Table Saw Outfeed Table

[BAdams]

I've been thinking about some sort of outfeed table for my table saw for a long time, and I finally got around to making one. My shop is one side of a 2-car garage, so the saw has to be moved to make room for the wife's car.

So I couldn't have a large, permanent table - it had to be hinged. I made a 4" wide solid section that is lag screwed to the fence angle iron. Then I made another section about 18" wide that hinged to the solid section. A couple of braces that can easily be put in and taken out and it was done.

I had an old work surface laying around. 3/4" plywood with formica on it that made a good start.



Put an apron around the edge to stiffen it up and routed miter slots. I thought about running them all the way across the table, but I just made them long enough for my largest sled to get through the blade.



Bolted a piece to the saw cabinet for the angle braces to rest on.



Hinged down.



I put an oak strip on each edge to have something solid for the hinge screws to go into.



The braces just go in against a stop block on each end. It makes a very solid table.



In the first few days I wasn't sure if I like it or not, but it's really growing on me. Not only does it keep shorter pieces from falling off the back of the saw, but the extra working surface is coming in handy.

Just thought someone else might get an idea from seeing it.

[jteneyck]

That looks really well done. Improved convenience and safety is hard to beat. Speaking of safety, though, you really need to at least put a splitter on it, and a guard would be really, really good, too.

I really like that right tilt Unisaw with the bullet motor, too.

John

[BAdams]

John,

Thanks for the safety reminder. I recently bought a MicroJig Splitter, but I need to make a new zero clearance insert and get it set up.

[Bill Lyman]

Very nice.

[Charles Jackson III]

Very nice, is that Unisaw?

[paulmaine]

You could hang a woodworking vice off the table-nice job.

[PaulC]

Okay, this is something I've been wondering about.
How stable is a unisaw? I need to build an outfeed table, and the floor of my shop isn't entirely level. Cantilevering it out makes a lot of sense, but I'd sure hate to finish ripping a piece of plywood and have to whole works tip over backwards...

[Cian]

Great job. Lots of real utility there.

[BAdams]

The Unisaw seems pretty solid. My floor isn't perfectly level either but I'm not going to tip the saw over.

There's quite a story behind this saw. Back in the early 80's, my younger brother worked at a men's clothing store, Young Quinlan, in downtown Minneapolis. They had a parking ramp, and he parked cars.

The store had their own carpenter shop where displays and the like were built. They closed down, and were selling everything in the store at fire sale prices.

I was living in northern MN at the time and never saw the tools, but my brother said they had a 6" Delta jointer and a very old 14" bandsaw. I got them both for $125. My Dad borrowed a trailer and brought the tools up the next time he and Mom came to visit, and not only did he bring the jointer and bandsaw, but he brought that Unisaw.

When he went to pick up the other tools, they asked if he wanted the Unisaw too, so he took it. That saw replaced an 8" Craftsman table saw that I was using - quite an upgrade. Dad never told me what he paid for it. I asked him what he paid for that saw shortly before he died in 2009, but he said he didn't know. Either he didn't remember or just didn't want to tell me.

I think about my Dad a lot when I use that saw.

[MakinAmess]

Great looking extension and even better story.