# advice needed on extending my table saw



## Greedo (Apr 18, 2010)

hello this is my first post here, but i have regularly been redirected to this site when searching information.
so i thought this would be the best place to get specific advice.

this is my tablesaw:









a Belgian made KIMAK combined tablesaw-shaper from 1996, at the rear you can see the other half wich is a planer-jointer-mortiser.

i am verry happy with these machines, but i can't cut large panels on my tablesaw. i have been looking at many extension projects and plans, but none really apply to this specific machine because of the charriot and the shaper etc… also there are no T slits in the tabletop for inserting cross-cutting jigs or anything since there is a charriot.
there are two problems:
1-the table isn't wide enough, the parralel fence-rail is so short that i can only use it to cut up to 28cm width
2-the parralel "charriot" wich slides on the rails, that i use to cross-cut and wich can also serve as a tenoning base when used with the shaper, is mounted in reverse when compared to those of real panel saws ( i must lay the piece ahead of the fence instead of behind it, wich means i am limited in the depth of the pieces i can cut). there is about 50 cm of max space between the fence and the sawblade.

what i was thinking about doing was:
1-extend the table width to the right, and along with that extend the rail-guide for the paralel fence so that i can at least cut large panels in half using the paralel guide(120 cm) i will probably need to custom make the rail end the guide.

2-switch the fence of the cross cut charriot to the other side, so that i can cross-cut wider panels.

im interested to know if anyone has better ideas or suggestions?
for the moment i always need to get my sheets cut to dimension at the lumberyard, wich they do for just €1 extra, but it's not fun to "bother" them with that sometimes several times a week.

i have many shop-improvement projects i want to to, but i think i should start with this, so that i could cut my own panels for all the next projects.

here is a quick sketchup model: 









i don't want just a tabletop extension, but an entire cabinet that i can use for storage etc… and put the whole thing on wheels because those of the tablesaw are starting to give away.

a problem is still that the table is verry short on the left side of the blade, it's not easy to hold panels in balance on that, and also i would like to somehow make something that extends out to the front to better support large panels.

thanks in advance!


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## cstrang (Sep 22, 2009)

It looks like you have put some good planning and thought into this. I would look at some aluminum extrusion companies for your fence rail, they may be able to fab something up for your fence. Maybe even a cast iron top to extend your table… it all depends how much you want to throw at the saw. An MDF substrate with a laminate overlay would suffice. As for the slider, you may want to extend the table area of that as well and fabricate some type of mounting system to put the fence in the forward position like most commercial models. Best of luck with it, keep us posted on your progress. And welcome to Lj's.


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## bigike (May 25, 2009)

I would go with the shop for the aluminum fence, but the extension table i would make one from mdf and plastic laminate. The top would be a torshion box so it stays dead flat.


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