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Doug B

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Don’t know if this is of any interest but a while ago I made myself a MFT for using on site with my track saw.
I started by making a template on a friends miller

4F0C86F6-27C4-4F19-9E49-640DEB58A004.jpeg


Setting the 30mm holes at 96mm centres

09EC7EE2-DA0D-4594-BCB5-FF20E2AFE7D4.jpeg


After which he turned me up some aluminium dogs starting with the long ones

B7B709E9-D116-47CE-87FA-8F07DBA9151C.jpeg


Cutting them down on the bandsaw

2B75ED6A-1290-4437-A90F-37364301CF9A.jpeg


The finished 19mm x 30mm dogs

CFF52496-047C-47AB-91D8-8A92225D454E.jpeg


I clamped the template on an offcut of MDF, using a 19mm cutter & 30mm guide Bush I cut holes in to the MDF with my router, I then moved the template along using the dogs to reference the template & continued cutting holes

5EFA41F7-1F75-4DCB-B711-5BD0F62A2878.jpeg


On site the top is simply mounted on a couple of trestles though I fixed a couple of bearers to the underside for rigidity

BDEC90E7-50BE-411B-9FFC-44FCB9F085C9.jpeg


For 90 & 45 degree cuts I find the top extremely accurate as well as being a very convenient work surface.

3D1D4DC8-A0C6-4187-B327-FE4A85EA8A70.jpeg
 

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Interesting to see. I have a Bridgeport mill (looks same as the one in your pic) but unfortunately it is packed into my garage and not been set up for 4 years. I wondered about making a template like you did. Did you use a standard milling cutter into ply?
In the end I bought a template and got an excellent result on my second attempt. First attempt was with a worn out cheap router and the cutter wasn't running central to the guide bush which resulted in an offset error accumulating. I then knocked up an aluminium centralising tool on my lathe for the second attempt with a new router which ensured the guide was concentric and that was perfect.

I used the top on some trestles but as I work in the room I am renovating I find I keep accumulating tools on the top as the main work bench so I built it into a Paulk type box so I can keep tools underneath and the top clear.
 
Oooh, you have a template? Do you have a link to more details?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
Doug B":3xpla9ep said:
Don’t know if this is of any interest but a while ago I made myself a MFT for using on site with my track saw.
I started by making a template on a friends miller

View attachment 4

Setting the 30mm holes at 96mm centres

View attachment 9

After which he turned me up some aluminium dogs starting with the long ones



Cutting them down on the bandsaw

View attachment 2

The finished 19mm x 30mm dogs



I clamped the template on an offcut of MDF, using a 19mm cutter & 30mm guide Bush I cut holes in to the MDF with my router, I then moved the template along using the dogs to reference the template & continued cutting holes

View attachment 5

On site the top is simply mounted on a couple of trestles though I fixed a couple of bearers to the underside for rigidity



For 90 & 45 degree cuts I find the top extremely accurate as well as being a very convenient work surface.

View attachment 3
This was a fun read.
There's something satisfying about seeing those crisp aluminium dogs. And the accuracy looks ace!

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
Doug B":2f2ygwqi said:
For 90 & 45 degree cuts I find the top extremely accurate as well as being a very convenient work surface.
Total satisfaction then, good to see the most effective tools available for the job being employed.
 
Steve Maskery":2z8v7p6c said:
You could have saved yourself all that bother and just used my template...
:)
I didn’t know you had one Steve also it handy having my own template as I can destroy these tops quite quickly :shock:
 
I'm very new to MFT tabletops, (and this forum in general) but also a metal machinist by trade so this was a very interesting and inspiring read!

The results looks perfect!

Top job!
 
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