Fold Down Outfeed Table

I built this fold down outfeed talbe about two years ago and it still going strong. I give the design credit to Jim Becker at

http://sawsndust.com/p-outfeed.htm

He provides a plan sheet on his website. I did modify his design a bit to suite my needs. This is what I had in mind when I started to think about the project. I just happened upon Jim’s site, and I’m glad I did. He attached the OFT using 45 degree supports attached to the back of his TS, to eliminate those pesky legs. Mine has pesky legs, but they fold out of the way. I just couldn’t bring myself to drill holes in my TS. There is a way to make it work without drilling the TS, but I was in a rush, and went for the easy option.

Nothing is more frustrating than having your boards fall off the back edge of the TS. Sure you can use other types of platforms, but what the fun in that ;>) It measure 40” wide, the same width as my TS top, 32” long including the 6” piece attached to the TS top, and 34” tall.

I started by cutting two pieces of 3/4” plywood to size and gluing together. Then I set up a 4’ carpenter’s level to start routing the grooves.

This photo shows a routed 3/4”x I believe 5/8” deep groove on all sides of the bottom and set in about 2” or so.

I went about routing additional grooves to hold 1/2” plywood slats used to stabilize and keep the top from warping. This photo shows the slats set in place to dry fit.

Along the edges I used squares to hold the slats at 90 degrees while the glue dries.

This photos shows more glueup and clamping. I got impatient and tried to glueup all at one time. A trick is to use small 2” square blocks clamped to the slats to keep them 90 degrees to the table bottom. Hard to see here.

Moving right along and skipping a couple of steps (dead camera batteries, tired of taking pictures, or saving you from every last detail, you decide), this photo shows the piano hinge and the legs attached. I had to cut the hinge down to size. I tapered the legs on the TS and you guessed it, they fell off the back. I offset the legs so they wouldn’t hit each other when folded parallel to the table. I also had a couple of levelers laying around I put on the bottom of the legs. This photo (to the left) also shows the dadoed and planed down 2×4 I used to hold the front end of the table to the saw top. I just dedicated two clamps to hold it rather than drill holes in the TS. The clamps fit into the dadoed gaps. And you can see the two 45 degree angle cuts where the table folds down. I remembered I needed to make these cuts just after I attached the hinge (haha). I used a japanese saw for these cuts.

This photo is a shot of the leg hinge. I bought them at the borg. They were cheap at about $3 apiece but what I liked was the piston action. I wanted the legs to stay folded and not swing too and frow when I let the table down and out of the way. I used some blocks to build up a foundation for the hinge attachment to the table. I’m pleased with their utility.

Here’s the climax. This photo also shows the two grooves cut for the miter guage. At least I remembered to cut them befor I cut the short peiece that attaches to the TS. I squared them up with a chisel. I actually cut them a smiggen deep so I glued in 1/8” thick paint stir sticks they give you at the borg to build up the grooves. The miter slots in the OFT are about 1’16 below the slots in the TS.

I couldn’t resist another photo. The clamp at the bottom left is now turned with the handle down. It makes the whole process work much better this way :>Q.

Here’s the table up and standing. It’s pretty stable if I don’t kick the legs out of under it, which I’m pretty careful not to do…..again.

One last photo from a users perspective. I finished it all over with a couple of coats of 2 pound cut shellac but these photos show it unfinished. If I had it to do over, I’d think about extending the table a foot or so on the right side. At the time I just wanted a table the size of my TS top.

-- david roberts, houston area, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but that has never been a problem for me."