Seeking ideas for table saw out feed table

creasman

Jim
Staff member
Corporate Member
I plan to build an out feed table for my table saw. The half-sheet of MDF across a saw horse just doesn't do it for me any more. The table part is simple enough, but what I'm really interested in is the space under the table. I would like to see how others are using this space. Please post your thoughts and/or pictures in the reply.

My current plans are to use this area for storing short cutoffs that I don't want to throw away. These tend to accumulate and I often end up cutting another board because I can't easily find a previous scrap that might work. I've seen examples of cabinets that accommodate various lengths and make it relatively easy to organize them by length, species, etc.

I'm also debating whether to put the table on wheels, or have it stationary. Either way I will need some way to level it. My shop floor is concrete and not perfectly level. My work bench and assembly table both have leveling devices built into them.

Looking forward to your thoughts and ideas.
 

Charlie

Charlie
Corporate Member
Jim, This is under my out feed table, which is stationary.
The saw blade storage is under the right side table saw extension.
 

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Martin Roper

Martin
Senior User
I'm about to do that as well. I'm simply going to build a standard kitchen-style base cabinet 42" x 24" with a top roughly 46" x 34" and make the top coplanar with my TS. The extra overhang will be useful for clamping boards to the top. The bottom will be great storage with a drawer on top and doors on the bottom.

I have a small shop and that's all I really have room for. If I rip boards longer than 6' (which I rarely do) I can set up roller. My TS has the short rails. I break down down the big stuff with a track saw.
 

FredP

Fred
Corporate Member
I store lumber under mine. My outfeed table is plastic laminate with steel bracing underneath to maintain flatness. I bolt the saw end to the rear angle of my fence. the legs have lag bolt in the end to level it. simply back out to raise or turn in to lower.
 

junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
Because your floor is perfectly level (whose is?) mark a circle around the position of the feet on concrete. This way when something is moved, you can return it to exact same spot. Saves leveling again and again.
 

creasman

Jim
Staff member
Corporate Member
@Charlie A few questions from your pictures ...
  • Are those rollers embedded into the top of your out feed table, or something else (maybe teflon strips)? I'm intrigued.
  • The top seems to have a 5-6" apron around it. Is that for support, or some other reason?
  • Do all of the cubby holes for wood go back the same depth, or does these vary in depth. For short cuts I want to store them such that they don't get pushed to the back and missed. I like the idea of having some holes be high enough to hold sheet goods.
 

creasman

Jim
Staff member
Corporate Member
The extra overhang will be useful for clamping boards to the top.
I find that to be a very useful feature of the assembly table I have. I made the top extend over about 4" all around and reinforced it underneath with strips of laminate flooring so the constant use of clamps don't mar it. I use the overhang frequently for all sorts of tasks.
 

creasman

Jim
Staff member
Corporate Member
My outfeed table is plastic laminate
I have some solid surface countertop that I plan to use for the top. It's out of fashion and I often find it at the Habitat Restores for sale. The stuff is indestructible and great for all sorts of things.
 

Charlie

Charlie
Corporate Member
@Charlie A few questions from your pictures ...
  • Are those rollers embedded into the top of your out feed table, or something else (maybe teflon strips)? I'm intrigued.
  • The top seems to have a 5-6" apron around it. Is that for support, or some other reason?
  • Do all of the cubby holes for wood go back the same depth, or does these vary in depth. For short cuts I want to store them such that they don't get pushed to the back and missed. I like the idea of having some holes be high enough to hold sheet goods.
Jim,
Yes those are rollers, but that is an old photo. I now have a plastic laminate top so it can be used as an assembly table.
The thick apron was to support the rollers, but it sure makes a solid top like a torsion box.
The 3 cubby holes on the left are 4', the rest are 3'. The box on the right is 1' and open on the side for storage.
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
My outfeed has been my work table which has a two layer top, ala Paulk, with tool storage in the 8 inches inbetween. It is, by design, 1/4 inch shorter than my PCS. It works well but there is about 10 inches between the saw and table and occasionally there is a piece that bows down more than 1/4 inch and it hangs up. I saw a youtube about a PCS outfeed that was eighteen inches wide and supported by a piece bolted to the saw side table and sitting on the back rail. So I built one yesterday and I am putting some shellac on it today. This picture shows the new outfeed on the work table. The outfeed will span almost all the gap. I will shim it with business cards during installation to be almost flush with the PCS.

I also watched a youtube recently by a guy that uses downtoearthwoodworking as his channel where he sets up an outfeed with a screw adjustable top. It's pretty slick, it uses screw in feet on the bottom of a torsion box top. I like my arrangement better for my shop but it might be what you want for yours.
 

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Plunkett

Lee
Senior User
I made this one but it was sawstop specific and was a bit of a challenge for a novice like me and definitely over done! I like the ability to move it since I have a small shop as well as a separate top for leveling it to my TS.

 

JohnW

New User
John
My outfeed table is on casters and has a 2.5" overhang for clamping and includes space underneath to store shorts. So it functions for storage, outfeed and assembly. I find it very useful to be able to roll it to the middle of shop so I have access from all 4 sides. Makes glue-ups and finishing a lot easier. BUT, in order to keep from leveling every time it's moved, I made it 1/16" lower than the table saw top. The slight drop is no big deal and it is dangerous to have a binding point from the outfeed table being higher than the saw table. Even a 1/64" bump can cause serious issues. So my advice is, if you decide to put it on wheels, consider making the top a little lower than your saw top.

Also, my outfeed table has a sacrificial hard board top screwed (countersunk) to the top. I have changed it twice over the years when it gets beat up or really messy from finishing spills etc. I wax the hardboard occasionally so it's slick and glue comes off easily.
 

drw

Donn
Corporate Member
Last fall I built an out-feed table following the design from Down to Earth Woodworking. I have a SawStop table saw and it just so happens that this build was also for the same saw; that fact notwithstanding there are some interesting design features associated with the table that are worth considering. If you are interesting, here is a link to the site...it is a series of about five videos.

 

creasman

Jim
Staff member
Corporate Member
Thanks everyone for the ideas and especially the photos. These have been very helpful. I now have a rough idea in mind and am drawing up plans for my version of out feed table. I'll post pictures when it's done.
 

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