I used a similar method on a mobile workbench I made about a year back so it would fit my Bessey clone clamps. Can't remember the angle of the cutter I used but I remember I made one pass & then a second to widen it a hair. Works perfectly. Might not be quite as strong as the Matchfit system but it's plenty strong for the clamping pressures I need & the workpiece pushes down on the tabletop, so not much chance of issues. I love the Matchfit idea but not the price. Planning to build a new workbench with apron, so the info in this video is invaluable. Thanks!
Hi Mathew. Yes, I know some have done that, but I didn't want to adjust any of the clamps to fit any of the slots. I just reasoned the slots should cope anyway and they didn't, so I decided to fix how the slots were cut. But hey, whatever works for you is right for you.
Thank you so much for this experiment. What I am still wondering: what is the opening of the 10degree track? Is it 8mm or 6mm? I am planning on making a first pass with a straight bit, but am unsure what size to use. Looking at t-tracks, they come in 6mm or 8mm openings too, it seems.
Yeah, you could but the whole point was I didn’t want to do that and didn’t see why I should have to. So I made the microjig slots more compatible instead. Each to their own, I suppose. As the saying goes, you do you and I’ll do me.
10 degree for me. I think I'll tweak the fit by running the DT cutter through a second time with a piece of vertical grade plastic laminate used as shim between router base and guide fence. I'll let you know how well it works.
@@stefibs Sorry, major surgery, recovery, and (luckily) tons of work flow have dropped this tweak down the todo list for me. Why not take up the flag and let us know --- :-) If you already have the bit and clamps, it won't take more than a few minutes.
Great video thank you for making it! The 14 deg profile fits all the components of the microjig system and it seems a bit counter intuitive to change them. I believe you are getting away with the reduced surface area bearing because you are clamping the stock to the work surface. If you look at the 1/4" shank microjig bit, the taper where the dovetails terminate appears to be slightly larger than 1/4" diameter of the shaft. So you first make the Microjig cut as normal. Then you run a 1/4" shank 8 deg dovetail bit centered in the microjig slot. And cut a deeper bottom trough, say 1/8 deeper? This might necessitate using 1" ply or laminating two 0.75" ply together.
Excellent video. Just what I was looking for. I do have a question. I’m thinking of making clamping table tops and jigs out of hdpe plastic because of its hardness and glue resistance. So it wouldn’t be as easy for me to make the 10 degree work. I have seen 9 degree bits with 8mm shafts but I’m unsure of what depth or diameter would fit this application, and would it be that much of an improvement over the 8 degree to make it worth it. What do you think?
Hi Joseph The reason I moved up from the 8 degree was the chance that plywood might prove too weak long term. I haven’t had any issues so far, as the workpiece supports the slot and the likelihood of the clamp being repeatedly in the same place is pretty much nil. With your material, as you say, the 10 degree wouldn’t be any help. The difference between 8 and 9 won’t be huge, so if you have some spare bits of your material you’d probably be best trying cuts at 10, 11 and 12mm depth and see which is the lowest depth you can use, whichever bit you decide on. I’d start at the 10mm cut end and check after each one until you’re happy and then use the cut you choose as a depth gauge for future setting up. That’s assuming your material is at least 19mm thick. Let me know how you end up.
So to be clear I can cut slots that will work with microjig clamps without using their special router bit ??? I ask as I only have a 1/4 inch router. So finding a bit that will work makes this an option!! I’m new and only have a basic tooos for diy stuff. So never wanted to buy a new router just to use the setup
You can. You just need a compatible slot wall angle. If you get the specs of the Microjig bit (how deep a slot it cuts, how wide at the bottom of the slot and the angle of the cutting blades) then you can get any bit that can cut that slot with a shaft size that fits the collet you have. You can sometimes get 8mm collets to fit 1/4” routers (e.g. Makita) if that’s an issue.
That’s pretty much the choice you’re faced with if you want to use Festool clamps in these slots - modify the slots or modify the clamps. I choose to leave the clamps as they are and adapt the slots. Just a shame Microjig made us choose. It would have been so much better if they had designed the system to be compatible in the first place.
@@roughcutprince Wouldn't make sense to have other clamps fit their system otherwise they are just selling a router bit and a idea. I bought my Festool style rail clamps from Ali Express @£6each so I had no qualms taking my Powerfile to them.
![Microjig Matchfit Dovetail Clamps 8 months on [video 520]](/img/1.gif)
I used a similar method on a mobile workbench I made about a year back so it would fit my Bessey clone clamps. Can't remember the angle of the cutter I used but I remember I made one pass & then a second to widen it a hair. Works perfectly.
Might not be quite as strong as the Matchfit system but it's plenty strong for the clamping pressures I need & the workpiece pushes down on the tabletop, so not much chance of issues.
I love the Matchfit idea but not the price. Planning to build a new workbench with apron, so the info in this video is invaluable. Thanks!
Given your experiments I would likely choose the 10. Thanks for posting this and pointing me to it!
You're very welcome. It didn't take very long to ease the 10 degree slots at all.
I just grind the top two edges of the festool clamps to fit into the 14deg slot. still works fine in the t track slots.
Hi Mathew. Yes, I know some have done that, but I didn't want to adjust any of the clamps to fit any of the slots. I just reasoned the slots should cope anyway and they didn't, so I decided to fix how the slots were cut. But hey, whatever works for you is right for you.
Thank you so much for this experiment. What I am still wondering: what is the opening of the 10degree track? Is it 8mm or 6mm? I am planning on making a first pass with a straight bit, but am unsure what size to use. Looking at t-tracks, they come in 6mm or 8mm openings too, it seems.
Take a file to the Festool clamp and clean them up.
Yeah, you could but the whole point was I didn’t want to do that and didn’t see why I should have to. So I made the microjig slots more compatible instead. Each to their own, I suppose. As the saying goes, you do you and I’ll do me.
10 degree for me. I think I'll tweak the fit by running the DT cutter through a second time with a piece of vertical grade plastic laminate used as shim between router base and guide fence. I'll let you know how well it works.
Please do - sounds an interesting idea.
@@roughcutprince And?
Hi. I haven’t heard if Michael has managed to try his idea as yet.
Have you managed to do this way? 😂 Im Just to curious
@@stefibs Sorry, major surgery, recovery, and (luckily) tons of work flow have dropped this tweak down the todo list for me. Why not take up the flag and let us know --- :-) If you already have the bit and clamps, it won't take more than a few minutes.
Great video thank you for making it! The 14 deg profile fits all the components of the microjig system and it seems a bit counter intuitive to change them. I believe you are getting away with the reduced surface area bearing because you are clamping the stock to the work surface.
If you look at the 1/4" shank microjig bit, the taper where the dovetails terminate appears to be slightly larger than 1/4" diameter of the shaft. So you first make the Microjig cut as normal. Then you run a 1/4" shank 8 deg dovetail bit centered in the microjig slot. And cut a deeper bottom trough, say 1/8 deeper? This might necessitate using 1" ply or laminating two 0.75" ply together.
Excellent video. Just what I was looking for. I do have a question. I’m thinking of making clamping table tops and jigs out of hdpe plastic because of its hardness and glue resistance. So it wouldn’t be as easy for me to make the 10 degree work. I have seen 9 degree bits with 8mm shafts but I’m unsure of what depth or diameter would fit this application, and would it be that much of an improvement over the 8 degree to make it worth it. What do you think?
Hi Joseph
The reason I moved up from the 8 degree was the chance that plywood might prove too weak long term. I haven’t had any issues so far, as the workpiece supports the slot and the likelihood of the clamp being repeatedly in the same place is pretty much nil.
With your material, as you say, the 10 degree wouldn’t be any help. The difference between 8 and 9 won’t be huge, so if you have some spare bits of your material you’d probably be best trying cuts at 10, 11 and 12mm depth and see which is the lowest depth you can use, whichever bit you decide on. I’d start at the 10mm cut end and check after each one until you’re happy and then use the cut you choose as a depth gauge for future setting up. That’s assuming your material is at least 19mm thick.
Let me know how you end up.
@@roughcutprince thank you, Sir. I’ll give it a shot
They sell a festool router bit for festool clamps, I just returned one on Amazon as I hate the metric system. Waiting on metric clock.
Metric time was proposed over 200 years ago, so it’s been around for a while. You can even get it as an app from your fave app store.
Can you let us know the part number? because I’ve seen no such thing
So to be clear I can cut slots that will work with microjig clamps without using their special router bit ??? I ask as I only have a 1/4 inch router. So finding a bit that will work makes this an option!!
I’m new and only have a basic tooos for diy stuff. So never wanted to buy a new router just to use the setup
You can. You just need a compatible slot wall angle. If you get the specs of the Microjig bit (how deep a slot it cuts, how wide at the bottom of the slot and the angle of the cutting blades) then you can get any bit that can cut that slot with a shaft size that fits the collet you have. You can sometimes get 8mm collets to fit 1/4” routers (e.g. Makita) if that’s an issue.
@@roughcutprincethanks a lot
I'd take a file the clamp.
That’s pretty much the choice you’re faced with if you want to use Festool clamps in these slots - modify the slots or modify the clamps. I choose to leave the clamps as they are and adapt the slots.
Just a shame Microjig made us choose. It would have been so much better if they had designed the system to be compatible in the first place.
@@roughcutprince Wouldn't make sense to have other clamps fit their system otherwise they are just selling a router bit and a idea. I bought my Festool style rail clamps from Ali Express @£6each so I had no qualms taking my Powerfile to them.