Building the Ultimate Garage Woodshop #6: Pimp My Table Saw (EYE Candy)

Not much progress on the actual garage lately… I’m waiting for someone to help me put the electrical together. Its a little over my head, since I need to reroute entire circuits, add 220, etc.

So instead I’ve been working on my table saw.

Here’s where it started, with a used DeWalt 746 hybrid table saw. Honestly I’ve never given Hybrids much thought. I had always drooled over the new Unisaw and Sawstop. But I came across this little gem and love it! Its powerful (2hp), smooth, quiet, portable, and has full dust collection around the blade. And it was a killer deal.

And since my new shop is even smaller than my old shop, I am unfortunately going to have to downsize somehow. So I am combining my table saw and router table, and SELLING this:

For Sale: $350 obo (the materials alone cost more than that) Send me a message if you are interested

I loved my router table. But it is huge, and I don’t have the space anymore. But the main advantage of combining my router table/saw is that I can use the same Incra fence for both :)

I just need to set a series of calibrated stops for the router and saw. I will need two positions for the saw, at 0-16” and 16-32”, since I only have the 17” positioner (if you are familiar with Incra products you will know what I mean. http://www.incramentaltools.com) But the positioner holds several sliding scales so I can have one dedicated to each position.

Here is the beginning of the fence installation, for which I only needed to order the TS rails. I am just using the positioner off the old router table:

Once the fence rails were installed, I built the two table saw wings/extensions. My DW 746 came with those flimsy stamped steel extensions. So I removed them and built my own with two layers of 3/4” birch plywood, surrounded by a hardwood boarder and white laminate on top.

Once these were mounted to the TS rails on the saw, I used my original router template to cut the opening for the router lift. I had actually saved it from when I made my first router table… just in case!

Then I used the Incra fence, which was conveniently already installed, as a guide to rout a channel for the router miter track, which went just a few inches to the left of the router.

Finally I added a zero-clearance insert and after a little tuning up, my saw was pretty much complete!

I think the only thing left is to build a box around the router lift for dust collection and noise reduction. It will also include a magnetic safety switch.

-- Happy woodworking! http://www.openarmsphotography.com