Plunge sawyers, how are you getting on?

I feel there are a couple more upgrades to my tool box needed. First some trestles. The days of supporting large sheets on scraps of 2*4 on the drive and crawling around on hands and knees as I push my circular saw along my clamped straight edge need to be gone for ever. I’m too old, my back won’t cope, nor knees, and I’ll cry if a balls up led to a plunge saw blade to concrete driveway interface. For comfort and accuracy, trestles I think. Any reason to get anything more than cheap ones? They would do for sheet material and doors etc wouldn’t they? Or do I do Peter Millards trestle project? Hmm. A few simple projects to get some saw practice seems sensible maybe, but then a sheet of plywood is as much as a pair of cheap trestles.

I have a Titan vac. I think I’ll have to hang out from the garage roof so the hose is not a faff.

Can someone explain to me when you use / need the MFT table ?

I do have a plunge saw, the erbauer model, wish I’d bought the makita cordless and not been so tight.

Can someone explain to me when you use / need the MFT table ?

It’s just really handy as you can stick in some Dogs and suddenly you have something to but work up against, or push a clamp through a hole and clamp a piece of work down. Or add a fence + dogs and you have a fence to make repeat cuts against.

It’s not a miracle solution in itself, but it just makes lots of things simpler.

Axminster have some nice videos for their MFT tops showing what you can do:

https://www.axminstertools.com/ujk-technology-multifunction-workbench-for-twist-dogs-717979

Cheers flaps, I’ll take a look at that. So it’s a bit like the holes and pegs that many workmate tops have…. But on steroids.

Btw, anyone got useful tips for DIY router table and jigs? Do we need a separate routerists thread?

So it’s a bit like the holes and pegs that many workmate tops have…. But on steroids.

Yep, then add in fences….

Lots of nice clamps

Rail squares with dogs

Is a proper rail system that much of a game changer?

I have a little 20v Worx plunge saw and for straight cuts I just clamp down something with a straight edge to the workpiece. I have a longer jig made with leftover laminate flooring which stops stuff wandering one way, and concentration and patience stops it wandering away from the guide. Am I missing something?

The MFT system , the biggest plus point is being able to cut perfect 90 angles
in moments.

So – once you cut a strip off your straight board you want to cut the ends square, with the strip pushed against 2 dogs you can lay the rail against another dog and you have a perfect 90 , its harder to explain than to do, it gives the plunge saw the extra to effectively replace the table saw for many jobs, and with thought and jigs almost all jobs.
It has many uses in marking out, work holding and there are lots of affordable ways to start now with just a top and dogs – excellent offers around for a top and dogs.

Lookup rs_cnc_designs on ebay for a top and 6 dogs

Is a proper rail system that much of a game changer?

If you have to make a lot of repeat cuts, saves getting out my table saw and using it’s fence.

Is a proper rail system that much of a game changer?

Yes. I made a couple of straight jigs to use with a normal circular saw and it’s fine, better than just the saw, but the rail is a huge step up. You don’t need clamps so alignment is quicker and simpler. It’s much more reliable and gives more consistent straight cuts. Easy to add jigs for repeat cuts. Easy to move it a tiny bit a shave a fraction off. Better finish too. Depends what you are making as to whether it is worth it to you but it is a lot better

Given how cheap MFT clones are on ebay / Amazon (around £50) it’s a pretty cheap investment.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324698187476

For comfort and accuracy, trestles I think. Any reason to get anything more than cheap ones?

I’d say not. I use cheap workmate copies. About £10-£20 each. Quick and easy to set up. Makes cutting big sheets a lot easier. For extra support I put an old pallet on top. No heartache if you cut into it and it can be left outside. You can pick them up free too.

I have a set of these Stanley trestles which are brilliant. They fold up and clip together neatly.

I also have a set of the regular folding plastic type.

The Stanleys at the top can take more weight and have a longer support, although you can stick 2x4s into the slots on the plastic type.

I screw bits of 18mm mdf to the tops from underneath with brass screws, giving me a nice flat surface that I can cut into with my track saw nae bother.

Can someone explain to me when you use / need the MFT table ?

Really the thing they are useful for is repeatability – rather than measuring and marking up every cut one piece at a time its away of setting up to make the same cut again and again. So its a time save.

Is a proper rail system that much of a game changer?

I have a little 20v Worx plunge saw and for straight cuts I just clamp down something with a straight edge to the workpiece.

Again – its a time save. A rail system is just faster – it doesnt allow you to make any cut you couldn’t make with a ripsnorter and a straight edge its just quicker (and plunge saws with extraction are also cleaner so thats a time save too)

So in either case its really a question of what matters to you in terms of time. Some people are making things as a way of spending time and some are doing it as a way of making money and are therefore looking to save time.

If you’re making things for a hobby then doing things in half the time just means less time doing your hobby.

the stanley isn’t square according to some amazon reviews

Interesting – mine is. I’ve had it for about 10 years though I think so maybe there have been good and bad batches

If you’re making things for a hobby then doing things in half the time just means less time doing your hobby.

I only mess about for fun, but everything takes way longer than I expected, so anything which saves times is worth it (for me). I mainly work outside now, so I loose half an hour setting everything up on tressles outside the workshop and getting all the tools outside etc, before I’ve even started. Then the same to clean all away. I was getting sick of everything being covered in dust in the workshop, even using a vacuum attached to everything.

Only half an hour? Fooook, I waste half the day setting up and spend the rest clearing away!

Storing all this stuff, mft and trestles etc, becomes a job and a half. I’ve a large tandem style double garage and thanks to a huge storage and tidying project I’ve reclaimed the half the car isn’t in, I hope to keep it though and not have to negotiate a pile of junk to get to every toy, tool or material.

The plastic type trestles were my first thought, might stretch to the top ones though if they fold away more neatly.

As for circular saw against staight edge there what I did for the last 20+ years and managed. Although since the motor on my saw overhangs the base plate I could only use the blade side edge against a rail so trimming a thin piece from a sheet could only be done using the saws own fence. I thought about making my own rail system for it, then looked at buying rails and base plate add ones (skil do one, and someone else) but they cost as much as the Macalister or workzone saws and still not as good so I’ve just gone the whole hog. Or what I thought was…. But seems I need an fst, dogs, clamps, clamps for the dogs, squares, clamp on squares, dogs for the squares, a smooth sheath for my ribbed hose and, and…. Well I’ve more then I need I guess!

a smooth sheath for my ribbed hose

Knyuck knyuck! Chelp!

I use those plastic Stanley trestles, I think they’re great. The slots fit CLS timber. Cheap from B&Q. That means I’ve got a 2.4m long bench, I stick my MFT on top and with a couple of offcuts of 18mm board to support the longer pieces I can do anything.

And as for the hose getting snagged, Festool make a handy deflector for hose and cable that you place at the end of the rail. But I made one from an old paint roller tray that worked too.

And a final thought (for now) Don’t get upset that you bought “an inferior” version of any tool. Tools fall into 4 categories: 1) you can’t do the job without it 2) you can do the job quicker with it 3) you can do the job to a higher quality with it. 4) I really really really want it because it’s expensive and all the big boys on YouTube use it.
I’ve got a few Festool which I mostly bought for 3) but with a bit of 4) but if I don’t know I’ll be using it a lot I’m fine with Erbauer or cheaper. My impact driver, which I bought years ago is an Erbauer. It’s in daily use and I wish it would break because then I could justify getting a premium brand. Same with my JCB router!

But seems I need an fst, dogs, clamps, clamps for the dogs, squares, clamp on squares, dogs for the squares, a smooth sheath for my ribbed hose and, and…. Well I’ve more then I need I guess!

……

I’ve a large tandem style double garage and thanks to a huge storage and tidying project I’ve reclaimed the half the car isn’t in, I hope to keep it though and not have to negotiate a pile of junk to get to every toy, tool or material.

🙂

I’ve got some of the cheap plastic trestles and they’ve had some really heavy solid timber worktops on them with no problems.

The Bora Centipede things look ace though if you can spend more, no worries about supporting in the right direction/places. https://www.keybladesandfixings.com/collections/bora

If you’re making things for a hobby then doing things in half the time just means less time doing your hobby.

Or getting twice as much done in the limited time you have. Cutting MDF isn’t the hobby in itself, making nice fitted stuff for my house is.

Being able to quickly, repeatably cut things to the right size and square is like having a superpower after years of faff with not-quite-right bits I’d cut using a circular saw.

For me the great beauty of the rail saw is that I can work off a pile of sheets on the floor. No need to worry about supporting offcuts or the saw falling on the floor (can happen if you’ve set up a bevel cut); just shove a scrap of 6mm board under the cut to protect the material underneath. I have two 1400 rails and an 800 one which is handy working in tight spaces. I don’t use squares or jigs as the workshop table saw gets used when I’m back off site.
Rail saws are actually great for scribe cuts as a series of short straight cuts works fine around most curves, much faster and neater than using a jigsaw, handsaw or power planer.

Yeah big John and maccruiskeen sum it up. I don’t need this, but it’s a bit of treat myself. Other than my large chainsaw this is my most expensive power tool. I’ve tools to do many jobs but got a real mix …bosch blue cordless drill (x2) and impact driver, DeWalt corded big sds+ drill, this plunge saw and both the Stihl and husky chainsaws I consider quality tools for me as a DIY guy and festool mafell Milwaukee I’d love but not enough given the use id get. Then I’ve tools like the 25 year old black and decker circular saw and a b and d Jigsaw, just about old enough to be from before b&d went to pieces and an almost as old biggish old corded hammer drill from the Wickes pro range… Good value tools that have paid for themselves many times over and do okay but not special type tools… Then power devil angle grinder, parkside multi tool, performance power router and similar brand chop saw are cheap but have done far more then I could have imagined. The router and the multi tool I’d upgrade to Bosch/Makita quality in an instant if they ever break though. Hand tools agree a similar spread, a teenie bit of snap on, king dick, stahwille, (old but quality) a similar amount of Halfords pro and Stanley from 50+ years ago before they went to pieces, and a load of pretty cheap sh**, but generally it’s been for enough to do the jobs I’ve asked of it.
I can’t think of any cheap tools I regret buying, a few I’d buy better now I’ve more money and know the tools use, but that’s it. Similarly I don’t regret the better tools I have, they’ve been well used and have made jobs a pleasure

It’s arrived! I need to fit a plug. It was cheap as it’s obviously European stock, with a 2 pin plug.
Thankfully I have a plug, and the tools needed to fit.

Hmmm, do I have a problem? Both the rails (Excel 1500mm) are slightly bowed, one more than the other. If laid on a flat surface the worst one is maybe 5mm up off of it at either end. Saw seems to run along each (haven’t tried joining) and the rails flatten as the saw passes so probably okay? Or should I return them?

Or should I return them?

Yes, return. You need your rail reliably straight.

Also if it is curved that way you risk it moving while cutting. If it was second hand I’d have a go at gently straightening it but as its new you might as well get it replaced

Yeah I can see it won’t sit reliably without clamping. As you say, if I’d bent it, I could likely straighten it, but I didn’t. Packaging was fine which had me worried…. Anybody else got excel rails? I’m fearful they are all a bit bowed and the free quid extra on Makita will be a better bet.

report raised with seller on manomano, hope they get back to me tomrrow, that they collect the bowed rails, and i get some straight ones quickly.

btw, i can see the handiness in a short rail. anybody interested in literally going halves on a long one?

The holes on the old black and decker workmate were only ever there to use little plastic stops to hold wood or other materials steady for working on. MFT’s are , or rather the holes in them are there for accuracy and squareness when machining or clamping. Design is simple but very accurate.

The Bora Centipede things look ace though if you can spend more, no worries about supporting in the right direction/places.

I have a Bora centipede – with their “foldable” MFT style top. Very happy with it – I haven’t used the dog holes yet (dogs on order), but it terms of its ratio of packed-down size vs surface area, it’s great.

Tools4trade (the actual sellers on Manomano) have issued a return label after I sent a photo so it’ll be a few days but looks like they are processing things fine.

I was cheekily hoping they wouldn’t ask for the bent rails back and I’d try and straighten them. Probably unsurprisingly they do want them back though.

The Makita has a scoring button so you do one pass with that on at a shallow depth, then go back full depth. The anti-fall onto the floor at 45 degrees button is brilliant too.

These features are present on the option i never see mentioned which is the erbauer one.

Evolution do the cheapest 2×1400 track kit for longer cuts but you lose the anti tip groove (but the saws run absolutely fine on it.

Peter Millard also points out the evolution track has both slideway strips blade side of the rib, and some saws can tip over a bit as a result. He says it’s a problem he has never had, but a subscriber has.

Whilst I’m laid up having bust my hip and lower back at the start of this week, can someone recommend a setup for a halfway decent MFT setup. I could do with a little bit of tool related retail therapy.

I don’t have saw horses, if they’re needed.

Won’t be able to use it for a good few weeks, but that’s not really the point.

can someone recommend a setup for a halfway decent MFT setup.

How long is a piece of string?

From off the shelf original Festool: https://www.axminstertools.com/festool-mft-3-multifunctional-table-with-accessories-702780

To Axminster home brew: https://www.axminstertools.com/ujk-technology-multifunction-workbench-for-parf-dogs-717978

to buying a piece of MFT clone board on Amazon for £50 and making a bench out of it….

Again, loads of places make the dogs, Axminster sell then or https://benchdogs.co.uk/

As above there are many options. notes from me – as diy not pro:
I have the UJK (Axminster) version – just the frame and put an rscncdesign top on it which made it good value , but its extremely heavy , rigid and the supports for the top that run inside do get in the way – so its a fixed or movable type bench not portable.
I also have a knock together rscnc rough ply – that is portable and not bad but needs care as its very tight when put together.
There are many more options these days , i think I would go for the type that has a folding base and slots together – again in wood , paint it your own colour.
These are all budget+ that get you going with something a bit better than just a top and 4 dogs for which there are a multitude of DIY designs – a nice one by a Canadian guy that I cannot find a link to that has folding legs a wheels to transport. edit – found link https://www.danpattison.com/mpt
If you have the money and value the resale option then a genuine Festool mft3
is OK but not very rigid in my opinion, a bit over the top.. for DIY.
The diy systems for making your own tops are really for custom setups or folks with a lot of spare time considering the price of cnc tops and how long they last.
Dogs and jigs are plentiful at all budgets.

Thanks guys

@BigJohn nice setup. May blatantly copy that.

I’ve bought the saw horses from screwfix https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-folding-saw-horses-69cm-2-pack/82233

Where did you get the MFT top from, it looks like the larger slots at the outside can take normal clamps, which would be very handy.

The top came from Benchdogs a few years ago but they don’t do them any more. Yes it’s a biggun but I do wardrobes so need to be able to work with 2800 X 610 boards. That’s why I use the long supports, I can slide the mft and workpiece up and down to cut the board down without keeping turning it round.
The big slots are more of a nuisance than a help, as I have clamps which fit through the holes as well as in the rail slots. The Axminster ones are much better than the expensive festool ones. But the slots are handy for lifting it on and off.

MacAlisster MSPS 1200 selling for £80 at Screwfix is it worth a punt?
Nothing can match a Stihl masonry saw so sometimes the more expensive is the best, a Makita masonry saw works good for 6 months then gives you problems whereas Stihl 3 years other than rope repairs , filters never been looked at as no loss of revs

Those tables look awesome. We used a couple of pallets and a sheet of OSB to build a whole camper.

My knees didn’t thank me.