This just arrived and I'm pretty excited about it. Gone will be the days of hauling my MFT up from the basement to the garage when I get into a cabinetry project. I much prefer bringing my work stations in pieces and leaving the MFT tables setup in my workshop.

The offset dog holes along the back and front are 22" o.c. to allow for use with the Track Tubes and their 18mm tall track dogs for positioning of the top on a set of Dewalt plastic sawhorses. The pocketed slots are for use with their accessories they have planned, one of which will be a set of extrusions that nest inside the track tubes and allow for mounting of additional accessories, such as the Dashboard guide rail brackets.

If you've followed along my Home Office Remodel thread you'll know I'm doing the upper cabinets soon. I'll be putting this setup to use when I get going on those.

For now it seems Instagram is the best spot to find out more about their products. @BristolArtisanCo and @tracktubes have been pretty regular with stories and posts.

I know this might come off as an ad, and it probably is, because I've been following along with Track Tubes since their early days and am excited to see their vision coming full circle. The creator of the tubes Glenn is a member here and a fellow Harley enthusiast who I've been e-mailing regularly. Fred (bristolartisonco on IG) is the one handling a lot of the manufacturing and shipping side of things at the moment. They've both gone way out of their way to answer questions and help me along. Really nice people.

Matt

Matt thanks. My son just got some track tubes and I’ve been trying to get him to pick one of these up. If you don’t mind how much was it with shipping?

Ron

Hi Ron you will have to check with Fred on that one. I think he responds to website inquiries now as well. I'm the first person he's shipped a top to and not sure if he plans on doing more or not. From my talks with him he'd love to offer the CNC files for sale in the future for people to make their own locally. He operates out of Bristol TN if your son is within driving distance I know he's making the tops and extension wings for local area craftsmen.

@Mike Goetzke

I suspect I have the same dogs. The tops are CNC'ed with dog holes outside of the normal grid for mounting the tops to the Dewalt horses. They're properly spaced for the plastic ones you have in your picture, 22" on center.

My little expansion wings should be here tomorrow or the next day. Fred had to ship those separate.

Nice!

@DynaGlide Nice looking tops!

Side question - what flooring is that? Would it take the load of heavy power tools rolling over it and a car parked on it.

Thanks
Mike

Thanks Mike!

It's the foam exercise mat material. I have concrete in my shop and put that stuff in before setting things up. Comfy on my feet and can't tell you how many times I've dropped something that I'd be upset if it hit concrete.

Don't think it'd be suitable for a car or heavy machinery. They make more durable garage mats in a similar style if you want to hunt those down.

@DynaGlide   Matt, that's a really nice set-up. I have TrackTubes but none of the other accessories. Can you tell us the total investment to put together that set-up?
One other thing, do you have the older Stanley/DeWalt sawhorses that have the wider stance footprint? The new ones I now see them selling don't spread as far as my old ones and I hear stories about them being easily pulled over. What is your experience?
----
Rich

Those are really nice, Matt!  What are the notches around the outside of the top for?

Hello - this is my first post on FOG.  I am new to the hobby and learning as I go.   FOG is an incredible community - the depth of knowledge is incredible.

I am in the process of building a work table with sawhorses, tracktubes and an MFT top.

Please let me know what hardware you use to connect the MFT top to the tracktubes.   Additionally, looking for sources for MFT tops.

Thanks for your time.

It's an honor to play a small role in this very cool setup. Thanks for choosing our guide rail brackets!

Thanks for the response @Dynaglide.   Can you share any sources for them?   I have been looking online for hours and can’t seem to locate them.   Thanks again - great setup. 

https://benchdogs.co.uk/products/fence-dogs

Thanks.  Just orded a pair

Would you cut a dado into the top and fill it in with a strip or align the guide rail so it’s just past the Right of the main top and add a sacrificial strip attached to dogs?

I'd go for the first option. For this top I plan on always having the guide rail referenced off the two dogs so the cut line should be consistent.

@DynaGlide   Matt, I may have missed this in a previous post, but did you consider adjusting the right wing in closer and having your cut line for your guide rail in the gap between the right side of your main table and your right wing? I realize that you may not have the support area you desire to the right of the cut but it does eliminate the issue of a saw kerf in the table.
Seems to me I saw a prior picture some time ago where Glenn was doing just that. But I could be wrong.

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Rich

Hi Rich I don't see cutting into the top as an issue. It helps with dust collection and provides a better cut. If I had a CNC I wouldn't even worry about where I cut like I use my MFT tops.

@JeremyH. Can you clarify?

@DynaGlide  Again thanks for the post!

Matt few of questions:

Hey Mike, glad to help. I'll try my best to answer:

1) Doesn't look like the dog holes are chamfered - are they? (would be necessary if you use Parf dogs)

No they are not chamfered. It would be easy enough to do though.

2) When would you use this setup over using your TSO square and parallel guides?

It really comes down to what you're working on. I used my TSO square and parallel guides exclusively to crosscut drawer parts and while it worked and they all came out square and to the correct measurements, I would've rather used an MFT style setup with a fence. With narrower width parts you have to put a second piece under the guide rail equal thickness to support the guide rail. If you're cutting up panel size pieces then either system would work equally well. I just like having a hinge and fence when I'm working if I can.

3) When I purchased my TrackTubes two years ago working with Glenn I purchased two stubby dogs per panel and they have performed well. I see you have two dogs at the front and two at the rear. Do you think there is an advantage to have four?

I've only just started messing with those stubby dogs. I actually have 14 of them because Glenn inadvertently sent me a bunch that were intended for someone else. I think I'll switch to two per top on the diagonals as it should make attaching and removing much simpler.

4) I was told about the accessory c'bored slots - nice to actually see them. The concept is attractive but doesn't give me a good warm/fuzzy feel of robustness. Thoughts? (I used some UJK Parf anchor dogs to attach a similar device to my MFT slab)

I had my doubts too. So far so good. They're pocketed to closely match the head of the button head allen bolts. If sticking with the slots I could see a specially designed washer being useful to further spread the force along the slot. Those anchor dogs are slick I wonder if you could adapt them for the same purpose to the holes along the far edges of the tops.

@DynaGlide   Matt, I may have missed this in a previous post, but did you consider adjusting the right wing in closer and having your cut line for your guide rail in the gap between the right side of your main table and your right wing? I realize that you may not have the support area you desire to the right of the cut but it does eliminate the issue of a saw kerf in the table.
Seems to me I saw a prior picture some time ago where Glenn was doing just that. But I could be wrong.

I used dominos to attach a sacrificial cut strip to the right of my Festool MFT3 replacement top. When using the TrackTubes, the top can be slid to the left side of the tubes and a wing can be placed on the right for material support, so support hasn't been a problem. Because the tubes are hollow, I also milled some telescoping extensions that can be used for extended support .. like shown here on my lifting table. The extensions can be used on the left or right side of the tubes, so no problem with support on either side of the cut.   

@Grev  Hi Glenn. Can you share how you fasten the fence to the slab in pic #2? Do you utilize the narrow slots?

Also, what WP t-track rule is that. I have a 4' story stick but the scale goes from left to right.

Thanks
Mike

I toyed with making the domino sacrificial strip for a split second. Didn't care for mounting the guide rail so far over. No turning back now:





I also waxed both sides with Howard Feed N Wax at @Grev recommendation. It's nice stuff although a bit tedious with all the holes already bored.

Hello all.  Question - where did you get the track tubes top?  I checked on their site and only see the tubes for sale.

Thinking of building this instead of buying mft3

Thank you

Alex

To answer a question earlier about how much the tops cost: I don't think I'll ever know. Fred called me up last night and thanked me for all I've done to spotlight his tops and told me to pay for shipping and we'd be more than good. Can't beat that.

When this all started there wasn't any sort of agreement like you see on YouTube or Instagram where people get stuff in return for promoting it. I just did it because I like the products and see the potential for their expansion. I paid retail on my TrackTubes (4 of them now, 2 original 90" and 2 of the new double slotted 72"). I just wanted to be upfront about my investment so far.

When I decided to change to MFT style slabs I was always thinking "BIG." In my garage shop the TrackTubes enabled me to setup a three-slab 4'x8' table in minutes. This has been an excellent solution for me for about the past two years, but, I have used them with my TSO square and parallel guides exclusively and not taken advantage of the dog holes. After looking more and more at this @DynaGlide post the light bulb lite up. If I set up a single slab table it would be MUCH easier to use dogs and my old Eurekazone bridge (similar to DashBoard) since I will actually be able to reach across the table.

I just made a little video clip of my setup and how quick it is to tear down and put it back together:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CM7p49uDoL4/

Nice setup.  what hardware did you use to secure 1515 extrusion to the track or the mft top used to mount dashboard?  hard to see in the pictures.  I can see button head screw but thats about it

Mine is in progress.

Step1 arrived

@festal You'll have to check with @Grev . It is a button head screw and nut combo.

Think I found them. How did you attach dashboard to your mft? Do you have any up close pictures?

@Grev perfect exactly what i needed.  Thank you

First layer of feed-n-wax down.  Now i need to do the holes (what a pain)   wax just abosrbs into the mdf before i even finish wiping. 
but so far not bad.  How many layers do you apply? 

I haven't had my hands this soft in a while lol

First layer of feed-n-wax down.  Now i need to do the holes (what a pain)   wax just abosrbs into the mdf before i even finish wiping. 
but so far not bad.  How many layers do you apply? 

I haven't had my hands this soft in a while lol

@festal Did Freddy make you those tops? It looks like his packaging in the background.

Yes holes are the worst.  ah so the trick is to keep going until it stops absorbing.  need to find better cloth to use.  the one i'm using from home depot keeps sliding in my hands

I use Howards on my tops, I keep applying until it stops absorbing.  I also coat the interior holes, that is the worst, I only do it to my MFTs not my actual cutting station tops.  I dovetailed a UMHW strip into my MFTs for crosscutting.

What do you use to apply it?

But how do I mount my heavy duty woodworking vise? I had to cobble on an extension to one of my MFTs to mount my vise. The extension and its supporting legs greatly improved overall table stability.

Fred just released this video:

I am missing something about attaching the Dashboard rail clamp to the TrackTubes or are you using something attached to the Tracktube to hold the Dashboard clamp?

Thanks, but bear with me here, but the general idea is that the Tracktubes function as the base for the top which overlaps the Tracktube.  Then the T15 extrusion is attached flush to the edge of the table and then the Dashboard clamps attach to that.  I assume you could also use Rob's https://dashboardpws.com/products/universal-track-star for cuts as well?

So I finally started to do the bottom for my tracktubes top.
I went with kreg 64” x 28” universal bench.


My question is how do I secure tracktube extrusions to the metal frame? Not sure what connector to use.
Also I was thinking of doing melamine or plywood on the top of the bench and putting tracktubes on top of that
Here is a mock up


This way I can use the gap for fence, track storage etc and keep the dust away from the inside where I’m planning to put a cabinet with drawers

Any suggestions on which way to go and what top to use?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are you alright with a few holes in the top of the table?

I attach my fence to my Parf table using  Parf Anchor dogs.  You could attach them to the bottom of these rails and then just drop them in place when needed. The downside is the rails would have the PAD’s attached all the time and you’d have a few holes in your top … I’d solve the holes with a 3D printed plug when not in use.

https://www.axminstertools.com/us/ujk-technology-parf-anchor-dogs-106323

Thats not a bad idea.  I have track dogs that i might use for this. 

I’m considering a set of TrackTubes but hesitant on the 90” since they wouldn’t fit in the bed of my pickup if I ever traveled with them. Does anybody with 72” set regret not getting the 90” set?

I bought my tubes few years ago before the t-track was added to both sides. I'm a hobbyist working out of a garage shop and the 90" is perfect for setting up an 8' long work table using 3-mft style slabs but for around the house they were too long so I bought a second set and cut them in two (50" pair and 40" pair). One set for a single slab top and the other for a two slab top.

Mike

is there any difference between these and regular aluminum extrusion?  Perhaps wider so they don’t wobble in sawhorses?

That's basically it, they're sized to fit a standard sawhorse notch without wobbling around.  It's essentially just a 2x4 that won't warp or splinter.  They're VERY straight, too.  I think 200 bucks is totally fair, but not everybody will.  Kinda like another brand you might have heard of.....

To your other question, if your truck holds more than 72", I'd get the 90's and cut em down to whatever your max length is.  There's nothing magical about the 90" dimension.  Closer to 96, the better for holding a full sheet, that's all.

You can offset the tops cantilevered on the 72" to whatever length you need.   For an 8' work top that would only be 12" on each end of the 72" rails.

I have the 72" and think they are fine for an 8' top.  I haven't had any issues  using the 72" on an 8' OAL top.

I have 5 top sections total for a variety of worktop surfaces that I can use for multiple configurations and also made a top for my Conturo edge bander so it fits between the rails and can use my other sections for the extension on the conturo top.

Thanks for sharing, so you have pics?  I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be better for me specifically to use the 1.5” thick aluminum extrusion i used to build an outfeed table since it has the side slots which fit my dashboard hinge rail …

With the 90" rails you can cut a foot or so off of each end and then make sliding extensions. Remove them and use just the center sections of the two rails if you want a shorter set-up. The extensions allow for a lot of extra length options and store away inside the longer sections for transport or storage. If you don't need optional space, I think you would be fine with the 72" length for cutting full sheets of plywood.
Sliding crosspieces allow for lots of flexibility. Sacrificial strips help when using the tracksaw.

I bought mine before the track on the bottom was added. I remember when receiving mine, I thought to myself, it sure would be nice if they also put a track on the bottom. Three months later, they did. That's one I wish I'd waited on a little longer. But then, isn't that always the case regarding upgrades.

Really slick, I like what you’ve done there!

Quote from: John Russell on May 06, 2021, 10:51 AM

I am missing something about attaching the Dashboard rail clamp to the TrackTubes or are you using something attached to the Tracktube to hold the Dashboard clamp?

TRACKTUBES were originally designed (by me) so I could have a quick and easy setup to use with my folding sawhorses and an MFT top.  I wanted a hollow core for telescoping extensions and tracks that would fit my Festool track clamps (as well as others I owned).  Since my top extended over the edges of tubes, I just attached a bracket to the edge so I could use my guide rail hinge.  I now attach a length of 1010 series t-slot extrusion, so I have a full length t-track on both sides and it also serves to keep the top flat when storing.  Super quick to set up/take down and it all stores flat on the wall.

Very nice, I bought a set of 90's!  Now do I get rid of my Dewalt Toughbuilt for Portamate's or are these not much different besides the name?

Very nice, I bought a set of 90's!  Now do I get rid of my Dewalt Toughbuilt for Portamate's or are these not much different besides the name?

Any sawhorses will do .. I personally use both the folding DeWalt and BORA Speedhorse.  I like the Speedhorse because they are 42" wide ... similar to the ToughBuilt I think?  I added a T-track to the top which makes them much more versatile and I can use the tubes and some brackets to position the tubes the distance apart I need them.  See the photos.

@Bugsysiegals or anyone else

According to the 3camels these are very close to the lowest they have ever been

Amazon currently (11/22/22) has the Bora offering for 106.20 a pair. These are the 30 inch tall ones

https://www.amazon.com/Bora-Portamate-Speedhorse-Sawhorse-Benchhorse/dp/B07RTM6BYZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2YWQJXBUVQCQN&keywords=bora+portamate+speedhorse+sawhorse+pair&qid=1669148717&sprefix=bora+po%2Caps%2C311&sr=8-3


The ones adjustable 30-36 are 150 a pair

https://www.amazon.com/Bora-Speedhorse-Adjustable-adjustable-Contractors/dp/B08GY4568L/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=2YWQJXBUVQCQN&keywords=bora+portamate+speedhorse+sawhorse+pair&qid=1669149092&sprefix=bora+po%2Caps%2C311&sr=8-4

Ron