torsion box work surface with dog holes and a Q about the Festool quick clamps

[Paul F Franklin]

As I mull over options for replacing the work surface of my 4x8 assembly table with an MFT style top with dog holes, I have a couple of questions.

I see many folks on the web have done a torsion box with dog holes for their tablesaw outfeed surface. How do you keep the cubbies from filling up with sawdust and the like over time? A Paulk style assembly would allow blowing out anything that fell through the holes, but not so for a torsion box...

Next question: how long is the right angle part of the leg on the Festool quick clamps? The part that sticks through the dog holes. I've looked at a million pics of those clamps and none of them show that dimension.

Thanks!

[Jim Becker]

The "leg" of the right angle bench clamps is about 3". Keep in mind that to use clamps like this that "L" needs to be able to have room under the surface and the surface itself cannot be thicker than about 1", preferably the typical 19-20mm that MDF measures. You cannot get the clamps through the holes and turned if the surface material is too thick.

[Paul F Franklin]

The "leg" of the right angle bench clamps is about 3". Keep in mind that to use clamps like this that "L" needs to be able to have room under the surface and the surface itself cannot be thicker than about 1", preferably the typical 19-20mm that MDF measures. You cannot get the clamps through the holes and turned if the surface material is too thick.

Thanks Jim. Planning on 3/4 top so no issue there, but obviously the ribs under the work surface, whether torsion box or Paulk style, will interfere with the clamps when used through a hole near the ribs, at least if you try to turn the clamp toward the rib.

[Jim Becker]

Correct about the ribs...so that's part of your planning process for the table top. You'll want to design the structure so that it's supportive of how you expect to use it. Some folks also put a row or three of longer slots to be able to leverage normal f-clamps in addition to the dog hole type.