Sheet goods breakdown & worktable: sawhorses vs. folding plastic table

[Ken Cobbing]

Hi all,

I'm just getting started on some basic woodworking projects and need a largish work surface, especially for breaking down sheet goods with my track saw.

I've spent a bunch of time browsing the web for ideas and have found *lots* of examples of nice collapsible work surfaces, many of which use sawhorses. So I picked up a couple of nice DeWalt folding sawhorses and started planning on how to build a collapsible/stowable framework for the work surface.

Then I got to thinking - why not just use one of those $50 folding plastic tables (6' x 3') from Costco with a sacrificial surface on top? Much more simple, stowable, lighter, and easier to set up/take down than a sawhorse "jigsaw" table.

80264.jpg

Why aren't these tables recommended over a DIY sawhorse table? I was thinking that maybe they aren't strong enough, but then I read one of the manufacturer's posts on that topic here:

http://blog.lifetime.com/article/356...ing-table-hold

The table available at Costco for $50 is rated at 2,000 lbs, and according to the blog above, that is conservative.

Am I missing something? Why go to the trouble of building a framework to place on sawhorses rather than just use one of these ubiquitous plastic tables?

[John Lankers]

Ken, you're a keeper

[Ben Rivel]

Thats crazy, had no idea those tables were rated for so much weight. How are you thinking youll keep the sacrificial board from sliding off the table? Those tables are very slick.

[David Super]

I've never felt comfortable breaking down sheet goods from a table unless it was really sturdy and big enough to support a 4' x 8' piece. My garage floor is flat and very smooth. I also am lucky to have nearly 70 year-old knees that still flex without too much complaint. So my solution: a 4' x 8' sheet of 2-inch polystyrene insulation (the light but pretty dense yellow stuff from our local lumberyard).

I place it on the floor, put the sheet goods on top and then go about my business with various-sized clamping saw guides that I bought many years ago at a woodworking show. I've cut everything from 3/4-inch OSB and plywood to 1/8-inch hardboard with reasonable accuracy. Nothing can fall from a table. Nothing jiggles.

Eventually, the foam will have too many cuts to maintain its integrity. Replacement sheets in various thicknesses are available from the nearby yard. When the saw is quiet, I can sit on the foam surface and rest or contemplate my next maneuver. Might even work for a short nap, although that tactic could spook my wife, should she peer into the garage and wonder why everything is so quiet.

[Andrew Hughes]

One reason is it's not flat.My assembly table that i set up for glueing up table tops is very flat.I also use it for breaking down plywood for the occasional sheet goods job.
All good cuts and builds benefit from good reference surfaces.

Aj

[Victor Robinson]

Look up the Paulk workbench if you haven't already. If you're deadset on using the table for a base instead of his simple sawhorses it would be easy to adapt.

[Eric Schmid]

You don't need to support the entire sheet, just three straight support boards of equal height/thickness; one on each end and one at the cut line. For a work surface I generally use two 9" wide torsion beams set on saw horses. I have a 16' and a 10' long bench in the shop, but find the torsion beams more useful than a large flat surface in most cases. Mobile, more clamping options, easy storage, adjustable height, etc.

The Costco table is probably dining table height so it might be a little low for some tasks.

[Frank Pratt]

I have a couple of those tables & use them all the time in the shop. They are strong, light, stable, cheap, & best of all for me is that they fold up thin for easy storage. They don't stand up well to a circ saw though

[mark mcfarlane]

Big and flat is nice, but depending on exactly what you are building and your tolerance for imperfection, the Costco table might be adequate. I suspect the Costco table has a thin plastic top with metal immediately underneath for the legs and hinge, which won't be very friendly to saw blades, so you may want to throw something over the table before cutting, like a sheet (or strips) of MDF.

Check out one of the tables and see how flat they really are when open. If it is badly crowned there might be no recovery, but then again, if you are just cutting up some cheap plywood to make shelves in a garage and don't mind small errors, it will probably work fine.

[Rich Riddle]

I have those table for the summer events we host. They are less than flat and bow in the middle. They can hold weight though.

[glenn bradley]

I still have an unused set of folding legs I bought to make a sheet goods cutting table. Turned out I didn't do it enough to warrant the space to store the table. I have a habit of being so fixated on the solution I miss the value of the solution versus the space I will have to give up for it. In this case I saw the big picture just bought some foam insulation and cut things on the floor. The value to you and your decision may be different. If you are going to work with sheet goods that much, I would build a decent reliable surface for doing that.

[Jon Endres]

I have a cutting grid that is about 3' x 6' that sets up on a pair of folding sawhorses. I've had it for years and it's held up fine. It only weighs maybe 10 lb and I hang it on the wall when it's not being used.

I like Glenn's idea of the folding table legs. Would save me from having to set up sawhorses every time. Plus I could put a sheet of plywood or melamine on it and use it as a temporary table. I think something like that would stay set up more than it wouldn't.

[Bryan Lisowski]

I use 2 pieces of 1 1/2" ridgid foam on top of saw horses. Works well for me.

[Prashun Patel]

Due respect to the other posters, I think the sag is not an issue. I used such a table for breakdown myself. And it was particleboard and twice as heavy.

I think this is a fantastic use for these tables with this modification:

Screw sacrificial 2x3's to the top (screw them from the underside) running lengthwise. This will prevent you from cutting into the table which can weaken it or cause you to hit the metal supports.

This will also has the benefit of reducing the sag.

personally, I think you can even use such a surface for precision work - not just breakdown. The precision comes from good alignment between your track or guide and the cut line on the plywood. If the rest sags a little it's ok. If you are routing grooves it's a different issue, but on through cuts, you can do an awful lot with this set up.

[Mike Goetzke]

Search "eurekazone multiform table" . Years ago I made a version of this and it works great for sheet goods.

Mike