Paulk work bench owners

[jeff vanek]

For the people that have built a Paulk workbench, how did you drill your holes ?
ron doesn’t recommend his Mft template he made a You tube video about any more, he suggests the Mk 2 parf guide which is $230

[Derek Cohen]

Jeff, I assume that the dog holes on the Paulk bench have the same spacing as the Festool MFT. I recently built an MFT. There are basically two methods to make the dog holes: the UFK Parf guide (drill), and the Trend template (router). The cheaper Trend template is $300 in Australia. Fortunately, a friend, made a template for me with his CNC. This went one better than the Trend, by doubling it in size. The template has 30mm holes and is used with a guide bush and 20mm router bit to create the 20mm holes.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Powered%20Tools%20and%20Machinery/BuildingMFT1_html_m5ef40cf7.jpg

My old Elu router is at least 25 years old. It used a 30mm Trend guide bush fitted into a custom made adapter ..


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Powered%20Tools%20and%20Machinery/BuildingMFT1_html_m21babc51.jpg


The router bit is a Trend 20mm ...


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Powered%20Tools%20and%20Machinery/BuildingMFT1_html_30a03c45.jpg


The template needed to be moved to complete the bench top. This was facilitated by two dogs which my friend had thoughtfully made for this purpose ...


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Powered%20Tools%20and%20Machinery/BuildingMFT1_html_26158df1.jpg


The dogs are fitted into the existing holes to align the pattern ...


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Powered%20Tools%20and%20Machinery/BuildingMFT1_html_m147e2e95.jpg

Added fold up section ...

https://i.postimg.cc/vBzyTt3f/6.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/4dZZXSbX/8.jpg

As you can see, a lot of holes.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Michael Burnside]

Woodpeckers makes one for I believe 150 bucks or so and is, IMHO, just as good as the 230 version for what it does. Seems silly when you can get an MFT top as a "template" for less than that. TSO sells a UJK 20mm bit which also works great with a drill and an existing MFT as a guide, but it might not be quite as accurate as a route-based solution.

Maybe go on Craig's list and post an add for someone with a CNC to make you one. TSO offers MFT template CAD files for free on their website, which can be used to manufacture one easy. I've built several and even my own spoilboard has a modified "MFT compatible" layout. If you were in the CO area I'd be happy to help for a few bucks just for the tooling wear and tear and I'm sure someone in your area feels the same.

[Patrick Varley]

I didn't want to use a router, so I used a drill bushing and a template. I adapted the template from a video on YT and I'm blanking on the exact video. As I recall it was a European guy who also runs a farm. Not specific, but someone else may be able to recall the name from that not-so-common description. I don't use my grid for precision cuts so being dead-on wasn't as important to me. This still got me pretty close, though. See attached picture for my setup. Basically used a Forstner bit to drill holes through this jig on 96mm centers. The cross piece registers off the edge, and has marks to align the jig as it moves across the workpiece. I then used a drill bushing (McMaster) and 20mm bit (Lee Valley) to drill the holes. All-in I think it cost me $60.

That being said, I also came across this jig recently on Etsy. If I was doing it again I might have given it a try for $60.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1236868394/mft-20mm-hole-jig-for-use-with-router


494140

[Derek Cohen]

The advantage of a router and template is that the holes are completed in one action, and are perpendicular (which is important). Drilling requires a guide, unless you are using the PARF system, and the latter involves drilling all twice, which takes twice as long as with a router.

Note that the template Patrick links to is different from the Trend version. The former uses a router bit with cuts in a circular motion, while the latter (Trend) cuts downward.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John M Wilson]

As I recall it was a European guy who also runs a farm. Not specific, but someone else may be able to recall the name from that not-so-common description.

Was it Rag 'N Bone Brown?

[Patrick Varley]

Drilling requires a guide, unless you are using the PARF system, and the latter involves drilling all twice, which takes twice as long as with a router.
I did not have to drill each hole twice, only the holes in the pattern jig then all the table holes. I just hacked together a cheap version of a PARF guide using an off the shelf drill bushing with a 20mm ID. Holes seem pretty perpendicular. Wouldn't argue that it's more precise than a PARF guide, but good enough for my purposes. I certainly could have drilled the holes in the jig to use a router and template bushing, as well.

The only reason I showed mine is because it provides an alternative to either buying a template or having someone with a CNC make one. The CNC part might be easier to source for some than others. I tried to go that route, and it wasn't necessarily easy (or without its own cost).


Was it Rag 'N Bone Brown?
I was able to find it. Timothy Wilmots.

https://youtu.be/F1_kG1Mou_8

[Jim Dwight]

It's been several years since I made my Ron Paulk inspired outfeed/work bench. It has a top made of 3/4 plywood which is pretty much what all the bench is made of. I used a special base for my PC plunge router that I don't think is offered any more. It indexed off pegboard. The pegboard is not terribly accurate so the holes are not either. But it works for what I use it for just fine. For accurate crosscuts I either use a Ron Paulk style crosscut jig which clamps to the edge of the table or I just mark a line and cut to that. So the holes mainly get used for clamping where the accuracy doesn't really matter.

[Greg Quenneville]

You could get a Bora Centipede top (24 x 48) and use it with a 20mm forstner bit. If you are planning on getting long dogs you can use a pair of them to align it when you move it over a few rows as you step along your workbench top.

I don’t know what cnc machining costs, but if I wonder if you just couldn’t outsource the entire top rather than a template + tooling to make your own? My example above would cost about $130 + shipping

[Derek Cohen]

I don’t know what cnc machining costs, but if I wonder if you just couldn’t outsource the entire top rather than a template + tooling to make your own? My example above would cost about $130 + shipping

It is possible to purchase a MFT top made of MDF in a few parts of the world. Locally, I can get one for $135. However, I wanted the ability to customise a top, and also to be able to make others when a replacement was needed.Consequently, I chose a CNC template rather than a CNC top. The template cost me $50 and the router bit another $60.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Keegan Shields]

The Parf guide is excellent when accuracy matters. I’ve used my MDF style bench top for cross cutting and for routing sliding dovetails in panels using a Festool track. The results were excellent, everything comes out exactly square.

I did not get good results with the WP router jig. Maybe it was just me, but there seems to be much more slope in the WP template system compared to the Parf guide. And I seem to remember the error multiplying each time you move the WP jig over.

Drilling all those holes does take some time, but I only replace my bench top every few years. I highly recommend the Parf system. If I get 10 uses out of it, it will have paid for itself many times over. You might be able to split the cost with a friend.

[Jack Frederick]

I have the parf. Made my first about 4x6’. Took about three hrs. Spot on accuracy. So far have made three others for friends. I would suggest you buy the parf, make a few for yourself and then sell the system. I think you will recover most of the cost.

[Michael Burnside]

I have a CNC but if I didn't, the last two posts seem to suggest to me the parf system is well made and will pay for itself in the end. I know I've personally rebuilt my worktop or bench 2 or 3 times now. Sigh, I'm going to do it again as I'm building a frame with 1545 extrusion and Dashboard MFT accessories. I bought my first Dashboard part (two track stars) and oh boy did my wallet cry when it saw the smile on my face!

[Jim Becker]

I have a CNC but if I didn't, the last two posts seem to suggest to me the parf system is well made and will pay for itself in the end.

I agree with this. I haven't seen anything dreamed up and marketed by Peter that isn't top-notch. Not inexpensive, but well made, precise and fit for purpose. I'm fortunate to have the CNC, but wouldn't hesitate to consider acquiring the Parf system if I intended to make even one big, MFT style grid surface because if you are going to use the grid to best advantage, it's got to be dead accurate.