© 2008-2009, Brice Burrell
Page 78
Closing Thoughts
As I've touched on already, this review of the MFS system has a recurring theme: Easy, Fast and
Accurate. Add to those attributes a great deal of flexibility of the system and the value of the MFS
becomes very apparent.
Let me give you one example of why the MFS is so valuable to my work. I get jobs a few times a year
where homeowners want to upgrade their old, hollow core doors to a much nicer, solid core doors.
This means routing for hinges and other hardware in the new door. Blanks, jigs or templates are
needed to quickly and accurately do the job. In the past I would have to spend time making all of the
different jigs. I could need the table saw, chop saw, jig saw, compressor/brad nailer and the stock to
build the jigs.
With the MFS I only spend a few minutes setting up the template to rout the hinges. When finished
with all of the hinges, I readjust it for the next piece of hardware. I've tried other adjustable routing
jigs; some I've liked and some I wouldn't even use again to scrape chewing gum off the sidewalk. But
for the most part, they were not the right tool for the job. Now, I only keep the MFS on the truck. It's so
easy to use I can hand the job off to one of my guys so I can turn my attention elsewhere. Being able
to get in and out of a job quickly and not having to come back because of poor quality work is how I
make my work profitable. The MFS is a real help in this regard. You don't need to be a finish
carpenter to realize the same time savings and ease of use that I've found with the MFS.
To take full advantage of the flexibility of the MFS system I'd recommend both the MFS 400 and 700
sets. I found I tend to use the smaller 400 set for most of my template routing, but the larger 700 set
for cutting and clamping applications. If your budget doesn't allow for both, take a close look at your
particular needs and decide which set best suits them. You can always add another set and/or the
longer 1000 or 2000 mm profiles later as your needs grow.