Festool MFS Fence System Instruction Manual

Advanced Cutting and Routing Techniques
Using the Festool MFS Fence System
Isn't it interesting how every so often a simple appearing new tool or technique comes
along that offers us the opportunity to make a quantum leap in our productivity? Once
put to use, we can't believe we ever got along without it. Yet, when we first look at it we
have trouble comprehending just how it can make such an impact. I want to share with
you one such simple appearing new tool that can radically improve the accuracy and
flexibility of Festool guided rail cutting and routing - the Festool MFS fence system.
While it is described in the Festool literature as a "multi-routing template," and it is very
good at that function, we will discover here just how much more than that it becomes
when used in conjunction with Festool guide rails as a universal squaring, aligning,
cutting and routing guide. We will learn how greatly it increases the versatility and
accuracy of setting guide rails for precise and repeatable cutting and routing operations.
We will learn how it facilitates cutting of everything from multiple, identical narrow strips
to adding sliding table-saw-like accuracy to breaking down large panels. We will also
see how using it we can prep solid wood stock to be perfectly square and precisely di-
mensioned just as one would normally do on large industrial machinery as well as how
we can cut complex joints like haunched tenons and interlocking sliding dovetails using
just Festool hand power tools, the Festool Multi Function Table, Festool guide rails and
the Festool MFS fence system.
Most readers of this piece already have
some experi-
ence with or
at least an
understand-
ing of Fes-
tool guided
rail cutting.
Since the in-
troduction of
hand power
tools, users
have created
a whole vari-
ety of jigs
and fixtures
to help guide
a saw or
1
Text and Photos by Jerry Work
router in a straight line.
Unfortu-
nately, most
of those ef-
forts depend
on the user
being able to
keep the
base of the
saw or router
firmly against
the edge of
some sort of
fence. Many
find it hard to
do that with
accuracy and
repeatability