Where I Started

The Changes I Made

Here is the baker’s dozen of additions and modifications I made to my Model R4511 to transform it from a great tablesaw to an even greater one – and more importantly, into one which fits the constraints of my small shop and my own personal preferences.

• Improved Mobile Base
• Internal Baffling
• Improved Dust Collection
• On-Board Storage
• Rear Extension Table
• Downdraft Side ExtensionTable
• Upgraded Rip Fence
• Relocated Tilt Handwheel
• Digital Tilt Angle Indicator
• Zero Clearance Inserts
• Upgraded Miter Gage
• Upgraded Power Switch
• Conversion to 240VAC Input

Where I Finished — My Decked Out Model R4511

Is it okay if I say I’m really pleased with the way this project turned out? Dads should be proud of their kids, right………….!!

Closing Thoughts

This has been a wonderful, creative, adventure for me. This is the first time I have made major modifications to a piece of woodworking equipment. I am especially pleased that I was able to make significant improvements to a machine that was already well-engineered, to make it better fit my needs and preferences.

In retrospect, I can only think of two changes I would make if I were doing it again:

• Make the Rip Fence Rail Support Angle from ¼” steel stock
• Mount the Mobile Base on 5” diameter casters.

I hope the information I have presented – in a lot of detail, intentionally – will encourage others to reevaluate their equipment and look for ways to modify or adapt it to meet their unique situation and personal preferences. How many times have you said, “Gee, I really like this tool, but I wish this _ feature was different”? The big picture may look daunting, but if you break it up in little pieces (and maybe those into even smaller pieces) it is probably doable far easier than you can possibly imagine. Go for it!!

There are lots of experienced folks here at LJ and other forums like it, who are always ready to offer suggestions and share their experiences. I am retired, so I have a lot of time to putter, and offer “sage advice”, whatever that is. If I can help, please don’t hesitate to ask. I have made most of the possible mistakes over the years, so maybe I can steer you around some of them…………… :-)

Thanks for following patiently along with me. I hope to hear some feedback from folks who have used this information to modify their Model R4511 or other equipment to better suit their preferences. I hope you will post pics of your adventure!

So long— for now…………… :-)

Upgrading the Blade Insert

As with most tablesaws, the stock blade insert is a metal die casting with a wide slot to accommodate both vertical and bevel cutting. However, the wide slot does not provide adequate support of the material, particularly when cross cutting. The lack of material support adjacent to the cut is especially noticeable when cross cutting hardwood plywood, which frequently has very thin face veneers of brittle materials, resulting in chipping and tearout of the face plys along the cut surface.

This photo shows the metal blade insert that was furnished with the Model R4511.

A common solution to the tearout problem is the use of a Zero Clearance Insert (ZCI), which has a blade slot which exactly matches the particular saw blade being used. Many of the ZCI’s in use today are shop made from a variety of materials, including plywood, MDF, hardboard, solid hardwood, phenolic, Corian, and others.

A ZCI is usually made by using the original stock blade insert as a pattern to establish a periphery which will match the opening in the saw table top. Frequently, woodworkers fabricate a number of ZCI’s, dedicating each one to a particular blade size. ZCI’s can also be made for specialized cutters like dado and box cutter sets.

In many cases, it is possible to use the same ZCI for two different blades by flipping the insert end-for-end and putting the second blade slot on the other side of the insert, thereby saving insert material ( which might be expensive or not commonly available).

The photo below shows a ZCI I made for my Model 4511 from ½ “ sheet phenolic material I was able to obtain from fellow LJer noweyrey1. Altho many folks use a flush trim router bit to size their ZCI blanks to the original insert, this one was cut to size on the tablesaw, including the corner chamfers, for convenience, since I don’t have my router table built yet. The corner radii on the original insert are fairly small, so it was more expedient to just use chamfers instead. There is a #10-24 set screw near each corner of the ZCI to permit leveling to the table top.

You sharp-eyed readers will note that the blade slot in the ZCI does not exit the end of the insert. Tho I can’t recommend this practice to you, I prefer not to use the guard/splitter furnished with the saw. In my opinion, this device obscures my view of the blade, making a more unsafe condition than omitting the device and leaving the blade exposed to view. Also, although this saw will accommodate an aftermarket riving knife, I have not invested in one or felt the need to fabricate one at this time – although that is something I might consider later.

Miter Gage Upgrade

The stock Ridgid Miter Gage is a well-made unit with a cast aluminum head and steel guide bar. Adjustable stops are furnished at standard bevel angles. The guide bar also has four set screws to adjust the fit of the bar to the miter gage table slot. After removing the T-bar, this miter gage could probably be used on my bandsaw.

I chose to replace the stock miter gage with an Incra V27, which I was able to purchase at a good sale price some time ago. I chose this unit mostly for its absolute settable accuracy in 5º increments, due to the use of precision laser cut detents in the outer periphery. Since this unit was first marketed, there are newer ones (at higher prices) which are very popular with woodworkers, that have 1º increment detents. This unit employs adjustable plastic washers to improve the fit of the bar to the miter slots. However, I have found that the abrasive surface of the sides of the miter slots in the granite top tend to cause excessive wear of the plastic washers.

Power Switch Upgrade

The stock power switch, shown below, worked well. It is a flip toggle type which is rated for both 110VAC and 220VAC. Altho I chose to replace it on my Model R4511, I think I will use it to replace the pushbutton switch that came on my Grizzly G0555X bandsaw, which seems to have a hard to operate pushbutton mechanism.

I chose to replace the stock Power Switch with the Grizzly Model H8243, Paddle Type Pushbutton Switch shown below because I was used to using a paddle type switch on my previous General Model 350 cabinet saw. The large paddle makes it easier to turn off the saw with a knee in the event of an emergency or a situation in which both hands are required to secure the material for the cut being made. This change also required changing the switch box to accommodate the new switch.

Input Voltage Conversion

The 1 1/2HP motor on the Model 4511 came from the factory wired for 120VAC. The motor nameplate rating lists the current draw as 13A at 120VAC and 6.7A at 240VAC.

Altho the saw ran fine on 120VAC, and I was only loading the circuit to about a maximum of 65% of the recommended 80% circuit capacity, I did not like loading the 120V/20A circuit I was using to that level. Since I had provided multiple 240VAC circuits when I built the shop, I decided to switch the motor over to a dedicated circuit at the higher input voltage.

This changeover does not save any money, contrary to many of the misguided rumors floating about, because the electric bill is based upon the number of KWH used. Doubling the input voltage usually produces a corresponding reduction of around 50% in the amperage required. The main benefit is balancing the amperage draw across both sides of the incoming line, with each line only drawing half of the current. So the bottom line is that instead of one side of the line on a 120VAC circuit drawing a full 13A, each side of a 240VAC circuit is only drawing about 6.5A. In addition to changing the motor wiring connections, I did have to change the motor plug to a NEMA 6-20 plug to accommodate the 240VAC circuit receptacle.

The one change that I did notice after changing the input voltage to 240VAC was that the motor spins up to full operating speed almost instantly —noticeably faster than when it was running on 120VAC, even tho it didn’t seem to be especially slow before.

Well folks, this chapter ends the discussion of the modifications I made to my beloved Model R4511. I hope the information in this blog has been not only interesting, but useful to some of you, especially to fellow owners of this marvelous machine. If nothing else, it has served to document this journey for me, so that I might have it to share with other woodworkers in the future. I do plan to post this project here on LJ, as well as some of the other woodworking forums with a link back to this blog.

That said, please return one more time for ………………The Unveiling — Before and After…………….!
‘Til then, I wish all of you a Happy New Year! May you be blessed with good health, prosperity, a safe time in your shops, and maybe some new toys!

These pointers are somewhat fragile and easily bumped out of alignment. This one was bent when I received the saw, and you can see from the worn off paint that I didn’t do a very good job of straightening it (while on the saw). At best, this type of device provides a very rough indication of actual blade tilt angle. As a result many woodworkers today use more accurate means to set or measure the blade tilt angle, such as drafting triangles, protractors, squares, or digital indicators.

In searching for a better indicating method, I ran across an idea on the NC Woodworker forum (www.ncwoodworker.net) proposed by Mr. Alan Schaffter, a very accomplished woodworker from North Carolina. Mr. Schaffter is a retired engineer, inventor, and author — perhaps you have seen some of his articles in the American Woodworker magazine.

Mr. Schaffter proposed mounting a Digital Angle Cube to replace the stock tilt angle indicator. This modification would provide very accurate Tilt Angle measurement and would work with any of the available Angle Cubes, such as the Wixey, IGaging, Beall, etc. Based upon his idea, I decided to develop a design to include this feature on my Model 4511.

To that end, I designed a new mounting arrangement to replace the original sheet metal pointer. Because the mounting screw for the indicator was over 3 inches inside the saw cabinet, the new mounting bracket needed to be rigid and sturdy to carry the extra weight of the angle cube and the mounting arm. In addition, because I wanted the digital display to be outside of the periphery of the Elevation Handwheel, so that the reading would be visible at any angle, the increased the moment of the cantilevered mounting arm further increased the need for good rigidity.

The photos below show the front and rear views of the new Tilt Indicator mounting arm and bracket. The mounting arm is a piece of ½” Baltic Birch plywood, long enough to reach outside the Elevation Handwheel. The bracket is a three piece Z-shaped assembly, patterned after the original sheet metal device. Since I don’t have any welding capability, screws were used to attach the bracket components. A steel sheet metal construction Angle Clip was used as a base for the Angle Cube attachment. The pointer was made from a brass screw hook and mounted at the correct angle to match the Tilt Angle Scale on the front panel of the saw. The new pointer was included in the design to give a method of rough indication when making a large tilt angle change. This helps offset the time delay inherent in the digital display before it will display a new reading.

In addition to building the new Tilt Angle Indicator mounting, I had to square off and slightly extend the right hand end of the curved slot in the front panel. This was necessary to accommodate the extra thickness of the new Z-bracket.

Before installing the Angle Cube on the new mounting bracket, I first checked the actual blade angle, with the Tilt Mechanism rotated against the built in reference stop. This procedure is very simple as shown in the photos below. The left hand photo shows the Angle Cube zeroed to the saw table to provide the reference point. The right hand photo shows that the Angle Cube attached to the saw blade does indeed indicate that the blade is exactly 90º to the saw table.

The following photo shows the new Tilt Angle mounting assembly in place on the saw with the Angle Cube installed. Integral rare earth magnets in the case of the Angle Cube hold the device in place on the Angle Clip. With the blade vertical, as verified in the previous test, the Angle Cube has been zeroed again while on the bracket, to provide a vertical blade angle reference. Any movement of the blade from the vertical position will be indicated on the Angle Cube , in spite of the fact that the Angle Cube is not mounted in the horizontal position.

You will notice that the Angle Cube I use is one made by IGaging. I also have another Angle Cube made by Wixey. I prefer the IGaging model because it uses a single standard 9VDC battery, which seems to provide better battery life—as it should since it has a much higher mA capacity than the button cell in the Wixey. Either of these models or similar ones marketed by Beall and others will work just as well.

As shown in the following photo I checked the 45º blade angle position by turning my new hand dandy Front Mounted Tilt Handweel until the Angle Cube display indicated exactly 45º. Altho I could have, I didn’t set the 45º stop screw under the table at that point. I prefer to ease up on the end point instead of bumping up against a hard end point to minimize the stress on the Tilt mechanism.

As shown in the photos below, I verified the actual 45º blade position in the same way I verified the vertical position. The left hand photo shows the Angle Cube zeroed to the saw table to provide the reference point. The right hand photo shows that the Angle Cube attached to the saw blade does indeed indicate that the blade is exactly 45º to the saw table.

Usage Note: If the Angle Cube display turns Off while the blade is tilted, it may be necessary to return the blade to the vertical position, turn it back On and zero the display with the Angle Cube on its bracket. Angle Cubes are designed to save battery life by automatically shutting off the display after a fixed idle interval.

One of the nice features of using an Angle Cube for the Tilt Angle Indicator is that it can be easily removed from the bracket to use for other purposes, such as setting accurate miter gage angles, measuring angles between adjacent pieces in a project, etc. Also, having the Angle Cube stored on its mounting bracket in under the saw overhang protects the device from being bumped into or dropped on the floor.

Thanks again to Mr. Alan Schaffter for his original idea.

Well, it looks like we have come to the end of this chapter. Please come back again—there’s at least one more chapter coming.

Please feel free to offer comments or constructive criticism. All questions will be answered.

My first choice was to use a small right angle gearbox, but I was unable to come up with any miniature ones with my Google searches. Fellow LJer DIYaholic pointed out some really skookum looking ones yesterday from sources that I somehow missed when I was searching. (Thanks, Randy – I tucked those references away in my Turn-The-Corner-Thingy file for future projects.) Had I seen them, I might have gone that direction. The only right angle gearboxes I could find were too large and cost half as much as my saw!

But in spite of that, my Turn-The-Corner-Thingy quest has come to a successful conclusion! The winner is the Milescraft Drill 90 Right Angle Drill Drive, Model #1390, which I purchased at my local Lowes store for less than $20. That said, there are other similar products that would probably work just as well, such as the compact Milescraft Drive 90 #1302 suggested yesterday by LJer Kiefer. Please don’t let my choices limit your thinking.

Note that my selected Milescraft product is very similar to the Vermont-American Model 17172 suggested by LJer DIYaholic yesterday. I had seen this V-A model on Amazon.com, but it had some accessories that I knew I wasn’t going to use and the price was a little higher than the Milescraft. I suspect that the two would be interchangeable. But the biggest driver was that I wanted to purchase something that I could get locally so that I could return it easily if it wasn’t going to work for this application.

The Milescraft Drill 90 is a right angle drill drive with 1:1 ratio, powder metal bevel gears and bronze bearings. For this application, I didn’t feel that the plastic case was a detractor because of the intermittent usage, low rotational speeds, and low stress mounting design. The integral chuck would be ideal for gripping the extended Tilt Shaft without having to fabricate or purchase any other adapters. This is not a precision device, but it is more than adequate for this job.

Designing and Packaging the Drive Train

Having selected my Turn-The-Corner-Thingy, I was ready to develop a design for the rest of the drive train, which would meet my previously specified criteria, and a way to package it.

Design Criteria

• Low Cost
• Simple Configuration
• Use Available Components
• Accommodate Possible Shaft Misalignment
• Reduce or Eliminate Lubrication
• Retain Original Handwheel Attachment
• Be Contained within the Envelope of the Saw Table and Fence Rail

The photo below is what I came up with for the Right Angle Drive train. Note that the Part 15 is already installed in the new Tilt Shaft.

Correction: It has been pointed out to me that some of the parts in the Drive Train have been shown out of order in the photo below: Parts #8 & #12 should be shown between the two #11 Flange Bearings. These parts are shown in the correct position in the parts installation photos and in the Concept Drawing.

As I mentioned before, I intended to purchase the Tilt Shaft, Roll Pin, and Cover Plate as Ridgid replacement parts. Some of the other specialized parts, such as the Flex Coupling components and Shaft Collars were purchased from McMaster-Carr online. The other hardware items were purchased at local hardware outlets.

As a side note, I highly recommend McMaster-Carr (www.mcmaster.com) as a source for almost any hardware item you can think of. Their prices are competitive, fast order turnaround, and very reasonable shipping rates. They also have some of the best prices I have found for thin wall PVC S&D ducting fittings, including 6” sizes, for DC system fabrication.

The photo below shows the drive train components assembled in their relative positions similar to the actual installation.

The Coupling Nut was an easy way to attach an extension to the existing Tilt Shaft projecting from the side of the saw cabinet. The extension shaft was the shank from an 8mm hex head bolt. The Jamb Nuts lock the Coupling Nut in place to prevent loosening. The round shank of the extension shaft would be easy to secure in the Right Angle Drive chuck.

I incorporated the Flex Coupling, a low priced assembly, to minimize the effects of misalignment between the Right Angle Drive and the new Tilt Shaft. I was delighted to find that McMaster-Carr carried the necessary components to permit joining the 3/8” shaft on the Right Angle Drive with the new 10mm Tilt Shaft!(Would that be called a Multi-national connection?) The Spider is a Buna – N rubber component that couples the two metal hubs and provides a small measure of flexibility.

The Shaft Collars were incorporated to prevent any lateral movement of the new Tilt Shaft. Operating the Tilt Handwheel could tend to push the new Tilt Shaft inward, putting unwanted stress on the Right Angle Drive. Conversely, locking the handwheel with the Bar Knob would tend to pull the new Tilt Shaft outward, disengaging the Flex Coupling.

The Spyraflo Flange Bearings are a unique design in that the bearing surfaces are made from Acetal (Delrin), an engineered plastic material that is widely used in industry for low load bearing, low friction, precision bearings. These bearings are also self aligning and will tolerate up to 5º misalignment – a low cost product with amazing specifications! The Acetal bearing material is a product with a low coefficient of friction and requires no additional lubrication.

The flat steel and nylon washers were provided to produce low friction, rotational “thrust” bearing surfaces.

Right Angle Drive Train Installation

As shown below, a three-sided, open top (and bottom) box was fabricated and attached to the inside of the back and the right side of the storage cabinet. So that the storage cabinet would fit tightly against the saw cabinet, a counterbore was drilled in the outside of the storage cabinet back to accommodate the thickness of the original Cover Plate. An oversize hole was drilled thru the cabinet back to allow access to tighten the rear Jamb Nut. The photo shows the Coupling Nut with the extended Tilt Shaft and Jamb Nuts installed.

The photo below shows the Milescraft Drill 90 Right Angle Drill Drive installed on the extended Tilt Shaft. Note the oversize access hole in the side of the cabinet to allow clearance for installation and removal of the Right Angle Drive with the Flex Coupling Hub installed. The Right Angle Drive Hub was approximately centered in the side opening. The open top and bottom of the enclosure allowed tightening of the chuck on the shaft extension. I chose to leave the angle drive handle attachment bolt through the housing in place. I had originally considered using the bolt to attach the drive, but found it wasn’t necessary.

As shown in the following photo, a separate external enclosure was built for mounting the Flange Bearings and housing the rest of the drive components. The bearing supports were fabricated and drilled as a matched pair, minimizing alignment problems. Note that the Flex Coupling is clearly visible and that the two Shaft Collars sandwich the flat anti- friction washers and the Inner Flange Bearing. These components were installed with full engagement of the Flex Coupling components and adjusted to produce minimal lateral movement of the new Tilt Shaft, while maintaining free rotation. Note the Right Angle Drive is unattached on one end, constrained only by the Flex Coupling – this design minimizes the stress applied to the Right Angle Drive in operation. The Flex Coupling is self adjusting, accommodating any minor misalignment of components.

After installation of the drive train components, the external box position was adjusted visually to produce the best alignment of the Flex Coupling, minimizlng misalignment between the Right Angle Drive and the new Tilt Shaft, and clamped in place. Permanent attachment of the external box to the cabinet side was then done with screws from inside the storage cabinet.

The external surfaces of the box were covered with 5mm Birch underlayment plywood to improve appearance. I didn’t like the appearance of a square box that looked like it was just stuck to the side of the storage cabinet, so I added some sloped panels to make it more aesthetic— strictly foo foo—they serve no other purpose other than to make it harder for dust to stick to them. A removable access panel was incorporated into the side of the box to allow installation, removal, and adjustment of the drive train components.

The photo below shows the Outside Flange Bearing installation. The pairs of Flange Bearing mounting holes were oriented at 90º to each other. Note the screwdriver access holes for installation of the Inner Flange Bearing mounting screws. The Cover Plate, not shown in the photo, was installed over the large hole in the face of the enclosure. Installation of the Access Cover, Tilt Handwheel, and the Bar Knob completed the assembly.

The Relocated Tilt Handwheel

So for all of you folks who have been waiting with bated breath………..here is what the Front-Mounted Relocated Tilt Handwheel looks like! It is totally contained within the envelope of the front overhang of the table and fence rail and the front of the storage cabinet. In addition, there is no interference with adjacent front-mounted machine components, such as the Power Switch, Elevation Handwheel, and Tilt Indicator. The Relocated Tilt Handwheel operates smoothly, with no more effort than when it was mounted on the side of the saw — but it sure is a heck of a lot handier to use!

The Handwheel Twins

Kinda looks like a poor man’s version of the new Delta Unisaw……………..!

Bits and Pieces and $$

So now your next questions are going to be, ”What are the parts? Where can I buy them? and What do they cost?” So here are some answers. You may find that substituting other parts will work just as well. Keep in mind that these are the parts I used for the Model R4511 — doing a similar modification to another saw may require different parts and hardware, especially for adapting to the existing tilt shaft.

What If My R4511 Doesn’t Have a Storage Cabinet or I Have a Different Saw?
The obvious answer is 1) you could add one, or 2) you could find a Model 4511 on Craigslist and change saws……………!!

But let me suggest a third alternative for relocating the Tilt Handwheel to the front of almost any tablesaw.

Firstly, purchase the component parts listed above or equivalents to fit your particular saw. Altho the Flex Coupling could be omitted, I would recommend including it because working with wood usually isn’t as precise as dealing with metal components, although with care it can be done.

Secondly, design and build a suitable enclosure for the drive components you have selected. Sometimes it is best to have the hardware in hand before fabricating anything so that you can be sure that everything is going to fit together.

As a starting point design, you might consider the concept below:

I would add a thin plywood or hardboard cover to the top and bottom to increase the rigidity of the enclosure and preclude dust and debris. At least one of the two covers should be removable to allow access for installation and removal of the drive train components. I would also make the two sides of the enclosure adjacent to the saw cabinet at 1 to 2 inches larger top and bottom to provide a flange for attachment of the enclosure to the saw cabinet.

WARNING!! This is only a conceptual drawing—the actual dimensions of the enclosure and the placing of components will depend upon the configuration of your saw and the drive train components selected.

Well, we have finally come to the end of this chapter. But, stay tuned…........there’s more to come!

This phase of the equipment upgrade was an interesting one for me— and will be right up there near the top of my favorite changes to this tablesaw. One of the things that delights me the most is that I was able to put it together with available parts and wood scraps in the shop. And the only part alteration was to cut off the head of the bolt I used for the extension shaft and cut off the excess length of the purchased Tilt Shaft. I hope others will find this information useful. If so, please let me know—and be sure to show us some pictures if you decide to take this adventure…................

Please feel free to leave comments or constructive suggestions. All questions will be answered. And if you find any errors in the material callouts or part numbers, etc., please let me know so I can make corrections.

When I designed the cabinet, I made provision for this modification by including a blank panel in the front of the cabinet, centered on the Tilt Handwheel shaft. In the photo below, this panel is located on the right side of the lower drawer, which is actually the middle drawer of the cabinet.

The Tilt Handwheel shaft, 10mm in diameter with an 8mm threaded end, extends through a steel Cover Plate mounted on the side of the saw cabinet. The handwheel, which slip fits on the shaft, is a cast metal design which has a cross slot in the hub that engages a roll pin thru the shaft. A Bar Knob, with an internal metal insert, threads onto the shaft to prevent the handwheel from coming off and locks the handwheel against the Cover Plate to secure the blade tilt position.

With these existing design features to accommodate, I developed the following design criteria for the Tilt Handwheel relocation task.

Design Criteria

• Low Cost
• Simple Configuration
• Use Available Components
• Accommodate Possible Shaft Misalignment
• Reduce or Eliminate Lubrication
• Retain Original Handwheel Attachment
• Be Contained within the Envelope of the Saw Table and Fence Rail

To aid in meeting these criteria, I decided to purchase three Ridgid Model R4511 replacement parts: Tilt Shaft, Roll Pin, and Cover Plate (actually called a Tilt Bracket on the Parts List).

The first design decision to be made was where to relocate the Tilt Handwheel. Two possibilities existed: Side Mounting, or Front Mounting. So let’s look at the Pros and Cons of each.

Side Mounting

The Pros:

Side Mounting of the Tilt Handwheel would be the simplest method and require the least number of components. It should be relatively easy to extend the existing Tilt Shaft out through the face of the storage cabinet using the purchased replacement parts and a flange mounted bearing similar to the ones I used on the Flip-Top Planer/Sander project (http://lumberjocks.com/projects/53211) . The only challenge might be adapting the two shafts to one another – but that could be accomplished in a couple of different ways. The flange bearing could be mounted to the cabinet after installation and connection of the two shafts, thereby minimizing or eliminating any shaft alignment problem. The Tilt Handwheel, Bar Knob, and Cover Plate would be installed as in the original configuration. So essentially the Tilt Handwheel would simply be moved away from the saw cabinet by the depth of the storage cabinet but would still be located in the same position on the left side of the saw. At least I wouldn’t have to fumble under the table extension to reach the handwheel anymore!

The Cons:

With the Tilt Handwheel on the left side of the saw, as it was originally, I found it very awkward to operate. I am right handed, so to operate the handwheel comfortably, I had to stand on the left side of the saw – but this position prevented me from seeing the Tilt Position Indicator on the front panel of the saw. Also, in my small shop with limited floor space, the left end of the saw might be close to the face of my jointer, making access difficult.

If possible, I didn’t want the Tilt Handwheel and knob to extend out beyond the edge of the table extension. Also, the Tilt Handwheel would probably prevent opening some of the storage drawers. So that would mean that I would have to remove the handwheel when not in use – easily done by simply unscrewing the Bar Knob and slipping off the handwheel (which could be stored in one of the drawers). However, that might leave the end of the Tilt Shaft sticking out beyond the table edge. The Bar Knob could be replaced on the shaft.

Unless I added some sort of spacer to take the place of the handwheel, this might also eliminate locking the Tilt Shaft position with the Bar Knob. However, as the Tilt (and Elevation) features are worm gear driven, the mechanical advantage of such a mechanism is so high that I doubt any machine vibration would be great enough to change the shaft position.

Front Mounting

The Pros:

Front Mounting of the Tilt Handwheel would eliminate the awkward left side operating position and allow clear visibility of the Tilt Position Iindicator on the front panel. The saw table and fence rail overhang the front of the cabinet by at least 10 inches, so there would be ample room to install and operate the Tilt Handwheel without projecting beyond the envelope of the saw and fence.

The Cons:

Front Mounting of the Tilt Handwheel would introduce more complexity into the installation and require more component parts. In addition, I would have to be creative and come up with a suitable Turn-the-Corner-Thingy in order to change the direction of the Tilt Shaft from side to front. That might require some serious head scratching and navel gazing…………!!

An Internet Search for Ideas

So the first thing I did was to turn to one of the greatest sources of woodworking information around – The LJ forum, of course!! A search turned up some interesting information from folks who have already addressed this problem.

I was able to find two discussions, one by fellow LJer, Kiefer, who posted an innovative solution he came up with using a right angle flexible hose to make the transition from the side to the front of his saw(http://lumberjocks.com/projects/46822) He was even more creative by developing a shop made pillow block and beautiful wooden handwheel! My solution probably won’t be nearly so elegant and photogenic! Good show, guy!!

The other solution, which I couldn’t find when I researched for this blog, although I remember seeing it here on LJ, I think, involved using a modified angle grinder to provide the direction change.

[Note to self: Write down the source when you are pirating other’s ideas and publishing them for the world to see so you can give them proper credit!]

This fellow is a machinist and was able to fabricate the modifications necessary to adapt his tilt shaft to the angle grinder head and the end of the armature shaft to his handwheel. Since he used the angle grinder as a housing for the angle drive, he also fabricated a metal bracket to secure the components. I am a woodworker, folks – my metal working equipment consists of a vise, hacksaw, some files, a hammer, and a drill press. Somehow I couldn’t see myself making such a nice modification of an angle grinder. I did however consider possibly using the angle head portion of that tool.

Tho both of these approaches were very innovative and seemed to meet the user’s requirements, I felt that they would take up more space than I had available or required fabrication operations I couldn’t accomplish. I sure appreciate folks’ willingness to share their ideas and solutions so freely with the woodworking community, tho. We all benefit greatly from their generosity, and as importantly, from the folks who make these forums like Lumberjocks available to us for free! Thanks to all!

I was unable to turn up any other folks who had made similar modifications.

Back to the Drawing Board

So after much deliberation, navel gazing, and weighing of the Pros and Cons, I decided to go with the Front Mounting option! (BTW, I discovered that the most productive navel gazing is done early in the morning aided by a good, strong cup of coffee in a lint-free environment….......... How delighted I was to find another use for my new air compressor………Cleaner than a whistle!……….  )

So now it looks like the task at hand is to come up with a suitable Turn-the-Corner-Thingy that will fit in the space available and meet my design criteria. I looked around my shop and found that I had a lot of Thingys, but no suitable Turn-the-Corner-Thingys. And of course when I find one, I will have to figure out how I can use it!

Ah, there is obviously some more serious navel gazing to be done……….but fear not, I shall keep my air compressor handy so that my view will be unobstructed……….! I sense that a breakthrough is on the immediate horizon…..........

Hopefully, the next time we meet, we will have the answer to my Turn-the-Corner-Thingy quest and figure out how to put it all together. Stay tuned………………….

Please feel free to share any comments or constructive criticisms. All questions will be answered.

In that vein, I would like to thank the forum member who I think is here on LJ, for the inspiration for my take on a Side Extension Table. I copied a photo of your design, but I was unable to find your post when I was writing this blog — but whoever you are, thanks for sharing such a novel idea — you will recognize my version of your design!

I couldn’t bear to waste the space between the fence rails, but I didn’t need a router table since I will be building a free standing one soon. So when I saw the design of a Downdraft Sanding Extension Table , all the bells and lights went off! So here is my version of this accessory.

The downdraft table is surrounded by a removable fence system to help contain the sanding dust. Threaded tooling knobs with matching inserts secure the fence to the table and the fence components to one another. The table top is 1/2” Baltic Birch plywood covered in high pressure laminate. There are (432) 3/8” holes on a 1” x 1” grid, that were plunge routed through the top and finished with slight chamfers both sides to improve airflow. This hole pattern was designed to produce about 800 CFM airflow from my 3HP DC. A piece of perforated plastic shelf liner will be used under the workpiece when sanding.

The dust collection box is 21” wide and 27” deep, with 5” high maple side members. The bottom of the box is 1/2” plywood. Sloped baffles, on all four sides, made from 5mm Birch underlayment plywood, channel the dust down into a 1 1/2” x 14” center dust collection slot in the bottom of the box. Note the same aluminum duct tape I used to attach the baffles inside the saw cabinet in the earlier discussion.

A 6” diameter sheet metal right angle furnace boot with a 6” diameter PVC coupling was attached to the bottom of the dust collection box. The bar supported by the allthread pieces is a bumper to protect the thin sheet metal duct from damage when I roll my shop vacuum in under the dust box for storage.

This view shows the dust collection box installed between the fence rails. The laminate covered, perforated, 1/2” plywood top panel (slid aside) installs flush with the top of the box.

This view shows the modular fence components. They are designed so that one or both of the short sides can be removed to accommodate long pieces. If both short sides were removed, the long side would be clamped to the Unifence. However, most of the work I do should fit within the fences. The installation hardware is stored in one of the on-board storage drawers when not in use.

The modular fence components were designed to be stored underneath the dust collection box when not in use. Note the angle clips used to secure the dust collection box to the fence rails.

Again, my thanks to the forum member who posted the original design. One of the things I most enjoy about the LJ forum and others is the sharing of ideas that others can use and hopefully improve upon and/or adapt for their own use. What a great woodworking community!!

Well, that’s about it for this chapter. Hang in there….....................there’s a lot more to come. Thanks for stopping by. Please feel free to leave any comments or constructive criticisms. All questions will be answered.

However, in my new small, narrow, shop, I had to rethink a design suitable for the space I had available. I knew a folding design probably wouldn’t work because I didn’t have room to move the saw out from the wall and still get around behind it to fold/unfold such a design. So I opted for a fixed table design.

Since the new Delta Unifence I installed on my Model R4511 hangs out over the back of the granite saw table about 12 inches, I decided to use this space for the Rear Outfeed Table. I was willing to give away a little width space in the shop for the convenience of the outfeed table. It is surprising how useful such a narrow table can be in supporting most of the normal rip cuts I do for my projects. The saw can be rotated away from the wall for longer cuts and those that require an auxiliary outfeed stand. Also the space under this table works well for my back mounted DC duct and flex hose.

This short, simple, outfeed table is 13” deep x 20” wide and constructed of Baltic Birch plywood with a laminate top. The miter gage clearance slots extend clear to the back of the table — I have found that blind ended slots tend to collect debris and are hard to clean. You sharp-eyed folks will notice that the table tilts down slightly at the back. That was intentional and can be corrected by adjustment screws which I have not yet installed in the back mounting. So far I haven’t found the tilt to be a problem. The front edge of the outfeed table is slightly below the saw table so that pieces don’t catch coming off the saw.

The Rear Outfeed Table is bolted to the back of the saw table and is supported by a gusseted bracket. Any adjustment screws could be threaded into the spreader bar between the gussets. The spreader bar just rests against the back panel of the saw cabinet.

I know this hasn’t been a very exciting chapter in this blog, but I included it as part of the photo documentation of this project. The next section should prove to be more interesting…..........Stay tuned!

There have been quite a number of folks who have found the original rip fence on the Model R4511 to meet their needs and expectations very well. And of course there have been a fair number of folks who have had difficulties with the fence — issues related to the two piece front rail, alignment front to back, excessive height off the table, etc. I didn’t have any major issues with the fence except the excessive height off the table, altho I think the 2” square tube is too small to be useful for a lot of ripping applications on thicker/longer stock. In addition, I could not get used to the debris-catching space between the front rail tube and the rail support angle — it seemed like I was always losing a pencil in that space and it was always full of sawdust!

My biggest problem with the original fence was a historical one! I had been using a Delta Unifence for the last 20 years or so, and I just couldn’t get comfortable using a difference fence. In addition to the “perceived deficiencies” mentioned above, I missed some of the features of the Unifence — especially the unique feature of the Unifence which allows the fence extrusion to be retracted to a position in front of the blade so it can be used as a stop block for uniform length cross cuts.

The Delta Unifence I purchased for use on the Model R4511 had a 30” rail, allowing a maximum cut of 30” to the right of the blade and 9” to the left. The total length of the front rail was about 60”. Unfortunately, since I purchased the one for this project, it seems like the Unifence is either no longer made or is in very short supply. I suspect that since Delta bought Biesemeyer, they would rather sell only the Bies. — which is indeed an excellent fence, as many of you can probably attest.

The Unifence is a three-piece rip fence — an extruded aluminum front rail, a machined cast aluminum body, and an extruded “L”-shaped aluminum fence. The fence body is supported by the front rail, and a nylon tipped “foot” that rests on the table top — there is no attachment to the rear rail. A steel bar running in a tee slot in the front of the rail is cam locked to the face of rail to lock the fence position. The fence extrusion can be positioned on either side of the fence body, allowing left-of-blade cutting.

The fence extrusion can be mounted to the body in two ways. To accommodate this feature, two index lines are provided on the clear plastic scale cursor, with an icon to show which one applies —therefore, it is possible to read the wrong cursor line if one isn’t paying attention…... :-( DAMHIKT...........!!The following photo shows the fence extrusion in the Low Fence Mode, (my favorite) providing a 1/2” high fence surface and allowing space for hand holding the workpiece without obstruction from the higher part of the fence.

This view shows the fence positioned in the High Fence Mode providing a 3 1/2” fence face.

The addition of an After Market Auxiliary Fence extrusion allows the use of feather boards or other hold down devices. However, the use of such devices does require the fence extrusion to be clamped down to the table or rear rail, which is easily accomplished.

Mounting of the Unifence proved to be challenging. The Unifence was designed to be attached to the front face of a cast iron table, which typically has a flange around the edges of the table. Bolts with heads inside the flange and nuts inside integral tee slots in the back face of the fence extrusion are used to secure the fence to the table. However, the Model R4511 has a solid granite table with no edge flanges. So I had to dream up an alternate mounting method.

This installation required the mounting of a new steel rail support angle to the front edge of the table, using the original hole pattern, which I transferred from the original fence rail — the cheapo transfer punch set from Harbor Freight worked like a champ for this application. I used 1/8” x 2” x 2” angle stock from Home Depot. In retrospect, I wish I had used 3/16” or even 1/4” thick stock, which would have made it more rigid. The thinner stock is adequate, however — sometimes bigger is better! In addition, I replaced the stock rear fence support angle with a 1/8” x 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” steel angle I had lying around the shop to provide support for a right hand table extension to fill the space between the fence rails outboard of the granite table.

To accommodate the radius between the rail angle legs, I fabricated a maple filler. The filler was attached to the rail extrusion with 1/4” machine screws and either speed nuts and hex nuts. The speed nuts were used to accommodate the large upper tee slot, which was designed for 3/8” hex nuts in a normal installation. I didn’t have room for the large heads of 3/8” FH machine screws in the face of the filler.

This view shows the rail support angle, filler, and rail extrusion installed on the front of the granite table. Note that there is no channel between the table and the fence rail to collect debris — or lose pencils…. :-)

The Unifence rail extrusion was attached with 1/4” machine screws tapped into the bottom surface of the fence rail, as shown in this view. Altho the fence rail extending beyond the edge of the right hand granite table extension was unsupported, it is so rigid as to not pose a problem.

Since installing the Unifence, I have felt much more at home using the saw—kinda like putting on an old pair of slippers…........ :-)

Well, that’s about it for this chapter. Stay tuned, there is lots more to come….....................

That said, real estate in my shop is a very precious commodity. Consequently, I designed the new mobile base for this Model R4511 with provisions to add modular storage cabinets.

The left side of this saw table extends about 12 inches beyond the cabinet. As designed, the only residents of this space were the Tilt Handwheel and the fence storage brackets.

To make the best use of this space, I was willing to give up the fence storage brackets and try to figure out some way to relocate the Tilt Handwheel. So I designed a five-drawer cabinet to fit this space under the table extension and between the caster outriggers on the mobile base. Cabinet construction was mostly Baltic Birch plywood, with various other varieties used in less visible places. Visible edges on the front of the cabinet were faced with 1/2” poplar. The 1/2” back panel of the cabinet was secured to the saw cabinet with screws.

All of the drawers are 10 1/2” deep with 1/2” Baltic Birch frames and most have 5mm Birch plywood underlayment bottoms. The drawer sides are dadoed into the drawer fronts, which, I discovered later, made them much harder to get aligned with one another on installation. If I were doing it again, I would make separate drawer fronts. All drawers are mounted on ball bearing full extension slides with 1” overtravel. I found a lot of these slides for $4/pair, so I couldn’t pass them up.

The large drawer was designed to hold my saw blades, and has a 1/2” thick BB ply bottom to accommodate the extra weight. The drawer will store 11 saw blades. In addition, there is also space along the side of the blade compartment for my 8” dado set and my 8” box joint cutter set.

In the matching space on the right side of the saw cabinet, I designed a small cabinet with a drawer mounted on the same full extension ball bearing slides with overtravel. Construction of this cabinet was the same as for the cabinet on the left side of the mobile base. The space above this cabinet is taken up by the motor cover. Tho small, this drawer will still be useful for storing miscellaneous accessories and tooling.

As mentioned earlier, I designed the new mobile base with a deep drawer in its front panel. This drawer is about 20” deep and is mounted on full extension ball bearing slides. The large size of this drawer will accommodate storage of bulky items like my Delta Tenoning Jig, Zero Clearance Inserts, etc.

So, that’s it for the on-board storage provisions. Thanks for coming along — but there is much more to come…............

In my experience, I have found dust collection from a tool to be most effective by eliminating as many corners and horizontal surfaces as possible, so that dust and debris cannot accumulate in those areas. To that end, I added sloped baffles to all sides of the opening in the bottom of the saw. Note that the baffles cover all of the corner gussets and the ledge around the bottom of the cabinet. The baffles were made from 5mm (0.20”) birch underlayment, attached with aluminum duct tape. This material and attachment method provide smooth surfaces that don’t tend to accumulate dust and debris.

Note in the following photo that all of the sloped cabinet baffles channel into a 2 1/2” x 12” duct built into the top of the mobile base. All of the airflow from the saw cabinet flows thru this duct on its way to my 3HP dust collector.

To further minimize dust entrapment, I added a sloped baffle to the motor cover. Even though the motor cover did have a sloped bottom panel, the new baffle was installed with a steeper slope and an overhanging edge to channel the dust and debris into the integral duct. This baffle was made from plastic coated hardboard.

The original dust collection port in the back of the plastic pan was designed for a 4” diameter DC fitting, protruding straight out of the back of the saw. Such an arrangement requires extra space behind the saw for additional elbow fittings and/or flex hose, which doesn’t bend around a very small radius. I designed the integral duct in the top of the new mobile base to accommodate a 6” diameter, right angle, sheet metal furnace duct boot and 6” diameter PVC coupling. This accommodates the 6” ducting used for my overhead dust collection system and allows the flex duct to lie parallel to the back of the saw, saving a lot of space — a precious commodity in my small shop. This flex duct orientation also makes it easier to rotate the saw away from the wall to accommodate long pieces. The 6” diameter duct fitting provides about 225% more area than the original 4” duct, with a corresponding increase in airflow.

Thanks for staying with me—there’s a lot more to come…............

In addition, the heavy (~200#) granite top and cast iron mechanism made the saw feel top heavy and somewhat unstable when moving it, due to the small caster footprint. As others have done, my solution to this condition was to redesign the mobile base with a wider caster footprint:

The wider footprint distributed the weight much more evenly and made the saw feel very stable.

The improved mobile base is a 3/4” plywood box, sized to fit the saw cabinet base, with 10” outrigger panels on each side for mounting 3” diameter double locking casters. The double locking casters were sufficient to prevent movement of the saw in use. Much of the time, locking them was not necessary. Provisions were also made for a full length drawer in the cabinet.

The outrigger panels were supported by integral gussets in the front and back panels and an additional gusset at each caster location. Dust covers were added to improve appearance and eliminate debris accumulation.

The mobile base was also designed to accept modular storage cabinets on both sides.

In case you are wondering, the mobile base and other parts were painted with Rustoleum Hammered Paint, No. 7218, Dark Bronze.
Many folks have commented that the paint makes the wood look like metal!

An integral dust collection duct was also incorporated into the top of the mobile base. Other dust collection features will be discussed in a following section.

Please stay with me, there’s much more to come…...........

However, after much research and positive reviews on LJ and other forums, I purchased a Ridgid Model R4511 Hybrid Table Saw in 2009….... :-) I was much impressed by this well engineered tool with so many features offered at such a favorable price, especially with the sale going on at Home Depot at the time.

After using the saw for about a year or so, it became apparent that some improvements could be made to better utilize the space in my shop and adapt the saw to my own personal preferences. Some of the modifications were intended to correct perceived design deficiencies; some were equipment upgrades; and some were just to suit my own personal preferences.

This multi-part blog will describe these modifications and some of the logic behind them. As many of you have this wonderful saw, you may find some of these modifications worthy of implementing in your own shop. I would like to thank all of the folks who have so freely shared their ideas and expertise on this forum. Some of the changes I made were inspired by ideas shared on the LJ forums and others.

The topics to be covered in this blog series include the following:

• Redesigned Mobile Base
• Improved Dust Collection
• On-Board Storage
• Upgraded Rip Fence
• Rear Outfeed Table
• Downdraft Side Extension Table
• Relocated Tilt Handwheel — Design Considerations
• Relocated Tilt Handwheel — Finally Making It Happen
• Tilt Indicator Redesign
• Final Modifications
• The Unveiling — Before and After

Please come along with me on this adventure. I think you will find it interesting, and even if you have a different model tablesaw, you might just find some ideas you can put to work in your own shop—and hopefully improve upon!