Does anyone have a concept or plans for an outfeed support extension for a contractor’s table saw (I have a Powermatic 64)? I need it to be easily attached and detached, since I don’t have room to leave it in place when I’m doing things other than sawing. Also, due to space limitations, it needs to easily break down to pieces that can be stored or hung out of the way (can’t be a cabinet or storage container).
Thanks for any advice.
Alan
Replies
would rollers on stands work ?
dusty
That's what I'm using now, but I'd like the advantage of a solid support surface.
Alan
Some variation of folding / hinging tables might work .Something that the legs can fold maybe .
Do you need support for sheet goods or only lumber ?
dusty
Some variation of folding/hinging table is what I was thinking of. My use would be almost all lumber; only occasional sheet goods.
Alan
ALAN, I have a delta contractor's saw and a similar problem.
My solution is a sheet of 3/8" plywood 24" x 48" supported at the far end by a roller stand and supported by the bar that my rip fence is guided by. This bar is 3/8" below the top of the table. To keep the plywood from moving I have driven two finish nails into the area between the support bar and the table top and nipped the points off the nails.
When I'm finished I lift the plywood off the saw and the stand and store it out of the way.
Thanks to to all who have replied. You've given me several good ideas. Now I have to decide which one or combination of them to use.
Alan
Alan,
I attached a iron right-angle rail on the rear of my contractor saw, attached a wood strip to the rail and vertically inserted dowels on 6" centers. I built two tops 15" x 60" topped with laminate. the aprons ends were vertically bored slightly over-sized on 6" centers to correspond to spacing of the rail dowels. I had a router built into the a shop-made right-hand wing so the rear rail extended the full width of the saw, about 60". This way I could vary the position of the out-tables depending on the work being performed.
I built a pair of small light-weight sawhorses with adjustable tops so I could vary the height of the ends of the out-tables when working on irregular surfaces. The width of the sawhorses was about 18". I also drilled horizontally through the end aprons so the out-tables could be bolted together if I was working on really long stock.
This gave arrangement gave me great flexibility since I was also working in my garage at the time so storage and mobility was a consideration. I used this arrangement for many years until I had a dedicated shop and a permanent out-table.
Hopes this helps-
Doug
Edited 11/25/2008 12:58 pm ET by DougGF
Edited 11/25/2008 1:01 pm ET by DougGF
Doug,
Thanks. I like the dowel idea.
Alan
Alan
HTC makes a steel outfeed system which folds away, and into your saw. It adds a total of about 4 inches depth from the back of your saw. Its really neat.
Cheap, easily adjustable, easy to store..... Find an old ironing board. Take offf the cloth cover and you've got an outfeed table that you can use with your saw, drill press or any other machine. It folds up easily and stores nice and flat. Just a word of advice... DO NOT.... I repeat DO NOT use the one your wife uses, as your next project will be a large dog-house for yourself. I got my ironing board on trash pick-up day. You can't beat the price.
SawdustSteve Long Island, NY
Steve,
Thanks. I like the simplicity and ease of use/storage. But lack of width and getting it set at the right height could be problems.
Alan
I'd think a thrown-away ironing board would be too subject to tip over, but the basic design would be easy to adapt to a self-built adaptation. I'd put wider feet on it, though, for better stability. Or, four folding legs. Just think, 1/2" phenolic ply, with 1x2 edging for rigidity. Could double as an "instant" auxiliary workbench.
I just finished an outfeed table and my concerns were the same as yours. I don't saw a lot of sheet goods but I just needed some extra space for those longer boards. Because of space limitations it had to be removable or fold out of the way. I chose to hinge mine to the table saw so that it easily folds down and out of the way. You will see from the picture that it isn't large but just right for me. You could make to any specifications. As you see the legs are adjustable. I did this so that I could dial in a perfect level with the table saw after it was completed and so the top part of the leg folds up into the outfeed table and the bottom part folds up against the table saw and out of the way when it is folded down. One long leg would be in the way and would not be able to fold out of the way. Hope it helps.
I don't think my picture got attached with the last post. I'll try again. The front of the outfeed table is hinged to the tablesaw rail.
Edited 11/25/2008 8:42 pm ET by fgnoel
Thanks. I haven't decided how big to make it yet. For a smaller one, I think your design is good and would work for me.
Alan
If it's a contractor saw, you have at least the amount of space (horizontally) taken up by the motor, right? Therefore you could make a "permanent" table that extends that far (and is as wide as you need), and then make anything deeper than that detachable.
For my former tablesaw, an old Jet contractor saw, even the small table over the motor helped with many cuts and really made no difference spatially:
View Image
Thanks. How did you provide vertical support for the back end of the small table?
Alan
The support for the table is attached to the body of the saw with bolts. Before I get into describing and picturing that, let me mention something that's realllllly, reallllllly important: Your outfeed table must give way if you happen to tilt the blade to the point that the motor runs into the bottom of the table. More than a few people have cranked the tilt-wheel and jammed the motor into the table, thereby totally screwing up the alignment of the bars that run between the trunnions. It is a royal headache to fix!!
OK, so that's why my prior extension table lifted off easily. I mounted it using boards made of some ~2" plywood I had sitting around. The bars ran from underneath the extension table, all the way to the front of the saw's body, with cutouts enabling everything to clear when arbor was tilted, etc. There were four bolts, in T-nuts, that were used for leveling the table. Hopefully, these pictures will illustrate:
Here's the bar on the right (facing back of the saw -- cutout for motor and cast iron bracket, when it's tilted):View Image
Here it is with the blade tilted all the way. Apparently, I made the cutout for the motor a little toooo big:View Image
First time around, I missed leaving room for these little guys:View Image
Doesn't look bad on the outside:View Image
On the other side, I ended up going on the outside of the cabinet. I think I could have made the inside work, but I was tired of the project and took the easy way (don't remember what the hang-up was):View Image
One of the levelling bolts:View Image
The finished product:View Image
This is, of course, a small outfeed table, but I was amazed at the difference it made. Previously, I had tried to cantilever a table, but wasn't successful at getting it stable.
Now that I have a cabinet saw, it should be much easier to arrange outfeed support.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 12/2/2008 8:07 pm by forestgirl
Thank you very much for all the info and the pictures. All very helpful. I think that would work for me. I like taking up very little more space than the motor already takes up.
Alan
Your most welcome, Alan. Pics came from a WWA post I made a couple years ago.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
HTC makes outfeed supports that drop down when not needed. They attach to the back side of the saw table. They might have one for your contractor's saw.
kreuzie
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