HOME BUILT - FESTOOL STYLE Multi Functional Table mounted on 8020 extrusions of  45mmX45mm

I wish to share the latest project I have just finished, it is Festool Style MFT with a 20mm holes on the entire table top of 48* X 27" on a 4" square grid. The boring of all these holes was done with a 20mm Carbide Forstner Bit, after carefully drawing a perfect 4" grid on a 19mm MDF board. This board is mounted on a 45mm square 8020 extrusion, which has mitre corners, so that the clamps and other connectors can be inserted from all corners. The 20mm dia holes would take all bench dogs of 20mm and also those plastic clamping pieces which come with Black and Decker Workmate, in combination with Festool Special MFT clamps (which are sold in India my Hefele India Ltd. 

It is pretty simple to make, as long as one takes great care while drawing the 4" grid on the table top (festool uses 96mm grid, as it is cut with CNC or multiboring machines, which have got 32mm spacing between two boring heads (centre to centre), I choose to make 100mm grid, as it is easier to mark exact 100mm and the boring is done manually. You have a choice of making with a router or a vertical drill stand. As I was not sure of safety of using a carbide Forstner bit on a router, I used my Einhell Red 18volts Li Ion cordless Impact Drill. You can also make a acrylic template of say 10mm thickness having a grid of 5x5 holes or 3x5 holes and keep boring thro the template. As I am making just one table top, i did not go thro the template route, instead spent lot of time, carefully drawing the grid and punching the centre hole on all points of intersection of 4" spaced lines on X and Y axis and bored each hole, by carefully parking the centre tip of the Forstner bit on the punched hole and keeping the drill vertical with the help of a T square held next to its body.

These are the few photos showing the home made MFT and also some items clamped on it using Festool, special MFT clamps and Workmate bench dogs.

HOME BUILT SCROLL SAW WITH 
EINHELL RED JIG SAW RT-JS 85

Jig Saw is quite versatile for any contour cutting and even straight cutting of small pieces and thin material, which is not possible with either a handheld circular saw or on a table saw similar to what i have built and shared on this blog. 

But, many times i found that, I was unable to turn the Jigsaw at the right moment and right angle or arc, resulting in ruining the design I was planning. This I realised, could be solved if I mount the Jigsaw similar to my mounting my circular saw into a table saw mode, so that it would be much easier for me to move and feed the wooden piece on to the cutting blade and i can see all the time, the entire design i am cutting.

So I decided to mount it, but having a dedicated table top (with box beneath, as dust collection module to which i hook up my vacuum (please see my table saw blog for details), i decided that i would mount the jigsaw on a insert plat (similar to router insert plate) and would insert it on a box top. the same box top, can be used for various other tools, i am planning to mount, to free both my hands for manoeuvring the wood than the machine. (next in line would be my belt sander, my 82mm power planner, angle grinder and ofcourse a router)

I decided to use a bamboo kitchen cutting board of 15"X 9" and cost me just Rs.190/-, I have purchased four such boards for my various other tool mounting.  I routed a recess, to snug fit the aluminum caste base of my jigsaw, the recess was exactly of the same depth as the thickness of base plate (12mm) and the cutting board is 19mm thick. This I have done, to bring the firmly clamped part of the blade, as close as possible to the mounting plate surface, so that, while cutting the blade would remain firm and straight enough to give a true cut @ 90 degree to surface. Overarm with a clamp to hold the tip of the jigsaw blade is also in the making and i would install it so that the entire blade would remain straight while moving up and down. 

I used the two threaded knob base of the jigsaw for fixing a parallel guide to fasten the jigsaw from the insert plate top (with counter sinking) and to ensure firm clamping, also used a washer and a wing nuts and at the rear, drilled a centralised hole on the base the fastened it similarly. The following picture would make it very clear and no further build details need to be given. I have shown the mounted jigsaw just clamped as the box to receive this as insert plate is in the making as on date. 

Nothing new or innovative, but I wished to share so that others can adopt a few features which may be unique the way it is mounted etc.  Happy DIYing.