Outfeed / Assembly Table

[GeeDub]

A few years ago I got tired of my re-purposed metal base with particle board top "workbench" serving as my tablesaw outfeed table.  I got it free from a neighbor but, it just didn't feel right in a wood shop. I was also struggling with assembly surfaces for larger projects at the time.  I wanted something that would serve as a reasonable outfeed but, also allow me a work holding / clamping surface for assembly.

I laminated some plywood similarly to how I did my latest workbench.
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I stuck in my large sled support fixture and squared up the 34" x 48" lamination.
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I made a template for the dog holes and clamping slots.  I basically stole this concept right off of ShopNotes #124.  Look Ma, I'm a human CNC

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I use a Forstner to drill an 1/8" or so through the top surface to assure a clean entrance.  Notice my sophisticated method of stopping myself from drilling holes where they don't belong for the end positions of the pattern.
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Once the first set of dog holes are started I use dogs to register the template for the additional positions.
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I then use a 3/4" router bit to complete the dog holes.  The clamps let me use the plunge router like a small drill press and they hold a backer board for a clean exit wound as well.
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And here's the 'substrate'.  The plastic sheeting is protecting things from the contact cement.
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I use my auxiliary work surface to apply contact cement to the hardboard.
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I drill pilot holes through the hardboard into the dog hole and clamp slot cavities.  I then use a flush trim bit and a chamfer bit to finish the openings.
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[GeeDub]

Now that I have a top, I need something to set it on.  I learned a long time ago that nothing in the shop should set on a stand that doesn't earn its keep.  I wanted drawers, I wanted a good space below the top for clamps to extend through, I wanted the height adjustable for when things change.

I fooled around with an adjustment mechanism and came up with what follows.  Some holes squared off at the bottom.
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A drawer box.
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Carriage bolts from below give me sufficient threads to shim as required between the drawer box and the top assembly.
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And I end up here.  Note the overhang at right side in this pic.  I'll explain that in a sec.  The old nasty outfeed can be seen directly to the right of the nice new outfeed
 
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The overhang allows for this duct that feeds my router table (the hose) and a gated port for machines I roll over to that area.  It also allows for the 6" duct below it (not shown) that terminates at the tablesaw cabinet port.
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I add some drawers.
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I pull some sappy-walnut scraps from the scrap bin and make false drawer fronts.
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I add some shop made pulls.
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Now I have a variety of clamping options for a mobile assembly table and an outfeed for the tablesaw.
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[bennybmn]

Looks great! I like what you did with the slots.  I also had a makeshift outfeed table for a long time. And after I moved into my house, I realized it was quickly becoming my primary work surface. So when I had a free shipping coupon from woodcraft I got a laminated maple slab with dog holes pre-drilled. I could have made something myself, but toddler... I made the legs from a pallet and plywood. I'm in the process of replacing that strip of melamine that's attached to the saw (hard to see) with more solid wood, then I'm going to clamp the bench to the saw so the mass is one. 

[FrankAtl]

Very nice build!......................

[Stwood_]

Looks pretty spiffy. I like it

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

GeeDub,

What do you do to get your images to this specific size? I haven't figured it out yet. Mine are always huge.

[GeeDub]

GeeDub,

What do you do to get your images to this specific size? I haven't figured it out yet.  Mine are always huge.

I've been using the free version of PixResizer for many years.  You can do one or a batch of pics at once.  I dump all my pics in a folder called 'BIG' and Pixresizer shrinks them into a folder called 'small'.  when I am sure I have what I want, I empty the folder called 'BIG'.  That way I can resize in batch mode and just do everything that is in 'BIG'.  This keeps it simple for my aging brain. The default largest dimension is 600 and this seems to work everywhere.  By shrinking them prior to posting I don't have to wait for the site to do it on-the-fly and I get to miss out on all those failures when on-the-fly, doesn't.  Sites are getting better at on-the-fly so, depending on where you post, your interest will vary.

P.s. It would be nice if there were a way to upload multiple pictures on this site. Is there one?

[Stwood_]

Not sure about him, but I use EasyThumbnails. Its free download

[Tapper]

Very nice design and great job on the photos - thanks! I'm certain I'm missing something, but in the photo where you show the carriage bolt coming through the top of the base unit, you mentioned this allows you "sufficient threads to shim as required between the drawer box and the top assembly." In a later photo I see the two assembled but can't seem to figure out how you can shim it.

Can you elaborate please?

Thanks,

Doug

[GeeDub]

Very nice design and great job on the photos - thanks! I'm certain I'm missing something, but in the photo where you show the carriage bolt coming through the top of the base unit, you mentioned this allows you "sufficient threads to shim as required between the drawer box and the top assembly." In a later photo I see the two assembled but can't seem to figure out how you can shim it.

Can you elaborate please?

Thanks,

Doug

Sure.  I am sometimes unsure of how much detail to blast folks with.  I know people using phones to browse forums can get buried in pic-heavy posts ;-)

Not super sophisticated.  I can back off the star-knobs to loosen the top assembly-to-base connection and slip a shim of 1/8", 3/16" or 1/4" hardboard in between the top of the drawer unit and the bottom of the vertical side pieces (legs?).
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The holes for the threaded portion of the bolts are slightly oversized to allow this.
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The top is attached to these "legs" by a row of pocket holes from beneath the top.  I don't have a picture of this but, here is one of the legs attached with one threaded bolt/washer/knob.
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I built this table for my Saw Stop so it is already the right height.  At least it was in my old shop.  My new shop should have a more level floor so I wanted some adjustability.
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So, the top height is not actively adjustable. It just loosens to allow shims to be used to fine tune the height. This is nothing you would want to do frequently, just as part of the initial setup.