Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-1, страница 50

Fold-down Outfeed Table

By Chris Marshall

A small-shop delight, this project is a sweet upgrade to your shop's centerpiece.

are suitable for a saw with 26" of vertical clearance between the tabletop and the dust port. Make sure to adjust your table's front-to-back size, if needed, so it won't interfere with the dust port when you fold it down. I made my table stretch from one extension wing to the other. You could make yours even wider if you like, but remember that the leg should be relatively centered underneath for stability. I suggest widening the leg to broaden its stance if you make a substantially wider outfeed table.

Building the Table

Get this project rolling by cutting the MDF table core top and bottom (pieces 1 and 2) to size and gluing them together. Drive a brad through each corner to keep the pieces from shifting during clamping. It's essential that the edges line up evenly.

Pull out your contact cement, J-roller and spacers so you can cover the top and bottom of the core with plastic laminate (pieces 3 and 4).

Many new cabinet saws have a side extension table, and they're a big help for supporting wide sheet materials or long workpieces when crosscutting. But I use a table saw even more often for ripping lumber. No cabinet saws that I'm aware of provide a means of support behind the saw where I really need it. I've tried using a worktable back there, but it's just one more fixture to get in the way in a small shop, and, I've never found a roller stand that provides the amount of stability I want.

So, my solution was to build an outfeed table that I can flip

up when I need it and fold down when I don't. It mounts to the saw's back fence rail and sets up with an extendable leg that props against the cabinet. Ordinary barrel-bolt hardware locks it quickly in the "up" position, so I never have to futz with the setting. It provides a 30"-deep platform behind the machine — plenty of room to keep long rip cuts from tipping off into the netherworld — and its triangulated design is sturdy as can be. After five years of hard use, the prototype for the fold-down table you see here has become an essential feature on my cabinet saw.

Cover both faces of the table's core with sheets of plastic laminate. Use spacers to align the laminate and pull them out one at a time. Be sure to roll the surfaces thoroughly to bond the cement.

Tailoring the Table to Your Saw

If you decide to build one for your saw, first grab a tape measure and size up your machine. The parts in the Material List on page 53

50 February 2009 Woodworker's Journal