Shopsmith Forums

I like to do woodworking but I also like to play around with things related. Since I've started to collect festool items my interest has strayed in that direction of late. One of my toys is the MFT. It is multi-function table that has a top full of holes. The holes are cnc cut and very accurately placed in a 96mm center array with the holes being 20mm. The holes are accurate enough that you can use them to find square and 45 degree and for that matter you could derive 30 and 60 degrees by hole counting but that is best a path we don't go down.

Any way there are these dogs, like bench dogs but for the 20mm holes and named after the inventor(Peter Parfitt)and they are called parf dogs. He has also come up with a non-cnc method of making accurate hole spacing/hole sizes which I have on order through lee valley. I've mentioned this in another thread but for reference you can see it here:

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.a ... at=1,41637

With this kit and the parf dogs you should already own or order with the kit you can make your own specialized table top. While I don't know if it would be worth the effort to make a replacement top I guess one could also do that for the MFT.

So where this is leading is that since I already own a MFT I already have a pattern that I can use as a drilling guide. Again while one could reproduce the whole table that is not my intent. I would like to have a couple of specialized mini tables with the hole spacing, perhaps if you were to envision a drill top for the shopsmith with the hole system. Or perhaps a clamping table for some sub assemblies or what ever.

So my idea is to make a parf dog with a hole in it that makes it into a drill guide. Using the same 3mm hole size allows the guided 20mm bit to then made the hole full sized. Or if you wanted you could make a template of just 3mm holes to be used at the shopsmith drill press. By this time a few of you are no doubt lost. Don't worry as this threads progresses all will be made clear.

So I designed a "parf" dog drill guide that fits the MFT holes and has a centered and guided 3mm hole to drill into a pattern or top. I contacted a person who has made several other tools for me by the name of Richard Herrell. He resides over at the pen turner org if you have ideas of your own that you would like to have made. After contact he was given my drawings from which he made me a pair of the guides.

He does exceptional work and these are no exception. I have tested the fit in the MFT and the drill size is just right. They are heat treated so they should last a very long time.

I also had to get some drill bits in the 3mm size that were also heat treated and should last plenty long and if not they are relatively cheap to replace.

I also wanted some 3mm rods to use for alignment when doing template work, found a nice set of 5 and they also fit very nicely.

The drill bit that enlarges the 3mm hole to 20mm comes with the kit I have on order from lee valley so I can use it with that system or chuck it in the shopsmith to make holes.

So the parts are starting to come in. The part to the far right is a ream that Rick got for my job, it was both faster and more then likely cheaper to have him get one then to have me send him one.... The rest of the parts should be self-evident if you have read this thread.
Not sure when I will get back to this, the lee valley people said they expect the parts in early May and then shipping time to me. Let's guess a month or so at least. Well unless I decide to make a template before hand just to see how that works out.....

Ed

so can you use bench dogs on the table to hold down the stock?

Or will the table be too thin?

Looks like a good system and a fun project.

Hobbyman2 wrote:so can you use bench dogs on the table to hold down the stock?

Or will the table be too thin?

Looks like a good system and a fun project.

The normal top is thick enough to use as a clamping system. When you do it yourself then I think most people would opt to have it be made about the same. Meaning that yes it will be great for clamping.

Now to be clear, the parf (bench) dogs are pretty much the same as one would have on a work bench and as such made to have clamp of some sort working against the dog. The pattern adds the ability to do alignment as well. Or in the case of a drill table a surface to align drilling to.

There are probably hundreds of videos on the MFT and MFT with parf dogs and other clamping methods if you are really interested check some of them out.

Ed

I wanted to remind people who might be interested that the free shipping still has a couple of days to go. Might as well save that cost if you can.

Also they have updated the expect in stock date "Currently out of stock,
expected April 21". Before it had been May 5th. So I might be getting mine sooner then what I thought.

Ed

Now Lee Valley says April 24 arrival date, still better then the May 5th they first had.

Other other news the arrival of my new bit from Axminster. I takes a while to get here from GB. Well packed and arrived in great condition. Clean off the oil and wax stuff so you can see what it looks like. Note the extra point in front that aligns it to the pilot hole.
Can't hardly wait to try it out!

Ed

I see the UJK Parf Guide Drilling System is now back in stock at Lee Valley which means I should be getting mine soon. I also see they up the price by $10. With any luck I might see it yet this week or early next week.

Ed