Festool MFT option

[Michael Hammers]

I have been eyeing....ok, well drooling...:p over the festool system. Mostly because I am short on shop space and long on projects...Anyway I really like the whole Festool systematization.
So while looking at the MFT I noticed you are able to buy the hardware package for the table seperate. I am curious if anyone has customized their shop with a specific design?
I really do not need the off site portability that the MFT seems to be designed for, and for the cost I think (:o thats where it becomes dangerous) that I might be able to come up with something of my own.
Thanks!

[Larry Fox]

Check the Festool Owners Gourp site as they have lots of info / posts on shop-made MFT's. I have been looking at one myself and Jerry Work has a great article on them that you can get to from he site. I believe that Bob also has a link to the article on his site.

[jason lambert]

I love the MFT I have several of them in fact 2 are for sale if you are near NJ (shamless plug) I would really recomend getting two instead of makeing one big one this allows more configurations also you can put one away to save space if working on something small. I can't say enought good things about them I use them on almost every project. Unlike a workbench I can even brig them to the project or room I am working on.

[Jesse Cloud]

Definitely check out the Festool Owner's Group and Jerry's article. Jerry has put a number of mfts together and uses cast iron bench legs as support.

The FOG also has lots of great ideas for MFT jigs, adding storage, how to use the thing, etc.

I use Festool a lot and the MFT is the most frequently used Festool. The clamping options are so flexible that I use them for most glueups.

One caution, though, the mft isn't meant to be a hand tool workbench. You can't really handplane on it, unless you trick it out with custom legs....

[Gary Curtis]

I'll be buying the new MFT3 table this week. I am getting it for one purpose - to use with their router for cuts such as Dados. Secondly, I'll use it for small cutting and shaping. And for sanding.

No quality bench is cheap. Just the materials for my 2-inch Euro Beech workbench cost me about $1200. And I'm not finished building it.

Gary Curtis
Northern California

[Wade Lippman]

I built a fold down outfeed table for my TS, and put MFT rails on two sides so I can put a guide across them and use a Festool TS55.

It works quite well, though at times having to change back and forth between the two uses can be annoying. Still, I don't have the room for a real MFT, so it is much better than nothing. And cheaper also.