| Project by Sailor | posted 1070 days ago | 4307 views | 24 times favorited | 13 comments |  |
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I needed a good place to rip down my sheet goods instead of on a few 2×4’s on the floor, so I decided to build this platform to make it a little easier on myself and it definately did that.
I built this out of 5/8” plywood ripped down to 4” strips. The overall dimensions of it are 43”x71”. I notched out every joint within the grid 2” on each piece which allowed the joints to lock together. Every joint is glued and tacked with a couple of brad nails ONLY ON THE LOWER HALF, so if you don’t cut more than 2” into your grid you will be fine. I try not to cut into it any more than a quarter of an inch, most of the time less than that though.
You can see where I also notched the pieces to sit on my folding sawhorses. This makes it pretty secure and also makes it where you are always cutting on the correct side, the side without the brad nails.
I doubled up the outside of the longest runs on each side to provide more strength, I think it did just that because this thing is pretty sturdy. No problem cutting MDF on this thing, and it can even be used as an assembly area if needed since it is pretty flat.
I put some shelf brackets on the wall so that I could hang it up out of the way.
If you have yet to build one of these for yourself and have been putting it off, you need to, it makes it so much easier to cut your plywood.
-- Dothan, Alabama Check out my woodworking blog! http://woodworkingtrip.blogspot.com/ Also my Youtube Channel's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SailingAndSuch
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13 comments so far
drbyte
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376 posts in 2259 days
#1 posted 1070 days ago
Great cutting/assembly table. If you lay Styrofoam insulation board on it, you’d not cut into your plywood pieces and it would last a lot longer. Just my 2¢ worth.
-- Dennis, WV
drbyte
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376 posts in 2259 days
#2 posted 1070 days ago
And by the way, the folding sawhorses are great too. I’ve got to make a set soon.
-- Dennis, WV
Wolffarmer
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373 posts in 1435 days
#3 posted 1069 days ago
Great shop aid.
-- That was not wormy wood when I started working on it.
Russ
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353 posts in 1274 days
#4 posted 1069 days ago
Nice work. I like the design
-- Russ
Ken90712
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#5 posted 1069 days ago
Nice project, wish I had the wall space to hang that baby up. Nice thinking!
-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"
Sailor
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516 posts in 1462 days
#6 posted 1069 days ago
Thanks guys it really does help.
Dennis, I thought about Styrofoam but then it would be a little bit of a pain personally keeping it looking nice,maybe not. I am a little anal about some things, one of those being cutting very shallow into it. I think it will last quite some time as long as I am careful with it.
-- Dothan, Alabama Check out my woodworking blog! http://woodworkingtrip.blogspot.com/ Also my Youtube Channel's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SailingAndSuch
PurpLev
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7814 posts in 1845 days
#7 posted 1069 days ago
nice.
I personally use a sheet of 3/4” MDF. with the full MDF as a backer board to support the cuts -the cuts come out nice and clean – no tear outs, no chipouts, ready to assemble..
-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.
Da5idVa
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5 posts in 1104 days
#8 posted 1069 days ago
I love the detail where it integrates with your saw horse.
ptweedy
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75 posts in 1590 days
#9 posted 1069 days ago
hey nice panel table. Mine is 8’x4’ and breaks down so I can store on my lumber rack. It is built exactly as yours is except it has no frame. I will try your idea of the notchs for your horses, it moves around some when loading sheets. I also built a box to hang on either end to act as a tool tray.
Manitario
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1857 posts in 1080 days
#10 posted 1069 days ago
Great idea
-- Rob, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
TheStudent
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10 posts in 1087 days
#11 posted 1066 days ago
I like this, looks like it doesnt’ take but a minute to set up. You could also use a few clamps to keep the material from moving aroud. Do you use anything for a guide?
BTKS
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1916 posts in 1661 days
#12 posted 1066 days ago
Good idea. I just spent a couple of hours cutting up sheets on collapsed sawhorses on the floor. I like this much better. I really like the part about ensuring you cut on the correct side / without the brads. Thanks for the idea. BTKS
-- "Man's ingenuity has outrun his intelligence" (Joseph Wood Krutch)
Sailor
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516 posts in 1462 days
#13 posted 1066 days ago
Student, yeah it’s really simple just open the horses and lay the platform on the top, it’s not difficult at all to get the 2×4’s in the notches. I cut them 1/16” larger than a 2×4 for ease of inserting them.
I use a Festool 55 track saw, and really, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It should last me forever unless I drop it or knock it off the bench or something. But it truly is a fantastic tool and I would recommend them no question.
I haven’t had the Festool very long and before that I used a Dewalt skill saw with a edge guide that I build from a piece of plywood and piece of hardboard. It worked just fine until I realized that my saw blade wasn’t square to the fence nor was the blade square to the bottom plate on the saw. I used it for building decks and remodeling so it has been around.
The guide is very simple to make though, I know their are quite a few on here.
-- Dothan, Alabama Check out my woodworking blog! http://woodworkingtrip.blogspot.com/ Also my Youtube Channel's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SailingAndSuch
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