Benchdogs MFT Fence System - The ULTIMATE MFT Accessory?
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- My DIY MFT workbench has been a work in progress for over 18 months and I may have just found the ultimate accessory for any MFT-style workbench, the made in the UK Benchdogs 1200mm MK2 MFT fence with easy-to-use fence dogs, an amazing flipstop, other accessories to make your MFT table more functional.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction
0:25 What's in the box
2:08 Overview of all of the components
4:47 Amazing flipstop
5:36 Installing the fence dogs to the fence
6:01 Attaching the under rail support
6:24 Attaching the fence to my MFT
8:15 Why the Benchdogs over the UJK fence
9:33 Easy calibration of the fence
10:42 Right-side fence
11:15 Anti-deflection dog
11:26 Making a test cut
13:20 Up close with the fence
15:17 More thoughts and plans
16:50 Cost breakdown
19:06 Final thoughts
PREVIOUS VIDEOS ON MY DIY MFT:
Update #1 - • Making My Own MFT (Upd...
Update #2 - • Making My Own MFT (Upd...
Update #3 - • Making My Own MFT (Upd...
Update #4 - • Making My Own MFT (Upd...
Update #5 - • Making My Own MFT (Upd...
Update #6 - • Making My Own MFT (Upd...
Update #7 (18 Months Later) - • 18 Months Later - How ...
LINKS TO BENCHDOGS (NOT SPONSORED):
Benchdogs main page - benchdogs.co.uk/
1200mm MK2 Metric Fence - benchdogs.co.uk/collections/f...
Please note that this video is not sponsored by any of the brands in the video and all products have been purchased with my own money.
#benchdogstools #mft #woodworking - Jak na to + styl
After a weekend of heavy use with this fence (100+ cuts), I wanted to post a short update. I am so happy with this purchase as the accuracy and flexibility with multiple flip stops made it easy for me to make repeatable cuts in various order. Given that I was breaking down 3 full sheets of ply/MDF and sometimes required a full flat surface on my MFT, the fence dogs (vs. quad dogs) gave me the ability to easily remove and replace the fence while maintaining accuracy and flip stop positioning.
Additionally, I'd like to correct my thoughts on the right side support as this was borderline critical in allowing me to squarely cut long pieces. In the video I noted that I didn't think I'd need it, but after heavy use I am so thankful that I have it and would highly recommend purchasing it if you buy the main fence - plus, it comes with another flip stop!
Another trick: I started using 2040 extrusions for jigs and fixtures, and use the fence dogs a lot. So rather than having to recalibrate my fences after the dogs are "borrowed", I picked up another pair. I run my fence like you in tall orientation. Once I have both fences calibrated, I lock down the fence dogs closest to the cut with two M6 caps crew on each dog and leave them attached permanently. As long as those stay put, I can "borrow" the other two if I need them without having to recalibrate the fence. Plus, having one fence dog loose makes removing and reinstalling them much easier.
Also, as much as I trust the PARF guide jig for my hole layout, I still make sure I use the same dog holes for track saw work to make sure I'm always registered on the same spots.
When I have a lot of cross cutting I add another two foot piece of 2040 extrusion to the right side. This let's me square up the first end (work piece on the right, waste under the rail), then move the work left to the stop to cut to length. It saves time because I don't have to flip the board over or fiddle with the flag stop.
The downside to this method is the first cut isn't using the splinter guard. But as long as the blade is sharp and the veneer isn't paper thin, it's worked out pretty well.
@@stevebriggs9399 Great advice! I've been doing a couple of bigger projects that needed my whole MFT top and I've found that having my fence dogs locked down has allowed me to get the same placement each time, like you mentioned.
@@stevebriggs9399 I can see how that would speed up doing a lot of cuts. I have a project coming up that'll required a couple hundred cuts and I'm thinking I'll take the approach you noted. Thanks!
FYI, the extrusions are standard 2040 v slot extrusions minus one v slot on the face.
I have the Bench Dog and the UJK fence , The Bench Dog Fence is fantastic piece . I used that system for 4 years . I recently in the last 6 months converted my work flow to a sawstop pcs cabinet saw. I made thousands of cuts using the MFT style system . If you ever think about getting a hinge for your track look at the Dashboard his hinge is top notch I used that for years . I wish you the best of success with your channel .
Thanks for sharing! The Dashboard hinge is on my short list of potential additions to my MFT setup, thanks for the recommendation. If I end up building a shop down the road, I do plan on moving to a full-size cabinet saw like the SawStop PCS, but for now it's amazing how functional the MFT + track saw is in a small shop.
I've also upgraded to the Dashboard hinge system. Best on the market imho. The Benchdogs fence is excellent as well, I kinda regret having previously invested in Incra due to the lack of workpiece support under the guide rail as the Benchdogs has.
I see you're walking nearly the same path I've taken: mft dogs with the UJK clips, which I pretty much never use anymore since I have the Incra fence and Dashboard hinges.
Anyhow, best of luck to you.
@@TheLastPharm Funny enough I just finished installing the Benchdogs Quad Hinge and will have a video out on it next week. While a little different from the Dashboard, both seem to be very well built quality products. Definitely a much cleaner and premium solution over the UJK clips (although those were wonderfully simple and inexpensive).
Nice addition to your shop made MFT! I have the same system and I love it hard. All you need now is a guide rail hinge and you'll be set. I have the Bench Dogs quad hinge and it is excellent. I like that it references off of the same grid of holes as the fence so you don't need additional extrusions mounted to your bench. If only Bench Dogs could get the shipping costs down, I'd order more stuff from them. Now that I say that, maybe it's a good thing that shipping to Canada is so expensive... keep the videos coming!
Thanks for watching and commenting! It’s amazing to hear how many people have this similar setup. Thanks for the suggestion on the quad hinge, it’s something that I’m certainly going to consider down the road. Haha, you’re right that shipping might help keep me from buying their entire product lineup!
You can use the stops in either direction. Useful if you are cutting nearly square rectangles so you can use two stops.
With metric its best just to use metres and milimetres. If you have something with a 20 dimension then you know its the thickness of a board, small off cut etc (20mm) or the side of a building, very large roof truss (20m). With centmetres there is more room for confusion if you do not state the unit. When you look at your fence you have to just know that 2 is 20mm when you say what it is.
Great point on using the stops in either direction! I’m getting closer to using mm all the time, which can sometimes be hilarious when I say 2140mm but it’s so much easier!
I have the same system, and love it. Their parallel guide system is also great if you're ripping a lot of plywood etc.
I’ve been breaking down a couple of sheets of plywood and the fence has been amazing as far as getting repeat cuts. Very happy with this purchase! For rips, I have the TSO parallel guides.
You probably will find the right hand fence very useful...if you set it up at 90 degrees to the main fence, you can use it to square up your work. Also you can flip it by 90 degrees to make a low profile fence...useful for access with pocket screws.
Yes!!! I didn’t even think of using it at 90 degrees or as a low-profile fence for other needs. Fantastic suggestion, thank you!
Got mine 2 years ago and love it
Nice video. A couple of things to bear in mind with the Benchdogs fence - I have the same set up and the rail hinge. Firstly your saw blade will hit the support fence under the Festool track if you do bevel cuts and forget to remove it!. The right hand support is very useful - set it up and calibrate it and use a flip stop on it and it allows you to do repeatable waste side cuts on the occasions you need it (obviously allowing for blade kerf) I have flip stops on both sides. Being in the UK costs are generally better for us for shipping etc - buts it’s just the reverse of buying Woodpeckers from US. I love Benchdogs tools and am slowly equipping my workshop with them.
Great comment, thanks for the warning on bevel cuts! The right support very helpful in a bunch of work I did on the weekend and I’m thankful that I had it. I definitely take back my comment on potentially not getting it.
Using nylon washers on the flip stop removes slop without making them too tight to flip smoothly.
Great tip, thank you!
Got mine about 2-3 months ago I absolutely love it 2200 long fence.
That’s awesome! The 2200mm fence would be awesome.
Hey great video. Glad you like the fence.
As for the right hand fence this has a few uses 1. It’s great for the support if lo have a long board to cut down. 2. Once calibrated it’s ideal for narrow cuts
Woo! Thanks for making such an impressive product.
I was using the fence for 100+ cuts this weekend and I must say that I was so happy I had the right side fence! It offered stability when cutting longer pieces and I even used a stop on it a couple of times to use pieces cut on the right side of the track. Definitely a worth addition.
That 200mm fence extension looks so much better than the one piece fence I was supplied as it’s easy to replace, I put my track saw thru it within a couple of weeks and now looks like a banana, been part of the main fence extrusion makes it pretty much unfixable.
Oh wow, sorry to hear that happened to you. The main reason I didn’t go with the V2.1 with that lower part attached was because I often cut thin material. I didn’t even think about what would happen if I damaged it and it impacted the rest of the fence.
so funny you are responding to my comments in real time.... You will use the right side when you need to make thin cuts . Oh one more thing The TSO lock dogs are awesome Along with the toggle clamp on a lock dog those are fantastic . I have the Festool quick clamps , Those I dont care for they are a huge pain in the neck to pull out of the dog holes. There are so many things you can do on an MFT top . I will always have an MFT top around . Ok I am done writing lol have a FANTASTIC WEEKEND!
Haha, your comments are great!! Funny enough I was doing a rip cut earlier today and the right side support made it possible - something I wouldn't have done before. Thanks for the suggestion on the TSO lock dogs, those look really quite impressive and are yet another innovative tool from TSO.
Thanks again for the comments and have a great weekend yourself!
I had similar issues with the fence, my setup is the same as yours, and the way I managed to get the fence right next to the track dog was to off set the hole back towards the edge and not parallel with the rest of the dog hole. Only needs to be 20mm. Your cut line does not have to be between two dog holes.
Great tip! I’m going to consider this when I layout some new holes.
to fix the sticky get the UJK reamer. IT is a must have for a met table
I have one and love it, especially once the humid weather hits Southern Ontario. Once I find where I will typically use the low profile dogs, I'll remove those out a bit more generously.
To allow the fence to go back against the rail support dog when using the UJK rail clips just grind the back corner of the fence off where the clip catches it. I'll do a video and publish.
czcams.com/users/shorts7t-8P4Xjlws
Ooh, that’s an interesting idea and I can see how you wouldn’t have to take much off to accommodate the clip. Since posting this video I have since gotten the Benchdogs Quad Hinge (video soon) so my use for the UJK clips is going to be minimal now.
Where did you purchase this kit from? Thank you for making this video.
Thanks for watching! Here’s the link to the product I purchased (I also added the right hand side support and an additional fence dog): benchdogs.co.uk/collections/fence-systems/products/1200mm-fence-system-mk2
Doesn’t anyone know the difference between the Mk2 fence and the version 2.1? I have a Kreg ACS track saw and can’t tell the difference from their videos. Thanks.
The main difference is how the part of the fence that goes under the track is attached. On the MK2 that I show in the video, the 200mm piece that goes under the track is attached to the main fence using a bar and set screws. On the 2.1 version that piece is part of the main fence itself and cannot be removed.
Could you put your fence at the back and your dog with the clip in the hole directly in front of the fence?
Unfortunately not as that would then interfere with the workpiece.