Set up table for using EZ Smart Guide or Festool.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I'm about to use my EZ to make some bookcases. I'm tired of working on the ground with this. What's a good way to get it off the ground? I'm thinking of plastic saw horses and some ply. Any other ideas? How large is your top? I'm thinking the ply is going to bend in the middle with the saw horses and cause a problem. My back thanks you in advance for any suggestions.

[JayStPeter]

I made one using a torsion box with 3/4" ply frame, 1/4" ply top and salvaged folding table legs. I put a 2" thick foil covered styrofoam panel on top of the table for making cuts. It also works as an assembly table. The table is 3'x6', but the foam panel is 4x8. The foam panel and dust guard on the Festool saw combine to make cuts almost dust free as the blade is buried in the foam and leaves no place else for the dust to go than to the vac.
Prior to that I was using 3 2x4s on edge screwed to some sawhorses with the foam panel on top.

[Greg Pavlov]

The foam sounds like a good idea, I use the Festool TS55 and Festool's guides, and that saw normally throws a fair amount of dust, etc. forward. Does anyone else use foam?

[Matt Meiser]

A few options, in decending order of complexity.
- Gary Katz's table which is based on the design of the smart table. There is a link somewhere in the EZ forum to to somewhere where you can see pictures. (And yes I know that a bunch of people think Gary "stole" the idea but it contains some good ideas.)
- A smart table
- a couple saw horses with a cutting grid on top of them--cutting grids are sometimes made from 3/4" ply with slots to interconnect them like an egg crate. They are sacrafiicial so you just cut right into them.
- Put a couple pieces of 2x4 across the sawhorses under the piece you are cutting.

Personally, I have a smart table originally built to the included instructions which works fairly well. It did sag in the middle so I had to add a reinforcing rib down the center to take the sag out. Doing so made it a lot heavier which is a drawback. Also, the plastic slides are either too loose or too tight (I have some of each) which is a pain but livable. I think I'm going to rebuild it to be a littlle more substantial and might go more of the route of the Gary Katz table or a Festool MFT clone so that I can use it as an assembly table or even a light duty semi-portable workbench. I've seen some cool designs that used surplus 80/20 extrusions for the latter. The nice thing about the smart table is that it can be built in about an hour from the kit, a piece of 3/4" ply, a set of banquet table legs (Lowes) and a couple pieces of 1x4.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Great ideas, thanks! How would one of those long tables work that you see in Price Club etc? They have a plastic top with folding legs and are pretty long. I'm guessing they're about 30" W x 5' L.

[Rob Blaustein]

The 2" thick 4x8' sheet of foam insulation with foil (I think it's isocyanate) works wonders to prevent tearout. It is sacrificial--you cut into it. I put it on a 4x8 sheet of ply which sits on a sawhorse system 3 2x4s that are 8 ft long. I made them after reading this post. It is a great assembly table though I mostly use it for cutting sheet goods with the Festool system. You could even use the foam alone on the sawhorse system without the plywood.

[Dave Falkenstein]

I built one of these cutting platforms. I use two plastic sawhorses to hold the platform. I use a couple of 2X6 to hold the sheet off the platform, so I don't cut up the platform. A piece of foam would work just as well as the 2X6's.

http://woodstore.net/cutplatsheet.html

[Randal Stevenson]

Great ideas, thanks! How would one of those long tables work that you see in Price Club etc? They have a plastic top with folding legs and are pretty long. I'm guessing they're about 30" W x 5' L.

My first Smart Table was a piece of plywood, bolted through the top of one of those (I wanted to be able to remove it). Worked great till something heavy was on it outside and it rained. I think the legs are a little thiner then some as they bent easily.

[Matt Lentzner]

I have a Smart Table Top I built from the parts kit for minimal $$$. I just clamp it to the top of my Workmate when I want to use it. I don't have any sag issues as the Workmate provides a lot of support.

Once I place my sheet on it, I never have to move it again. It stays on there until I am finished cutting. When I'm done both pieces stow easily and take a minimum of space. The workmate is still available as an auxiliary work bench when not supporting the Smart Table Top.

The supports do slide around too easily, but it's only an issue when I am moving it. It isn't a factor when it is in use. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the arrangement and how little space it takes up when stowed.

I've found the Smart Table to be useful for painting also.

HTH,

Matt

[Alan Tolchinsky]

What is the "parts kit" for the smart table consist of? This sounds interesting. I'm going to check out the EZ site but that place is so confusing to me. I never figure anything out there.

[Randal Stevenson]

What is the "parts kit" for the smart table consist of? This sounds interesting. I'm going to check out the EZ site but that place is so confusing to me. I never figure anything out there.

The parts kit, contains the plans (measurements for the default design), and one item that people recommend changing right away, use a 1x4 instead of a 1x3.

The black slides in two parts (one half for the table, one half for the 1x)
Screws, T nuts, bolts.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I think I'm getting the picture. One thought from my experience. Isn't it hard to cut on a flat surface like ply or foam insulation? I always have a problem with using the guide rail clamps as the bottom of the clamps interferes with the plywood work surface. I can see where the 2x lumber supports would eliminate this as you have all the space between the lumber.

[Dave Falkenstein]

... One thought from my experience. Isn't it hard to cut on a flat surface like ply or foam insulation? I always have a problem with using the guide rail clamps as the bottom of the clamps interferes with the plywood work surface. I can see where the 2x lumber supports would eliminate this as you have all the space between the lumber.

As you noted, using 2X's to support the material eliminates interference with the clamps. I use Festool rails, and seldom clamp the rails in place. The sticky rubber strips on the bottom of the rail hold the rail in place.