Make Dog Hole Patterns In Your Benchtop

Flipsaw · 2017-10-24

Received this Woodpeckers email and thought it might be useful for anyone wanting an alternative to making a generic MFT . The price seems decent compared to other options I have seen. JJ Sorry Didn't let me attach url. Goto Woodpeck dot com and look for Hole Boring Jig

roofner

· #2 · Oct 24, 2017

Here is ad https://www.woodcraft.com/products/...51354131&_bta_c=9kx4yy9ehnu9ax7jiw113xhdlcudl

If it was 50 dollars I would think about buying. Iwas just getting ready to post

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RainMan 2.0

· #3 · Oct 24, 2017

roofner said:
Here is ad https://www.woodcraft.com/products/...51354131&_bta_c=9kx4yy9ehnu9ax7jiw113xhdlcudl

If it was 50 dollars I would think about buying. Iwas just getting ready to post

Last jig I bought there was 180 US dollars , ended up costing me 380 bucks after exchange, taxes and shipping . So I’m out lol

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JOAT

· #4 · Oct 24, 2017

Interesting to look at, but not to own. I've never bought anything to drill holes with except drills and hole saws. I do all sorts of sizes of holes without out a fancy jig, just make one if I need one. Never drilled dog holes, yet, but if and when I do, I won't be buying what I can make.

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dovetail_65

· #5 · Oct 24, 2017 (Edited)

Guys from my perspective this specifically for some guys that want to replicate their MFT Festool tops. It's for a very specific person that is in the Festool System, uses the MFT set ups and doesn't have the time or ability to make tops or the jig to make the tops themselves.

Good luck trying the old school methods or drilling one hole at a time, that's a joke and anyone that says that does not understand what this is for. Even the smallest of these tops have 84 holes perfect drilled and spaced and both spacing and hole size can't vary by much more than .5mm or they wont work very well. Getting the precision needed for a large MFT top and then be usable later with the Festool products is not as simple as some of these comments make it seem.. The entire reason these jigs exist is because so many have tried and just given up becasue of the time involved or crappy results they get. Then they are forced to pay the high expense for a new MFT top. The layout for the MFT tops is very specific and so is the hole size, about 19.8 to 20mm and 96 mm spacing in every direction(mine a perfect 19.85mm and 96 mm spacing). Who wants to do that one at a time even if they could? My large top has over 360 holes perfectly spaced and each hole is exactly 19.85mm , this is CNC work in 2017.

I have several CNC and I can tell you right now the only way I ever made these tops accurate, precise and fast was with the CNC and even then I have purchased new mft tops myself.

So yeah if you want to take the time to make the template I get that, but even then you still wont have the nice machined parts with this kit that are designed exactly for the MFT holes and layout. This kit will be worth it for many people. For the guy who is making 40.00 an hour at work it is hardly worth his time to make the tops or even make the jig, he may as well purchase this so he can get to work on his hobby sooner rather than waste time remaking his top. Plus, this gives the ability to make small jigs and tops out of MDF using the hole pattern that works with the Festool layout, like tool box tops for clamping, etc.

This version is better then some where they charge you 189.00 and the jig only lays out one hole at a time!

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JOAT

· #6 · Oct 25, 2017

dovetail_65 said:
Guys from my perspective this specifically for some guys that want to replicate their MFT Festool tops. It's for a very specific person that is in the Festool System, uses the MFT set ups and doesn't have the time or ability to make tops or the jig to make the tops themselves.
Good luck trying the old school methods or drilling one hole at a time, that's a joke and anyone that says that does not understand what this is for.

Well, you're right on one part - I didn't understand what it's for. I got the drill holes part. But, don't got no CNC, and if I needed dog holes, then I would build a work bench, lay out the holes, drill the holes, and then make dogs. Different length dogs and it would be just as accurate as I need. And I don't mind drilling one hole at a time. No biggie, been doing stuff my way since high school shop class, and that was a lonnnng time ago.

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dovetail_65

· #7 · Oct 25, 2017 (Edited)

JOAT said:
Well, you're right on one part - I didn't understand what it's for. I got the drill holes part. But, don't got no CNC, and if I needed dog holes, then I would build a work bench, lay out the holes, drill the holes, and then make dogs. Different length dogs and it would be just as accurate as I need. And I don't mind drilling one hole at a time. No biggie, been doing stuff my way since high school shop class, and that was a lonnnng time ago.

If we wiggle even a little bit or are even .5mm off those Festool accessories wont work. 360 (for me)19.85m holes exactly 96mm apart in every direction is a 2 day job and not a fun one. You also have to remember this is not a one off, this is for something the guys might do many times a year, worst case every 2 weeks. So a jig like this for many is a lifesaver, me Ill CNC the thing.

We need realize what Festool charges for these tops and that many that use them dont have the experience that you and I have. Making perfect holes like this is not easy, possibly not even achievable for some, many have tried and just said forget it and buy the tops.

Look at this 188.00 for a top that is 28" x 45" and mdf! So really this jig is a steal for some guys.

Talk about a rip off:

https://www.festoolproducts.com/fes...NFu9DhfUdWVV-7enbr6BUqVZ9PJmIpdQaApjbEALw_wcB

The smaller MFT3 tops are about 115.00 which is still quite a bit of cash for a little piece of mdf with holes in it, so buying the jig and some sheets of mdf can really save a person loads of cash over the years.

I do see see the point of making a jig like this(or buying one like this) for this type work. Making these jigs out of MDF isn't nearly as good as phenolic though as the holes over time dont stay perfect. So unless I make a template(jig) out of phenolic I might buy something like this if I didn't have the shop I have.. If we look a the competition this isn't even close to the worst deal. They sell jigs like this that only set up ONE or TWO holes at a time that cost more than this.

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hawkeye10

· #8 · Oct 25, 2017

Have you guys seen this way of drilling holes for a MFT table? I have been reading about this tool and watching videos on it and I believe it's the best way to accurately drills hole for a MFT table. Even if you don't have Fest tools there is still a lot you can do with a MFT table. I think your right in saying it's just as cheap to buy the table top. Is what we need is a way to rent tools like this to make our tops. When I was bedding rifle stocks there was a company I could rent a jig to bed a rifle stock. They would have your credit card number so if you didn't send it back they would bill you for it. They were a good company so I wasn't worried about cheating me.

UJK Parf Guide Drilling System - Lee Valley Tools

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roofner

· #9 · Oct 25, 2017

JJ wasn't trying to still your thunder must have read the email at same time.

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dovetail_65

· #10 · Nov 3, 2017 (Edited)

hawkeye10 said:
Have you guys seen this way of drilling holes for a MFT table? I have been reading about this tool and watching videos on it and I believe it's the best way to accurately drills hole for a MFT table. Even if you don't have Fest tools there is still a lot you can do with a MFT table. I think your right in saying it's just as cheap to buy the table top. Is what we need is a way to rent tools like this to make our tops. When I was bedding rifle stocks there was a company I could rent a jig to bed a rifle stock. They would have your credit card number so if you didn't send it back they would bill you for it. They were a good company so I wasn't worried about cheating me.

UJK Parf Guide Drilling System - Lee Valley Tools

I dont agree, the UJK Parf is very slow., it only allows to lay out one hole at a time, the template we are talking about linked to here:

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/...51354131&_bta_c=9kx4yy9ehnu9ax7jiw113xhdlcudl

lays out far more holes at once, making it about 10 times faster. Plus for me, I prefer a router for creating the amount of holes needed for an MFT top.

I guess anyway to get it done is fine, I actually dont use the mft tops anymore thosu I am wasting about 25 linear feet of space with the mft Super tables.

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MT Stringer

· #11 · Nov 5, 2017

All I can add to this conversation is I did my best to lay out my jig to drill the 3/4 inch holes in my new work bench. And I can guarantee you this, you may end up disappointed as I did.

Whether you are using a drill press or a hand held drill, you simply can not be as accurate as you need to be. When you start your hole with the bit, any slight off set (however small it might be), will magnify the error as you drill your holes.

So, that jig may be worth the money for those using the Festool system and not for others.

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hawkeye10

· #12 · Nov 5, 2017

Does any one have an idea how much a CNC shop would charge to make one the size of a Festool MFT?

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