Shop made MFT template 

At 19min, when doing the pattern hole drilling, one can see from the hip movement that Ron is a serious salsa dancer... Thanks for the inspiration and keep on trucking!

I like the way that you always emphasize both methods and procedures. As shown in many of your videos, it does not always eliminate all mistakes, but it usually makes those mistakes recoverable -- a big difference from scrapping a piece. One of my favorite sayings is: "Sometimes you have to protect yourself from yourself." Those seemingly (at the time) insignificant preventative steps, like adding the blue tape as a memory aide, make all the difference at the end of the day. Many times I find that *what* I do is not as important as *how* I do it.

I work at restoring old sash windows here in Britain and your benches are a complete game changer. Brilliant videos

I'm so glad i found this. I'm getting ready to build another Paulk Bench, making my portable one permanent in my shop, and making my portable more custom, now that i've used it for a couple of years. I really couldn't justify the parf guide system, as that's another whole tool and this is perfect. Plus, i didnt' know about that drill guide, which is so important. I always learn something from you Ron, thank you so much.

Getting an accurate template is the key. An old festool MFT top would make a perfect template, which I happen to have. You might have saved me $200 bucks. Thanks for the idea!

Hi Ron, thank you for taking the time to make and explain this. It's a great alternative to the Parf system which while highly desirable, is a bit expensive for some folks, myself included. Even better having this alternative approach given the supply problems with the Parf that I have been reading about. Love your work.

You and your work are very inspiring. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

To anyone seeing this video several years later: I made my first bench using this method and it worked good. I'm still using it. I got a Parf guide later and made some smaller accessory boards (router, etc) and with only one or two exceptions they all buckled down fine. Just go slow and be as precise as you can while you're laying it out.

While I'd typically CNC something like this, your walk-thru of creating the template manually is an excellent exercise in achieving near CNC accuracy with hand tools, careful measuring, and a smart process of cross-checking your measurements.

Another excellent and thoughtful video, Ron, thank you. I viewed it, just as I acquired a CNC cut MFT top, to to do exactly as you are doing by using it as a template for a new large bench top. Worried about damaging it with carelessness, I'm going to get a 17mm copying ring for my router which will allow me to make a reliable centred plunge cut quickly and reliably. I would then go around again with the trim bit set at working depth and hopefully my template will remain pristine.

Looks like a project even I can't screw up!! Thanks for sharing.

Great idea! I haven't started on my bench top yet so this is perfect.

Love re watching your videos such an awesome set up with the holes! I use myself

Ok, you convinced me to stick w the 32mm spacing. I’m going w fewer holes, can always add later. Purchased today and cut out my horse supports template today.

The nice thing about the torsion box design is that you can scale it up or down to fit ones needs.

Hi, I just made one of these today and can’t wait to try it out finishing up my PSB and PSS.

Hey Ron. The Blue drill guide with bushings. If you drill a 11/16" hole in a piece of wood, the bushings from the guide will screw down into that hole. You can use the bushings with a plywood jig you made to precisely locate some holes. I'm doing this to make a jig for drilling 80/20 15S T-Slot extrusions. A piece of scrap plywood, some 5/16" dowels, a 5/16 t-slot screw and nut, and the 7mm bushing, is saving me $35 for a 80/20 drilling jig. Plus I get the enjoyment of creating my own jig. Give it a try and you can show how in some future video. I'm sure you can figure out a use for that type of jig.

Any chance you will be offering this soon as one of your plans? I’m currently building my first full size bench and had a template like this in mind. I was thinking of a 24” x 48” in 3/4 AC plywood, but your oversized template makes much more sense. I’m new to laying out something this precise and would be much more comfortable taking it to a CNC. Then just following the pattern. I really appreciate your videos and tool source information. I have learned a lot from you!

I just bought the parf guide 😕 using your link 😀. I really like the idea of a shop made jig. Perhaps I’ll make a template using that parf guide then route them with the pattern bit and have the best of both 😁

Thanks for making this video. I think this is my next project, just to make up a router wing and the extension boards. I think I will make it with pattern sized holes for the most part with a row of dog sized holes for indexing. You may have to move it more, but being able to use a guide instead of a pattern bit seems to be a definate advantage. I am agreeing that the Parf guide would be nice, but cannot justify a $200 guide to build a $150 bench. (I wouldn't be needing the grid layout for anything other than building workbenches, and only need a couple of sheets for that total.) Having built the PSB, I may use this technique to MFT the reverse side of my current bench if the need for more precise layout is necessary. I know I messed up a couple of the holes but I don't think it will matter for my current level of work.

Awesome video Ron, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your enthusiasm to always move forward to make things better. Oh, by the way, what type/size of router bit were you using? It looked like it had a top bearing and that it was a straight bit? But maybe it was also a spiral, uncut bit? I’m sure it was a ½” shank bit. Anyway, I can see how this template would be better, faster, and possibly more accurate than the Woodpecker’s template that I currently own. Keep up the great work.

I love the parf guide, but i think you are on to something here. What about drawing up that template pattern and selling CNC ready plans? I bet i could get it made for $100 including materials while helping our my local small business woodshop. Win win. Mr parfit will still get plenty of my money from buying dogs :)

Nicely Done Great Job

That’s great Ron. I’ll have to make one of those when I make the PCB. Do you have a link to the bench dogs you have?

Hi 👋 Ron new woodworker! What Router Template Guide set do you recommend that comes in a set? Love your videos they have inspired me to get into woodworking. Looking forward to building one of those work tables for my little shed here in Brooklyn New York thanks for all you do.

Excellent

magic starta at 18:00 ! love it

ty

Been watching a few of the videos about these benches and haven't been able to figure out--why the different spacing on the holes around the perimeter?

Thanks for the video. I would have liked to see what the router bit looked like. I can’t get my head around how it can do a 20 mm hole when the template is also 20mm

What size bit for the template pilot holes? 3mm? I don't think you specified, but I could be wrong. Thank you for providing an alternate to the Parf system for creating the dog holes. I may still purchase Parf, but options are great for budgeting!

Outstanding, brilliant, superb, and I like it. Ron, do you put some kind of finish on your benches, oil of some sort?

I don't recommend free-handing the drilling part. All the precision in spacing the holes is quickly lost by the slightest deviation off 90 degrees. Some tools won't really suffer, but tall bench dogs are especially telling of errors.

What is your router setup in this video? Or can you point me to another video that you describe the ones you use in your workbenches too? Thanks for the great videos, Ron!

It looks like you had no problem plunging with the straight bit. I would have thought a spiral bit was required for plunging.

Silly me thinking that drill guide would work with any Forster bit - you'll need the Part one due to it's extra long shaft.

I'm planning to convert my existing work table to a MFT using the Parf Mk 2, but my table top is made 35mm thick particle board and the Parf system only cuts to a depth of 22mm I believe. Would using this drill guide be the best way to drill out the holes to the full depth of my table top after first using the Parf system? Will my 35mm particle board table top be OK to use as a MFT?

I don't know why nobody seems to use a compass set to 96mm to lay out. Rather than try to measure 96mm with a rule and pencil. The rule or other straight edge could be clamped and the compass stepped off along it, making indents 96mm apart.

You should consider selling a CNC version of your 96 mm template ... also versions of your Smart Bench side-cutout templetes. .

Would you ever consider selling these templates? Just an idea, thanks for the amazing videos and ideas.

Nice

Hey Ron, I’m curious why you wouldn’t have made the initial holes with a 7/8th or 1in bit and used a copy ring. It seems that you could be more accurate and minimize the plunging into the template issue. Can you explain? Also, is there a way that the template could be more lean by adding holes for shelf pins, door hardware or something else with the 32mm sizing? It may be too cluttered but I’d love to hear your thoughts. You have been a great inspiration to me.

Wow. The bit went up ~73% since this video was made. 😳

07:20 *Hell* - I *want* to buy this!

Hi Ron, I'm using the TSO bench dogs and the UJK bench dogs with holes cut using the Parf Mark II. Most of the holes are so tight that the bench dogs barely fit, yet yours seem much less restricted. Is there a technique you are using that allows the bench dogs to fit better? I understand you don't want any slop, but the dogs are struggling to get a 1/4" into the bench top, and will not go all the way in. Am I missing something??

If I had a cnc shop make this, would it be better to make larger holes so that i could use bushing guides rather than a pattern bit? If I did, what size hole would I want?

Ron, I forgot to ask...Is there any chance you can update “The whole enchilada” package to include all of your plans? Obviously this would necessitate an increase in price from the current $40.00, but I would say it would be well worth it...thanks.

Where can I get the plans for this template? Can’t find them on the store, or in the PSB plans I have.

How accurate should the MFT table be? For instance the Festool MFT and such. Reason i ask is i purchased jig to make the grid and was not happy with the accuracy. I could not get past a 6x16 hole layout with out seeing runoff due to the guides locking in the jig had some slop. I might get it to be better if i add around the template guide to tighten the tollerances. But when i contact the manufacture they claim that tables are never accurate its the fence system that makes the accuracy and i was expecting too much even thought there jig was at a premium price off $199. Purchased this one due to UJK was out of stock but now i have one but have not used it yet. This was the response when i gave them the numbers that either the jig was off or the supplied Template guide was off. Hello Cliff. There is a big misconception with MFT tables and tops. The accuracy of a Festool MFT table comes from the actual rails that are part of the table itself. All of the Festool attachments are attached and referenced off of the rails. Not the table. If you think about all the “connections” from the router to the actual hole there are a lot of variables at play Router bit. Bushing to router. Bushing to template. Indexing pin to template. Indexing pin to hole. Locating pins to the template. Locating pins to the workpiece. potential runout in the router collet There has to be sufficient clearance between each of those for them to work. As you add holes, that “stackup” error will grow. The only way to avoid that would be to key off of the same location for each hole. Essentially what a CNC does. You want to make sure that there is no movement in the template when drilling the first holes. The template must be firmly clampled in place. The Festool MFT table is a clamping/work table. Without the additional fence system, it cannot be used to make accurate cuts. Once you install the Fence system, you must calibrate the track to the fence. At no time are the holes a part of that calibration as the holes are only used for clamps and stop etc. Even if done on a CNC, with the movements and wear in MDF/wood, even the Festool table is not very accurate. Check the Festool marketing data and you will not find anything about using the holes to make cuts, only for work holding. The accuracy comes from the MFT table rails.

I was thinking I could order your template to send to a CNC shop to have the template you drew out cut for me. I couldn't find one on your website. Can you advise if you have one?

Hey Ron. You mention taking a plan to a CNC shop to have the template made. Is there a plan I am missing? I’ve bought all the plans you’ve offered from your original bench on but I don’t find a plan for the template.

Paul, any chance you could get FastCap to build this template? It’d be cheaper to ship than the full bench but would allow us to have a “key” piece to build a super accurate bench.

Can you provide a link to the pattern bit and bushing size you are using to replicate the holes from your template in the video?

Where do we find the measurements to make this template? The drill guide link doesn’t work

Ron, do you have an affiliate link you can add to the comment section for the pattern bit you like to use with that 18mil template? This is genius!

What's the name of the drill guide? I can't click on your link for some reason says unavailable.

Mark Koons 0 seconds ago This video is really useful. Thank you. I'm mulling over the possibilities for a combined outfeed table, systainer garage, and assembly table. How much thicker than 3/4"can a top be and still pass the bend of the ratchet clamps often used with the MFT grid system? In your your experience how much clearance is needed below the top surface to install those clamps or the 20mm portion of standard bench dog?

MFT: MultiFunction Table.

What ruler did you use at 8:15?

How do we get this MFT Template plan I did not see it on your web site?

@RonPaulk somehow the link to which pattern bit you recommend has been lost in the description...

So why do you make the template with a forstener bit and the bench top with a router? Why not use the forstener bit with the template to make the bench top?

Where do you get that trianglar LONG ruler? :)

Can someone explain why the 32/64/96 mm spacing is needed?

The Bits, Blades and Cutters page of you store has nothing in it. I look forward to ordering plans for my next bench from you.

Nice, instead of minimizing the length of this pattern, to half bench + 96mm or so, I'd make it the length of your bench transformer so you wouldn't have to move the template for the last 96mm. Also a row of holes for the transformer far edge, you didn't forget to cut them, the pattern didn't have them. Now that I think about it. Your pattern would have worked if you aligned opposite corners for second cut instead of long corners on same edge. Parf guide has been out of stock, think I will start this template today.

@ron May I suggest that you have a PDF for these holes so that we can print and drill the initial holes?

What are the dimensions of the piece you used to make the pattern? You said you designed it to be over half the length and width but didn’t specify exactly what the dims are. Is it 736 mm x 1120 mm?

When I went to the site for the 20 mm bit it was a 404 error not found. Please correct and reset to where the bit can be purchased.

It all looks very interesting. However I can't find anywhere that you explain how to use these things! What's with all the holes? What kind of accessories are useful with the benches? This may be obvious to woodworkers who have used dogs and the like in the past, but for those who are maybe new to this and have always just used flat solid benches or sawhorses a 'Using the Paulk Smart Bench' video would be helpful. Unless it already exists - in which case you should include that link in your description for every Smart Bench video! Thanks!

I dont understand the 96 millimeter spacing. Why not 100? I saw a less detailed video with 100 millimeter spacing and it led me here. I'm feeling much more confident with your knowledge and presentation so please explain the importance of 96 millimeter spacing. I just dont get it.

Hi Paul After seeing this template-video I finally decided to go for some plans of yours, so excited about the upcoming projects. but something went wrong as $ charged on credit card but no PDF‘s or confirmation received. Please check your emails and come back to me. Thanks in advance

Folks quibbling over the price of the Parf Mk 2 when an accurate bench is worth 250 dollars to me.

Looks like a problem looking for a solution

Wear a mask, dude! In the birds-eye shots I can see dust blasting toward you as well as away from you. The sawdust is full of plywood glue - probably better then MDF powder - but not much.

What kind of bench dog clamps are those? Or are they some type of upgrade for parf super dogs?