Festool MFS Multi-Routing Template System User Manual
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Festool MFS Multi-Routing Template System User Manual

Festool MFS Multi-Routing Template System User Manual

Multi-routing template system
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The Festool MFS Multi-Routing
Template System
A User's Guide by Brice Burrell
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Connecting the MFS profiles. ................................................................................................................... 10
Template Routing with the MFS System .................................................................................................. 17
Inlays .......................................................................................................................................................... 27
Jack Miters, Stair Stringers, and Circle Cutting ....................................................................................... 41
Cutting Applications .................................................................................................................................. 58
Using the MFS As A Clamping Aid ............................................................................................................ 71
Miscellaneous Uses For the MFS ............................................................................................................. 74
Closing Thoughts ....................................................................................................................................... 78
© 2008-2009, Brice Burrell
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  • Page 1: Table Of Contents

    The Festool MFS Multi-Routing Template System A User's Guide by Brice Burrell Contents Introduction ..............................2 Connecting the MFS profiles........................10 Template Routing with the MFS System ....................17 Inlays ................................27 Jack Miters, Stair Stringers, and Circle Cutting ..................41 Cutting Applications ..........................

  • Page 2: Introduction

    The first thing I'd like to do is credit Jerry Work, Ned Young and John Lucas for the work that they have already done to help us get the most out of the MFS and the Festool system. Some of the methods, techniques and ideas you will see here have come from their writings.
  • Page 3 The components of the MFS 400 and MFS 700. To get started let’s take a look at the components that make up the MFS template system. Knowing what the parts are and what they do from the beginning will help you understand the functions and methods later on in this review.
  • Page 4 The MFS profiles are aluminum extrusions with graduated metric scales printed on them. Profiles are 80 mm wide and 16 mm thick with a series of "Joiner" or "V" slots and "Clamp" slots. The Joiner or V slots are for the connecting hardware, circle-cutting insert and pivot and the coupling hardware (not included with the sets) for joining profiles length-wise.
  • Page 5 The Festool 120, FSZ 300 FS-HZ clamps fit in the clamp slots, as do the guide rail connectors. The guide connectors can also be used to join the profiles in length. Also, 1/4" square and hex nuts fit the slots if you want to add a fixture to the profiles or mount them to jig or table with your own (imperial or “inch”...
  • Page 6 The 3 mm ball head driver is used on almost all of the MFS hardware. The ball head allows the driver to be used on an angle as shown in this photo. The angle stops mount into the V slots and are used to help position the MFS ©...
  • Page 7 Here the angle stops are mounted on the bottom of the MFS to precisely locate the MFS for an inlay. This is the anti-tilting insert. It is used to prevent the router from tipping or tilting during routing operations. If the router is tilted the work piece can be ruined.
  • Page 8 Here you can see the insert in place under the router. The insert is only needed when the profiles are spread too far apart for the router's base to be fully supported by the profiles themselves. © 2008-2009, Brice Burrell Page 8...
  • Page 9 This is the circle-cutting insert and pivot. I'll go into more detail about how to use the MFS to rout circles, curves and arcs later in this review. Festool offers some other accessories not shown in this review. Longer profiles are available, 1000...

  • Page 10: Connecting The Mfs Profiles

    Connecting the MFS profiles. In this section I'm going to you show how to connect the profiles into rectangles and end-to-end. The MFS profiles have male and female ends, as shown here. The male ends have two small studs or indexing pins to align the profiles. Also the male ends have the connecting hardware, notice the "V" nut with a ball detent.
  • Page 11 The male end fits into the female end to align the profiles end-to-end. A guide rail connector or the MFS joiner can be used to secure the connection. Guide rail connectors (fitted into the clamp slot) are used in the photo above. The V nut on the male end of the profile fits into the V slot in the edge of another profile.
  • Page 12 This shot is a close-up of two profiles connected. To make a rectangle, connect two profiles, a short and long one, to form a "L" with the scales on the inside. Use the Allen driver to secure the joint. © 2008-2009, Brice Burrell Page 12...
  • Page 13 You can see from this picture that the scales are on the inside of the "L". The scales are an important feature of the MFS. They allow the template to be quickly set to size. Once you have two "L" shapes formed, connect the two to make a rectangle. ©...
  • Page 14 You can adjust the sizes of the MFS rectangles by moving the sort of "L" shaped pairs to set the width and length. At first, assembling the profiles can be kind of tough, but after doing it a few times you get the feel for it.
  • Page 15 It may be necessary to add the connecting hardware to both ends of some of the profiles to join different shapes. The hardware can be removed from one profile and added to another. The bolt and V nut have to be removed and the threaded insert can be taken out. The insert has an Allen recess, the insert is reverse threaded, turn clockwise to remove, use a 4 mm Allen key.
  • Page 16 The angle stops have V nuts that slide into the V slots to mount the stops to the profiles. The stops can be mounted square or on an angle. Connecting the profiles can be tricky in the beginning as I've already mentioned, sometimes you wish you had another set of hands to line up all of the hardware.

  • Page 17: Template Routing With The Mfs System

    Template Routing with the MFS System Routing inlays, borders, cutouts, mortises, circles, curves and arcs can be very accurately done with the MFS. I know my results are much better now that I'm using the MFS instead of the wooden jigs and fixtures I've used in the past. Template routing with the MFS is a fairly straightforward concept.
  • Page 18 The picture above shows the potential dangers of using a pattern bit with the MFS. I'm not suggesting pattern bits can't be used, but, care must be taken when selecting the right bit. Bearing size, cutting length and diameter should all factor into the decision. When used in the right circumstances they can be a real asset.
  • Page 19 The first step is to mark the setback for the hinge. I'll use this line to index the MFS. With the small pattern bit I use to rout my hinges I can set the MFS to the exact length of the hinge. The width is set wide enough so I can test fit the hinge without removing the MFS.
  • Page 20 Once the MFS is set to size, I place it on the pencil line then set the angle stops and clamp the work piece/MFS down. Here is a close look at the bit I'll be using. It is the same type that I showed earlier, you can see I've add a second bearing to solve the problem of the bearing falling into the V slot.
  • Page 21 After installing the bit, the next step is to set the router's depth, plunge the router until it comes into contact with the work piece. This is called zeroing the bit. Now, I use the hinge itself between one of the turret stops and the depth rod to set the exact depth.
  • Page 22 I got a perfect fit on the first try, but remember to always make test cuts on scrap first. Let's now look at using copying rings or guide bushings with the MFS. The advantage of using copying rings is twofold: they are always in place while routing, greatly reducing the chance of cutting into the profile;...
  • Page 23 The following is a series of drawings showing the setup of the MFS for a mortise (imagine a mortise for a table or chair leg). Our mortise will be 20 mm wide by 100 mm long and 50 mm deep. A 10 mm bit will be used with a 30 mm copying ring in the router.
  • Page 24 Clamp the MFS down where you want it, set the depth of the bit, and rout..The result should be this, a mortise 20 mm X 100 mm X 50 mm. Working in metric makes setting the MFS to size pretty easy. However, I understand that most of you are much more comfortable working in imperial (inches).
  • Page 25 Setting the MFS to size in Imperial measurements I use a steel rule. With the offset added the dimensions are 1" X 3 1/4". With the MFS set to size, I place the template on the work piece, I've drawn lines to indicate were the MFS will be set and the mortise will be cut.
  • Page 26 A shallow mortise like this one only takes a few passes. The finished mortise. The angle stops make it a breeze to set the MFS up quickly when you need to rout the same location/size mortises on multiple work pieces. Just imagine the ease of routing traditional M&T joints for table and chair legs or mission style furniture.

  • Page 27: Inlays

    Inlays Inlays are a great way to add some interesting detail to your projects. The inlay I am going to do now is simple and small but it is going to have a huge impact on the piece. We start the same way as the rest of the examples, by selecting the bit/copying ring combo and setting the MFS to size.
  • Page 28 More of the same; set the depth of the bit and rout. I need to be a little careful because I'm routing off each edge, and tear out can happen here. Removing small amounts near the edges will greatly reduce the chance of tear out. Here are the pieces I’ll be using for the inlay, zebra wood.
  • Page 29 With the pieces fitting perfectly, some blue tape will help hold the pieces in alignment until I can glue and clamp them. In the photo above the excess zebra wood has been cut off and the piece sanded. Using the MFS to rout this inlay was not much effort, but, added a lot of visual appeal to this piece.
  • Page 30 Taking offset routing one step farther, we'll take a look at making the male portion and female recess for inlays with the MFS. Keeping the MFS the same size and changing the copying rings/bits allows inlays to be cut quickly and accurately. You may be familiar with inlay sets available today.
  • Page 31 This drawing shows how to use the same bit to rout the male and female potions of an inlay by changing the copying rings. In the drawing the 10 mm bit/20 mm copying ring combo cuts out the male inlay and the 10 mm bit/40 mm copying ring the female recess. The 40 mm copying ring with the 10 mm bit produces a 15 mm offset from the outside edge of the copying ring to the edge of the bit.
  • Page 32 The MFS is set to 230 mm X 80 mm. The rectangle inside the MFS represents the where the inlay will With the 40 mm copying ring and the 10 mm bit in the router, we can rout out the female recess 5 mm deep.
  • Page 33 The recess should look like this. Note the corners have a radius; a chisel will square them up. With the female recess finished, let’s turn our attention to the male cut out. The male inlay stock is 5 mm thick to match the female's recess. It is a good idea to place the stock on top of a sacrificial piece of scrap to prevent cutting into the work table.
  • Page 34 To make the male inlay piece I've installed the 20 mm ring, leaving the 10 mm bit in. To cut out the inlay, the router's depth is set to cut all the way through the 5 mm stock. In this picture, the red arrow indicates the router's path, only traveling around the template's perimeter.
  • Page 35 I should mention in my example of the ring/bit combinations shown earlier that Festool doesn't offer a 20 mm copying ring. I used that ring/bit combo hypothetical example because it is easy to understand the relationships between the offsets.
  • Page 36 bushing (male). Second set: 1/2" bit / 1 1/4" bushing (female) and 1/4" bit / 1/2" bushing (male). The examples given are only a few of the possible bit/ring combinations commonly available. I want to fit a router into this piece of MDF to act as a makeshift router table I can set between two saw horses on the job site.
  • Page 37 I decided to make the cutout first; the router has a 1/4" spiral bit with a 1 1/2" bushing. The bit is set to cut all of the way through the MDF, so I placed a scrap under the work piece to protect my MFT's top.
  • Page 38 I've switched to my OF1400 router to make the lip for the plate. I've already put an 18 mm bit and a 30 mm copying ring in the router, I set the MFS for the 7 mm offset. The 18 mm bit should fit the radius on the corners of the plate perfectly.
  • Page 39 This picture shows the lip routed in, now, I'll test fit the plate. It looks like I've got the fit right on the first try. There isn't much of a learning curve to setting up the MFS. It didn't take me long before I got perfect results, the first time every time. ©...
  • Page 40 The process, from start to finish, was only about 15 minutes, and that was while shooting the pictures too. © 2008-2009, Brice Burrell Page 40...

  • Page 41: Jack Miters, Stair Stringers, And Circle Cutting

    Jack Miters, Stair Stringers, and Circle Cutting Mortises and inlays are the types of routing that came immediately to mind when I first thought about how to use the MFS. When I received the MFS I wasn't sure how I was going to adapt it for carpentry use.
  • Page 42 The finished joint. With some creative thinking, the MFS made this tough routing job easy! Check out the story over at my "How To" page Jack miter page. © 2008-2009, Brice Burrell Page 42...
  • Page 43 I also routed stringers for a small staircase. This is where having both the MFS 400 and 700 sets really paid off. Two sets allowed me to make the L-shaped template I needed to rout in the treads and risers for this job. You may never need to rout stringers, but it is nice to know you can. More details can be found in my "Projects"...
  • Page 44 Now we’ll move from using the router to travel around the MFS as a template, to moving the router and template on a pivot to create circles, curves and arcs. I'll start with a quick overview of the process for circle cutting before I go into detail. The circle-cutting insert fits into the interior V grooves of the profiles, the template is closed on and capturing the insert (see photo above).
  • Page 45 The pivot goes in the underside of the profiles, in the V groove closest to the inside of the template. Slide the pivot in as far as it will go, then tighten it with the Allen driver. We need a hole for the pivot to go into. An 8 mm or 5/16" drill bit will do the job. ©...
  • Page 46 Slip the pivot in the pilot hole, set the insert to the desired radius and tighten it in place, then set the copying ring/router in the insert. The template and router pivot around the stock to cut the circle. You can see from the picture that I'm working out the process on scrap first before committing to the real work piece.
  • Page 47 I'm going to start by showing the finished piece for this example so you can see what I am setting up to rout, a cutout with a lip or rebate. Step one is to lay out for the pivot point, then drill the pilot hole. ©...
  • Page 48 The next step is to set the insert to rout the proper size circle, the pivot is already installed. Before we move to the next step, let me explain the set up process in detail. The insert is set using the scale on the MFS profile and the insert's own scale.
  • Page 49 This drawing shows the insert. The scale is larger in this picture than the real one, to make it a little easier to see. The first thing to notice, the scale has graduations on both sides of zero. Zero is the centerline of the cut.
  • Page 50 All right, back to the example. I have a 10 mm bit in the router and the insert set to cut a 100 mm outside radius (90 mm inside). My MFT has a piece of scrap on it to protect the top, and the work piece has double-sided tape to hold it down to the scrap.
  • Page 51 Here is the result. Now I want the center cut out, leaving the lip. I've changed bits, a 6 mm spiral bit now in the router. I'll move the insert to cut a 90 mm outside radius for the 6 mm bit. The depth is set to cut all the way through the stock.
  • Page 52 Remove the center cutout from the double-sided tape and that takes us back to the finished piece, the first picture at the top of page 47. © 2008-2009, Brice Burrell Page 52...
  • Page 53 For circle cutting the MFS 400 has a maximum diameter of around 32" and the MFS 700 around 55". For template routing the 400 set's maximum size is about 4 11/16" x 12 9/16", the 700 set 12 9/16" x 24 7/16".
  • Page 54 I've found making overlapping, systematic passes while template routing offers the best results. I always check to make sure I haven't missed any spots and the bottom of the routed area is perfectly flat. Be sure to test fit your work before removing the template anytime you can. It is difficult is get the template back exactly where it was to rout a missed spot.
  • Page 55 Adding profiles with the angle stops to the outside of the template helps to place and clamp the MFS. The anti-tilt insert is made to fit 24, 27, 30 and 40 mm copying rings. But, what if you want to use imperial sized guide bushings? No problem, just use the router's support foot (outrigger) to do the job.
  • Page 56 turned to have the blemish facing out or turned upside down. However, since you can’t use the scale, it can greatly affecting ease of set up. You'll notice the router's dust collection is not as good while routing with the MFS. The open space the template creates lets chips escape.
  • Page 57 I'm glad not to store custom jigs anymore. I have a notebook, with what Ned Young calls "recipes," of the MFS settings used on past jobs. Sure you have to spend time assembling the template each time you want to use it. I happen to feel the flexibility the MFS offers outweighs the small amount of time spent on set up.

  • Page 58: Cutting Applications

    Using an MFS profile as a story stick is an easy way to accurately place Festool's guide rails. I use one of the angle stops with a profile to set razor blades to act as stops for the rail, John Lucas' idea.
  • Page 59 With the profile lined up with the edge of the work piece and the stop butted to the end, I have a perfect story stick to help place the rail. Now it's as simple as sticking a razor blade in the work piece at the end of the profile. ©...
  • Page 60 Registering the rubber edge of the guide rail off the blades will give me the exact location I want to cut this piece to. Be sure to remove the razor blades before you make the cut. Use this technique any time you need to make multiple cuts the same size.
  • Page 61 An often asked question on Internet forums is "How do I make narrow rips with the Festool plunge cut saw and guide rail?" Using the MFS 400 with my MFT is what I've found to be the easiest, fastest, safest and most accurate.
  • Page 62 Step one in the setup is to assemble the profiles with the scales on the outside and checking to make sure the setup is square. Now, I slide it under the guide rail and set the edge to be even with the rubber splinter guard on the rail.
  • Page 63 One of the things that makes this technique so fast and easy is using the scale on the MFS to set the width of the rip. With the MFS lined up with the rail make a pencil mark at the profile's zero point (end of the profile).
  • Page 64 The MFS has to be clamped in place to prevent it from moving during the cut, I also clamp the stock to be extra safe. Then it's like any other cut, drop the rail, plunge the saw and cut. © 2008-2009, Brice Burrell Page 64...
  • Page 65 Here are a few 10 mm rips. When I want to make imperial (inch) widths I use a small combination square. I set it to the size I need, and then place it against the rubber edge with the blade of the square under the rail.
  • Page 66 Here is a look at Jerry Work's idea of how to use the MFS as a fence for cutting and routing with the MFT. It consists of profiles to form a square or rectangle and a single long profile as a fence. The scales on the profiles are used to set the distance from the square/rectangle to the guide rail's rubber splinter guard.
  • Page 67 The following is the process I used for the setup. I've used 400 mm profiles to make a square (scales facing out) and two profiles joined lengthwise to act as the fence. To hold the two profiles that will be the fence, two clamps are placed in from the bottom the MFT. Then the profiles slide onto the clamps.
  • Page 68 The next step in the process is to set the square to the guide rail's edge, like I did with the setup for narrow rips. Now the square is indexed perfectly with the guide rail, then the square gets clamped down. I want to calibrate the scale on the fence profiles with the square's scale.
  • Page 69 This is a close up of the offset of the scales. The 39 cm mark on the zero point of the fence's scale. Now to set the distance of the square from the guide rail I use the scale on the fence profile. Slide the square to the distance needed and clamp it.
  • Page 70 This setup shows great promise. It's fast, easy and accurate (there are those same three words again). I've not fully explored cutting applications for the MFS. Most of my time with this system has focused on routing. I'm sure to find more uses for MFS to cut and rout as time goes by. As it stands now, I'm fairly happy using the techniques shown here.

  • Page 71: Using The Mfs As A Clamping Aid

    Using the MFS As A Clamping Aid The MFS profiles offer a lot of options for different configurations. I use one shown here most often for clamping face frames. Once the profiles are clamped to the MFT they provide a sturdy squaring fixture.
  • Page 72 Both the MFS 400 and 700 sets were used in the configuration shown above. A much simpler version for smaller projects can be made from the MFS 400 set. The profiles are clamped against the MFT fence, making a perfect right angle clamping jig, as seen in this picture. ©...
  • Page 73 Squaring is not the only way to use the MFS to aid in clamping. I've used my profiles as cauls. With clamps from below the MFT the profiles can be clamped, pressing the stock down onto the bars of the parallel clamps, giving me flat glue ups. The profiles can be quickly put together to make a custom clamping jig and when the glue dries, take them apart for the next project.

  • Page 74: Miscellaneous Uses For The Mfs

    Miscellaneous Uses For the MFS Finding creative solutions to the everyday problems that affect productivity or enjoyment of our work is the key to successful projects. I use the MFS, not just as a routing template or as cutting and clamping aids, but to make any task easier, faster.
  • Page 75 I set the MFS to the location on the panel where the mortises will be cut and clamp in down. With the base of the Domino against the MFS profile, I can cut all of the mortises in a perfectly straight line, at a right angle to edge of the work piece.
  • Page 76 I've struggled to find a good way to use the 42" LR32 rail on stock longer than the rail itself. No problem; install a guide rail connector to join an MFS profile to the rail and clamp the profile to the edge of the stock.
  • Page 77 It’s easy, fast and, you guessed it, accurate. Again, the MFS flexibility is shown here. Finding different uses, both within the Festool system and out, for the MFS is only as far away as your imagination.

  • Page 78: Closing Thoughts

    Closing Thoughts As I've touched on already, this review of the MFS system has a recurring theme: Easy, Fast and Accurate. Add to those attributes a great deal of flexibility of the system and the value of the MFS becomes very apparent. Let me give you one example of why the MFS is so valuable to my work.
  • Page 79 I've not yet reached the limits of what the MFS has to offer, that's part of what I like so much about Festool products. It's what I call "built in value". It may be unseen at first, but the solution to a problem or a new easier, faster and more accurate way to do the everyday jobs we do for a living or for pure enjoyment.

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