Outfeed Table

[Howard Rosenberg]

A WW mag I'd recently browsed through showed how to build folding sawhorses.
I'd always wanted/needed an outfeed table for my TS, so I used their ideas for my outfeed table's base and added a few of my own modifications.

This is the outfeed table fully extended.
The legs are pine shop scraps.
I bought the hinges and used a 3-foot by 4-foot 5/8" thick melamine board for the top.

<img src="http://www.woodshopphotos.com/albums/outfeed-table/outfeed_table_fully_opened.thumb.jpg">

When it's folded up, its overall thickness is less than three inches.

<img src="http://www.woodshopphotos.com/albums/outfeed-table/outfeed_table_legs_closed_top_down.thumb.jpg">

The first trick is to figure out where I can find enough room in the garage to:
- extend the legs so they're almost square to the top's edges
- heave the hinged top onto the legs forming its base
MDF might be heavy but this stuff is murderous!
And the edges are sharp!

<img src="http://www.woodshopphotos.com/albums/outfeed-table/outfeed_table_legs_extended_top_down.thumb.jpg">

I've discovered something important about the relationship between an outfeed table's height and a TS's height:
IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!

I set the top to be 3/16" lower than the bottom of the mitre gauge slots.
That (hard-to-see) pale blue thing in the foreground is my mitre gauge bar hanging out over the back of my TS.

Material just drops ever so gently onto the top as it's passing the blade.
No muss.
No fuss.

<img src="http://www.woodshopphotos.com/albums/outfeed-table/mitre_gauge_higher_than_outfeed_table.thumb.jpg">

I thought another useful mod would be height adjustable legs.
My floors are concrete, pitted and uneven.
And I can't say I roll my TS to precisely the same spot each time I useit.

I screwed another short block on the face of the bottom of each leg.
Extra hardware seems to be magnetically attracted to me.
Using leftovers from previous projects, I drilled up into the leg 3" and cross-drilled 35mm-wide holes 1 1/4" up from the bottom to allow the bolts to pass through threaded metal dowels typically used in RTA-type furniture.
Worked like a champ.... now, if only you could SEE the photo...

<img src="http://www.woodshopphotos.com/albums/outfeed-table/height_adjustable_leg.thumb.jpg">

Thanks for looking.
Howard

[Tyler Howell]

Thanks for sharing Howard.

How is the stability any wobble or wracking? Can you sand or lapp on it??
This may solve my always too small shop problem.

[Howard Rosenberg]

It doesn't rack or wobble - the bottom stretcher takes care of that.

I'll be screwing cleats to the bottom.
Two (one each side) will flush up to the folding aprons on the insides.
I'll then clamp the cleat to the apron.
The idea is to prevent the leg assembly from getting knocked out from under itself.
The other cleat will be full length and run left-to-right to diminish the eventual sag that accompanies unsupported particle board.

Sanding and lapping should be OK, Tyler.
If you want it for more aggressive activities, don't use bolts for the adjustable feet!
I'm positive the whole thing would just go skittering across the floor!

All the best.
Howard

[Frank Pellow]

Looks like you have everything covered here Howard -durable, versitile, mobile, and nice looking.

[Tyler Howell]

Thanks Again Howard,
I've been in hot debate over an outfeed for the PM and couldn't come up with a completely satisfying solution. I've seen the fold down types and the permanent O-Fs but I think this is the ticket. Really like your bench too
Do I understand correctly the top is hinged and flips all the way over into place??

[Howard Rosenberg]

The legs fold inward to the apron and and stretcher.
The top folds outward (to the back) for storage.
You flip it up on its hinges for it to rest on the outstrecthed legs.
I used four hinges for the top - if I'd used three (one in the centre) it would have interfered with the folded-in legs.
Everything is plain-jane butt hinges.
But there's a trick to the hinges holding the top. It took 10 days of experiments on scraps with different hinges types before the light went on. (I'm good, not quick)
Tyler, if you'd like more info, let me know.
Howard

[Chris Padilla]

Speak up, Howard! Show us the pics of the hinges and your big secret.

[Byron Trantham]

MDF might be heavy but this stuff is murderous!
And the edges are sharp!

<

Howard, I built one similar to yours using MDF and Formica. Your right about the stuff being heavy and sharp. I ended up running an 1/8" round over around the edge. My top is closer to the surface of my TS. I use mine all the time as an assembly table.

[John Miliunas]

Well done, Howard! I could see where that would come in handy for small OR large shop! I may consider something similar just for a temp. assembly table. Thanks for the idea!

[Charles Wade]

Howard, I remember reading this when you published it in October, 2004, and it looked very useful (I hope it comes attached from Archives). Now I'd like to utilize it, but when I pulled it from Archives, I couldn't get the pictures to come up. Do you have a set you can send to me? (Perhaps they will be accessible under this post). Thanks, chuck

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

The emperor has no cloths !!!!!

I couldn't see a single image in this thread.
What gives?

[Dave Falkenstein]

The emperor has no cloths !!!!!

I couldn't see a single image in this thread.
What gives?

Neither can I. I use IE. ?????

[Jason Tuinstra]

If you look at the dates, the post is from 2004. What often happens is that instead of uploading the pics directly to SMC, the poster links them from their photo site. When they change their photo hosting site, that makes for a bad link in the old post and you get the red x - or something like this.

Lesson: always upload the pics directly to SMC for posterities sake

[Bruce Page]

Neither can I. I use IE. ?????

Ditto here, all I see are the dreaded red X's.

[Hoa Dinh]

Howard, I remember reading this when you published it in October, 2004, and it looked very useful (I hope it comes attached from Archives). Now I'd like to utilize it, but when I pulled it from Archives, I couldn't get the pictures to come up. Do you have a set you can send to me? (Perhaps they will be accessible under this post). Thanks, chuck

Until the photos mentioned become available, maybe you can use some of the ideas in these photos of my outfeed table.