Making An MFT Top - No CNC, No Guide Jigs
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2019
- In this video I make a MFT top for my new workbench / assembly table for use with bench dogs, fences and accessories without the use of a CNC or any expensive guide jig systems. Instead, I just use my usual workshop tools and a hand made jig to layout and drill the holes accurately. Consider it a poor man's MFT table for those who don't have the money for a Festool table or one of the fancy guide jig systems like the UJK Teechnology Parf Guide System.
Plans for this build are available at Etsy bit.ly/EtsyKB or Patreon bit.ly/KBpatreon
Video about making the table base: • Making An Assembly Tab...
The bench dogs and accessories are courtesy of Bench Dogs : their website is benchdogs.co.uk/
10 Minute Workshop videos:
Dog collars & Dominos : • Dog Collars & Dominos ...
Metal Flagstops : • Full Metal Flagstop [v...
Fence Dogs : • Fencedogs 👍👍👍 [#212]
Bisch Basch Bosch videos:
Guide Rail Dogs As A Square : • Video
Guide Rail Dogs Review ; • Video
#woodworking #mft #workbench
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![3 MFT Tops, 3 MFT jigs [Video 498]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9DhLQPrjnik/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Keith,
The math is bothering me slightly. Now I understand the 3,4,5 method, but I'm not sure you can just add, multiple and then add to the result in the way you did. I'll repeat what you did using Pythagoras
a² + b² = c²
We want to know c, therefore
c = sqrt(a² + b²)
1) 3²+4²=25
Sqrt(25) = 5
2) you doubled the values
6²+8²=100
Sqrt(100) = 10
3) You multiplied by 100
600²+800² = 1,000,000
Sqrt(1,000,000) = 1000
At this point everything is correct, however simply adding 100 to those values does not work...
700²+900² = 1,300,000
Sqrt(1,300,000) = 1,140.1754
Not 1100
After watching the video back several times, adding 100 is not required as the datum point (x100,y100) can be whatever value you want. As long as you measure from this datum point 600mm in one direction and 800mm perpendicular to it, the 2 points will have a distance of 1000mm (not 1100) if the sides are at 90°.
I still can't figure out how you got 1100.
Hopefully, I've missed something and I'd appreciate if someone could point it out, but I'd hate for someone to make a mistake on something that is intended to be very accurate.
I love your videos, keep up the good work!
He's measuring from the 100mm mark on his tape measure. So 1100 is 1000.
@@JoelPrice253 Yes! I knew I missed something. It was late haha
Yes sorry if I didn't explain it so well 👍
@Stuart Purdue: I had the same doubt, but what he did was not add, but offset by 100mm. Damn, someone already said that...
@@RagnBoneBrown You explained it superbly. Just a miss on Stuart's part.
I've had the chance to use this table a couple of times now. It's fun to whip out in front of people:) I can see what people are talking about when they say the legs are delicate, but they're design to support a "mostly" vertical load, not be torqued from the side or pushed back into place. If you just let the table open or close on it's own and don't force anything, it works great ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxyFZUPFEey-PuqsPMxqaykBhgA1LWxFHh Once it's set up, it's pretty solid. My only gripe would probably be related to the clamps provided. They're not the highest quality. They do the job, so no big deal, but they could be better. All in all, pretty cool gadget.
Thank you for this. I am planning my man cave and didn’t think I could justify a work station like this now I have a project 😀 Looks great and enjoy the honest and real vids. Cheers.
This is an extremely creative way to make an MFT table on a budget. Brilliant!
This is a valuable addition to my woodwork collection ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO I still will rate this woodwork plan as the best in my reference library. It always seem to stand out from the rest whenever you go through the library. This is a masterpiece.
You've made quite a daunting task seem more achievable with clear instructions, tips and tricks! I've not found another video explaining this build as good as you. Thanks for sharing!
Hello, I'm a metal worker but same principles apply. I find using dividers to lay out equidistant holes is extremely accurate. In this case absolute accuracy of the holes is not as important as relative accuracy. If the holes are all at 100.01 mm centres it doesn't matter as long as they are all 100.01 mm to achieve square/ straight when jigging/ fixturing. Dividers ensure completely consistent centres. Hope this helps someone. Great build cheers.
Great tip.have dividers but it never occurred to use them before!at least now I'll keep it in my mind!
Good Tip, I was a carpenter for many years and began using dividers to lay out the pickets on a stairway on flat runs, especially if the rail had a radius.
I want to thank you for making this video. I followed your instructions and tested it out on an old sheet of underlayment I'm using for clamping/assembly to see if it was any good. I'm quite impressed by the accuracy of this method and I've made multiple test cuts and every time the tolerance is within 0.05 - 0.10 mm and this is really more then enough for my woodworking projects. Thanks again and keep up the good work !
As a Festool rep told me, the 96mm on centers was decided on because of the 32mm cabinet frame less metric that is used in Germany and everywhere as a whole.Loved the math lesson and the marking of the top.Seems your jig was spot on.
This is the way 😂
. Most of european cabinets are designed with this rule of 32mm. Hinges fit perfect on this 32mm space. Common handle has a 96cm space between pins...
Great stuff! i've been watching for a few years now and this video is one of the best you've done! Fantastic idea, explained very well! I was put off the bought systems (mainly because of price) but also because the instructions made it out to be a very complicated process and for those who stuggle with maths, it seemed a little overwelming. This however is as simple as drilling some very accurate holes in a bit of wood. Keeping it simple is always the best! Keep up the good work, you've helped a lot of guys who would never have been able to afford a festool MFT or drilling guide system!
Another project finished and looking great. The hole drilling method was a super tip and so thanks for sharing that. Always a pleasure to see that you have released a new video. Have a great week and best wishes.
This is a really excellent video. What came into my mind about the jig for the holes of the mft. If it would be cut a bit wider - e.g. 250 mm instead of 200 mm and you drill two lines of holes (seperated by exactly 100 mm, and the first line 100 mm from the side) you can use it to drill it line by line. But the idea of this jig is really good.
Economical option to the commercial expensive alternatives. I almost ordered one from you know where, but this video changed my mind and saved me money for other necessary tools. Thanks!
there is a company called cnc design, never used them as yet but I am thinking of doing, anyway they make the mft tops but only the one size to fit the crazy price "F......tool.
you can buy templates to use with a router for around £30 now and they are very accurate and means you can make many tops at whatever size you need, if I was making an MFT top I would want it to be more accurate than this version.
That looks really good and love the fact that you owned up to your mistake, love your solution to drilling the holes and a lot cheaper than buying the kit, I'm thinking of making one of these however I'm going to purchase a CNC top as it's only about £30 and since it has to fit into my 10x8 shed
Some great sounds of Ska and Two Tone in the background, which always makes for a great day in the workshop.
Hi Keith,
I keep coming back to your Chanel/Video's for inspiration.
I also am a Newbee and this is only a hobby for me, I started up during to Covid period, I needed some sort of hobby to take my mind off the stresses of work.... well here I am several thousand euros later with a small workshop with a few tools. I love the way you manage to turn an expensive idea, like Peters Festool Table, into something I can play with and not have to spend more money on.
Keep up the good work and thanks for inspiring me and keeping me occupied over the past 3 to 4 months.
I really enjoy your thorough yet understandable explanations and admire your work methods.
Great stuff, appreciate your sharing and the alternative to something like the BIG DOLLAR: PARF guide.
I like the way you spell out the reasoning as to why you take any step in the build as you go along!
Your square testing methods for both the mirror equipment and the 3 4 5 method have me subscribing!!
Excellent! I've been looking for a DIY method for making an MFT top that didn't involve buying a ridiculously expensive jig. Thank you for sharing such detailed instructions!
Thanks for the introduction to Bisch Basch Bosch videos , I like his style and content so I've subscribed to his channel.
Best wishes
Pete.
Excellent accuracy and attention to detail in all your work.
96 mathematically is a dozen related number. Dozens are nice because they are divisible by 2, 3, 4 and 6 unlike decimals. I’d say that is why Festool selected 96mm. Thanks for the great video!
Kind of fascinating because its a way of using the metric system to behave functionally like the much-lampooned imperial system.
Good work Keith. You've created a lot of capability there for minimal cost.
I made a perfectly serviceable MFT following your clear and concise your instructions. Thanks! I did center the 20mm holes to 96mm only because I thought there might be jigs out there that are tailored to Festool's specs. Sidenote: I made bench dogs of various heights and purpose on the lathe.
Probably the best video on making a workbench top I've seen. Thanks!
I have been wanting one of these for ages but just couldn't justify the cost. This is a great option and I have all the bits lying around so very nearly free. Also, easy to custom size to suit the room. Thanks for posting.
Great work! I need to build an MFT table. I'll make this a winter project.
I used your method to make an MFT top. Thank you so much for this clear and concise video. The top didn't turn out perfectly (maybe half a millimeter off in some places, but no compounding errors), even though I used a drill press and measured carefully -- but it's close enough for all the work I do, and a huge improvement to the workshop. Thanks again!
Another great video. You do a great job of presenting the project and revealing what is and isn't important.
I am about to build my own workshop and your video has helped me very much. Thank you 👍
Very nice job Keith, and thanks so much for the shout-out and linky-links! One thing I do find the MFT useful for that isn't immediately obvious, is to use the back of the rail as a straight-edge when you're using the Domino for 'inboard' mortices - I talk about the technique a bit in video #182 - and it's a real time-saver, especially when you add in stops and flags on the rail, or even just pencil marks. 👍
Yeah I've seen you do that, will try to bear that in mind as looks really useful 👍
I have never used an MFT table either, but now you show off those accessories, I can see some real benefits. More research needed, I think! Thanks, Craig
I have been looking to see how I could add dog holes to a workbench I have just built. This is a great video showing how it can be done without spending a lot of money. Thank you.
EXCELLENT VIDEO.
Good explanation of purpose at the begining so everyone knows what it is you're making and how it works.
All good teachers do this, yet do many UA-camrs don't bother or don't seem to appreciate how important it is.
Good crisp presentational style with tightly coupled and relevant video.
Follow up videos of vice and other table furniture would be well received.
Subscribed and 'belled'.
Nice video and very well explained as usual, I bought my last two MFT tops mainly because I was worried about my accuracy but after watching your video I’m pretty sure if I take care of this can now be achieved.
Great video Keith thanks for posting, love my Benchdogs kit, well made precise and made right here in England! Hope you're well keep 'em coming
A job well done , a nice project and well exicuted Keith.
Hi Keith, currently planning a new workbench & want to put an MFT top on. A few weeks away from the build but just had a dry run/proof of concept on some scrap. Worked perfectly! Looking forward to cracking on now.
As wood is becoming very expensive and scarce here in Mexico, I'm thinking on using heavy gauge perforated steel angle (such as used for racks and shelves) that, with enough cross bracing, and bolting it to the floor with anchor bolts, could provide great rigidity at the lower base, but the substructure for the top still needs some thinking. Thanks for a great video on how to make the top, and kudos for your 100 mm spacing! What people preferring to buy instead of DIY, is losing, is a great-great-great opportunity to Learn by thinking and designing yourself the project, like you did. One humble suggestion taken from aeromodellers that use Balsawood (that is quite soft): once you drill every hole and before coating with varnish, you can harden the wall of the holes by wetting them with thin (fast curing) Cyano -acrilate glue. The thin glue is absorbed by the MDF (and most woods) and the glue hardens the surface of the wood. Aeromodellers use that trick to harden the threaded holes in Balsa wood that will receive screws, so that the thread in the wood is more resistant. Same here, to better withstand the push of the dogs. Liked, Subscribed and "Belled".
I've just 3d printed a jig that I'm going to use to create mine later next week. Have to see if it works!
Really helpful video. Clear instructions that do not require a huge spend. THANKS!!!
96 mm is a good universal "unit" if I may say. If you divide 96 / 3 = 32 mm, then you can divide 32 mm in half up to 1 mm: 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1. Also 96 / 2 = 48, 24, 12, 6, 3. With 100 mm you stop at 100, 50, 25 mm.
Thank you.
Looks to me like it's to maintain compatibility with imperial units. 3mm ~ 1/8" 6mm ~ 1/4" and so on. I don't use imperial units so like the simplicity of 100mm centres. All the best, Rob in Switzerland
@@RobWhittlestone I don’t think it’s very compatible. It’s exactly 25.4mm per inch. Dividing out 96 gives 3.7795 inches. 89mm would be closer at 3.5039 inches and 127mm is exactly 5 inches, but these aren’t very ergonomic to use as both are prime numbers.
If I were choosing a width, I’d go with 108mm which has a lot of great factors: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 27, 36, 54, 108 or 120mm which has even better factors: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 24, 30, 40, 60 and 120
96 mm is used because it’s based on the 32mm increment used in cabinet building.
@@andrewschultz2504 and 32 mm increment is based on...?
Nice build Keith. definitely going to be making this!
Your videos are always paso easy to follow and full of detail. Great ideas in this build. Thanks for sharing. Andy UK
Great video Keith, looks like you have cracked it and I think even Peter Millard would be happy with the accuracy.
The Festool spacing of 96 is 3 x 32. 32mm is the standard spacing in line boreing machines
It's also a multiple of the most common 16mm MDF and chipboard that in EU en the rest of the world from which cabinets are made. Thus the 96mm works towards the spacing for stacking multi layers of the 16mm stuff
Great video, I'm getting ready to build a bench and now I have a better idea of what I want from it. I really like the way you explain every step. Subscribed!
11:43 that looks very satisfying!
Great job on the work bench top Keith! Thanks for sharing the video with us.👌👍😎JP
Great video as always Keith I’d love a MFT table top in my workshop and after watching your video I think I might just do it thanks and keep up the amazing work 👍
Excellent video! This could easily be converted to imperial measurements I am sure, which is what we use here in the U.S. I love the accuracy of the table. Here in the U.S. there is a system called the Micro Jig System which uses dovetail clamps and a dovetail router bit. I was looking for a way to make the dovetail cuts accurately and dead on square, and this may just be the answer, so thank you.
Wow your workshop has given you so much more room, I bet your very happy...I would be.
Great job on the table mate, that will come in handy in so many builds in the future...well done 🏆👍🏼😊
nice idea with the sideways parallel clamp I have never thought to do that before. I will have to try it on mine sometime.
Great film! That bench is rockin' such a high level of workmanship. Mahalo for sharing! : )
Back off my hols and two vids dropped...great work
I've researched the spacing as well and it may not matter, but 100mm math gives 100/50/25/fractions. 96mm gives 96/48/24/12/6/3/fractions. The MFT table is new to me, but I can already see some real advantages. Nice video!
That awl-pivot was masterful
Nicely done video ... it seems no matter how many videos I view of a given woodworking subject, I learn something new. Your video is no exception. I really like your approach to solving your design challenges, common sense tends to serve you well. I had to laugh when you realized that you spaced your supports evenly and not how you had originally designed, I did the exact same thing with my bench. I'm sure we shared some common explanatives at the realization of what we had just done. Cheers ...
I've tried doing repeated cuts like this and never been successful. I've always ended up frustrated and giving up. Thanks for sharing this, I'll try your way next time. Keep the videos coming, Keith, I really enjoy your honesty, skill and sense of humour. To my mind you've yet to do a dud and, looking back to the early ones, it's interesting to see how you've developed as a presenter/director as well as a woodworker. Cheers mate.
Thank you!
Very interesting and useful video. Thanks for sharing. The way you made your MFT top is awesome. Some time ago, I wanted to make a small MFT top as well.
I did (I used another method) but it was not very exact. It is usable for some things but not for cutting straight or 45 degrees corners.
For some time I have another system in my mind which should be far more exact. I did not have time for making it till now. Maybe the upcoming winter.
Great instructions - clear and detailed. Thanks.
You could pivot the guide on both sides, once each, that way you can use 2 locator pins and stay accurate without measuring.
Doubling the thickness of the guide will also improve the squareness of your drill.
You're correct on both points. However, plumb resulting from the use of this jig is adequate.
Meme Plex. I had that thought too. Once you have a jig, it reduces errors from having to make more measurements - especially if measuring in 100mm increments, rather than absolute 0-(100,200,300,etc)... Incremental errors add up.
John Coloe: Getting all the rows parallel with this method requires very accurate measuring of the free end for every row (absolute measurements is better than incremental), using the Jig to simply spot-drill the 2 long edge rows would remove the need for further measurement. (NB, In favour of your "argument"; even 1mm error at ~800mm (whatever the overall width is) is not significant as far as angle is concerned (asin(1/800) =0.072degrees). Though it will make it more difficult to get fixed dimension fixture "dogs" into the holes (are there any fixtures without adjustable dog spacings??).
Great video!! Very well explained and inexpensive for most people. It’s always disheartening when someone fires up the CNC to make their top lol.
Excellent video Keith, I have seen a few and always forgotten to subscribe but not this time. I will certainly be trying this for me new bench that I plan to make.
Keep up the great work.
"In future" Great work.
Awesome Keith... great vid!! Keep up the fantastic content on your channel!
Enjoyable video Keith and fair play to anyone who can admit to a mistake well done mate
Wow, what a clear and precise explanation. A superb solution for us without deep pockets. Nice one Keith
Thanks Stephen - means a lot coming from you
Nice video. You’ve got me intrigued with the table.
Hi Avery useful video and well explained. I shall look forward to making my own MFT. Many thanks, Phil
Very clever and well explained procedure.
Great video, well narrated. Thank you.
Fantastic job, mate. 👍🏽
Nice and precise just like a bought one. 👌🏽
Great idea for the jig.
Just watched this for the second time, having watched it about a year ago; once again I'm really impressed with just how much information you managed to get across with great clarity in such a short time. I was particularly interested to know what hole spacing you had used and re-assured that there's nothing magic about the 96mm that some proprietary systems use. I also like your honesty in declaring the mistake you made - just the sort of thing I often manage to do, but there's usually a work-around and I'm sure you'll find one. All together very well done and thank you.
Watched this for the third time now 😂 definitely going to try doing it this way when making a workbench in my tiny basement area assigned to various shop tasks!
Great video! This is my weekend plan
Great idea! Love the wheels
Very good work. Compliments and many greetings from Frankfurt / Germany
Tom
Looks great and very clever jig
Great instructional! Love your stuff!
Cool.. and reasonably accurate if your on a budget.. great video well explained.. thanks
Found gold... cheers master!
Great video. Can I offer a possible refinement to the process when locating the layout of the holes. The initial row is drilled, then the first hole is used to pivot the guide 90 deg to locate the continued row spacing. This could be repeated on the opposing edge and then you just locate each row by top and bottom hole and drill all those inbetween.
Thanks for this video. Have seen other ways to make these but they required expensive kits which make it not affordable for me. This looks affordable to do it this way.
Beautiful work !!!
Another great video Keith, i recently made a mft slab which i first seen on you tube its the same as the top of your work bench but i fit it on saw horses as i dont have a large work area and use it outside.I found the mft slab to be excellent fantastic for cutting and assembly applications i also spaced the holes at 100mm centers and it worked out great.I bought 4 makita tracksaw clamps which screw tight from Amazon as i found them to be the cheapest option, also l put handles on the outer edge of the slab which also double up as clamping holes for larger clamps.I do think that you will find your bracing pieces on your table may get in the way of the festool clomps which like mine hook into position and like you when my slab wears out ill make improvements to my next one
What a brilliant video. Learnt loads. Subscribed. 👌👍🏼
Great square checking advice. I subbed for that.
Very nice diligent work, much respect. Mistakes = learning, so fair play for holding your hand up.
The table looks fantastic, you'll really enjoy using it. (I'm not a wood worker, but use the same system for a welding table. It makes me smile :))
Dogs with collars! I love it!
Brilliant job and well explained love it well done.
Nicely done, giving me ideas for my new workbench. 😁
great new table !
Nice background music in the workshop. Very Special
Great video I’ve wanted to make one of these myself. Thanks
Man, this is well done!
Nice and practise top tabla, thanks to share it.
And you build your own Parf System... using a piece of wood... 😀!
Very nice!.... lovely!.... great lesson!
Thxs!