MFT/3 Replacement Table top Cut in 18mm Moisture Resistant MDF Multi Function Clamping Table

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As has been said, if you want to copy a Festool MFT top check to be sure it’s really what you want to duplicate. I haven't moved my MFT since I first put it in maybe 10 or 12 years ago, and it was surprisingly heavy - the OEM tops are very dense - and awkward to move in a small space. I just secure it with dogs and a clamp, drill out most of each hole with a 1/2" bit, and then finish them off with a 1/2" pattern bit. Lots of compacted sawdust in the rear grooves as well, which all needed cleaning out, but did indeed clean out just fine.

And before I made this cut I made a test cut on another piece just to verify that my tablesaw was cutting accurately because it was really important that it measured exactly 200mm after making the cut, I verify it with a tape measure that I trust for accuracy. Sacrificial cutting strip, just pull it out and stick another one in when your cuts start getting a little ragged. Then I could work my way down the top, row by row, using my awl to locate the jig in the first hole.If you want the useful “accessory pack” then you’ll need to fork out again, but really all you need is some star-knobs, a bit of t-track, t-nuts and some 3/4″ / 20mm dowel. If each top lasts a three or four years I will be in my mid seventies before it would be cheaper to make my own standard tops. For me I would like to use the trim router and the Parf system, so no drill but instead a hole that would take a 30mm bush and now another level of hole drilling would be possible, no issues with tilting the drill as the router is all plunge.

Personalised advertising may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have a right to opt out. It was good for painted projects, but the thin surface would not likely hold up to the constant abrasion from working on a table surface made from it in the same way it would hold up for road signs (a typical use). I'm using some water based varnish which is pretty much my go to finish when I want something hardwearing, it's great stuff. I must confess, I've never really understood why some folks feel the need for rail squares to set up their MFT - the whole top has a grid of holes, all perfectly square to each other - and that's what I used here. I want my table top to be 1800mm long by 800mm wide, and here I'm measuring and marking up so that I can cut it to size - obviously I'm making sure to work from my square reference corner of the sheet.

I made that cut using my tracksaw with my speed square guiding the cut, and again, this is a speed square that I know is accurate and reliably square. The exact placement of the track isn’t important as long as the uncovered surface is at least as large as the MFT top.

This isn't an ad or anything, I bought them with my own money, but I've just been impressed with them so thought it worth mentioning. When I use the router after drilling the holes, I make sure I use a fixed base - hand position is usually closer to the workpiece so less chance of 'rocking' the bit. There's a really easy way to check this, all you need is a scrap piece of wood with a perfectly straight edge on it.To secure the top I'm going to be using pocket holes, but without using a jig - I just get th drill bit started, and then slowly angle it and finish off the hole. I decide to mitre the corners, just to make it look nice, and then I glued and clamped the pieces in place to force the wood back to being straight, and I used a few pin nails too, and I made sure to fire the nails in as low as possible because later on I want to add a round over to the top of the trim.

These holes are going to make it much easier to locate the drill bit accurately at each of the increments. I want to use an MFT/3 replacement top as a ‘template’ to make a larger top, I have seen other people successfully clamp it to the workpiece and then drill out the bulk of the holes with a drill bit. If you’re not familiar with the LR 32 system – what it does, is allow you to (in conjunction with a Festool router, drill precise holes at multiples of 32mm). I have no flexibility for the future but there is no room in my shed for anything bigger, the standard size is about the biggest that i can fit in the corner and walk around and I am small. Hold the square up to the edge, scribe a line, and then flip the square over, scribe another line, and if your square is square, those lines should be exactly the same distance away from one another.I'm mounting it to steel Rockler Rock Steady stands, so those will do a good job flattening it out once I anchor it down. I use whatever materials make sense for the item or project I'm working on, whether that's wood, fabric, leather, metals or plastics. Turning off the personalised advertising setting won’t stop you from seeing Etsy ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive. Not only is this drilling jig giving me accurate placement for the holes, but because it was drilled at the pillar drill it's also ensuring that my drill bit is drilling the hole nice and plum because the holes in the jig were drilled at the drill press. piece of MDF and I’ve brought back the LR 32 system, clamped it down the long side now (not the short side as we did for the jig) now it’s along the long side – same 5mm bit, and we’ll make a hole every 96mm.