in double layers (or thicker) tops?

[Jon Snider]

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This was much cheaper than the Barth table. Not finished here but I ended up with MFT holes on half the table. Torsion box with MDF and 3/4 HDF on top. Laminate on top of that. Glue doesn't stick to it. Quick clamps work great.

This is pretty sturdy but not really a neanderthal bench.

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Marty, I’m reading this that your box material is MDF and you have a single layer (plus laminate) of HDF, and your quick clamps are Festool. Correct?

Where did you find 3/4 HDF? Having no luck here locally, only thinner hardboard.

[marty fretheim]

Just discovered your question, Jon. Yes to your questions and the HDF (as well as the MDF) came from Paxton lumber in Denver. Not cheap and likely overkill with the laminate. The laminate was an after thought or I would have just used MDF all around. I ordered the laminate from Home Depot.