# Table saw outfeed tables



## woodtickgreg (May 31, 2021)

This will be my version of table saw outfeed tables. The back one will be pretty big for two reasons, extra support when ripping long boards and for cutting sheet goods. And because I also use the table as a workbench for glue ups and finishing etc. The tables will also have formica tops. I just got a new Laguna F3 table saw with 52" rails, they did give me an outfeed table but it's way to small and not adequate imo. So I'm building new ones. I picked up a sheet of maple plywood and that will make the tops for both tables.
First thing to do was pick up a new 60 tooth blade for the circular saw to break down the plywood cleanly.



I flipped the plywood over so the good side faced down and the saw teeth would cut up into the good side. This way if there was any tearout it would be on the backside and it wouldn't be seen.
I set the saw so the blade extended one tooth height past the plywood, and I set it on some boards to support it so I wouldn't have to catch the boards after they where cut.



One 4'x5" sheet for the back outfeed table, and one 27" piece for the right side table.

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## Nature Man (May 31, 2021)

Definitely watching this project! Chuck

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## Wildthings (May 31, 2021)

me too

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 4, 2021)

Today I got the formica for the table tops. I had a hard time finding anyone that sells it locally for a fair price so I just ordered it through home depot. Got it the next day. 4x8 sheet of bright white.





It was packed well, nice honeycomb cardboard on the ends to protect it in shipping.



So why formica for the top? Several reasons, it's slick and stuff slides on it nice, especially after you wax it. The white reflects light well. And when you use it as an auxiliary work bench for finishing and glue ups the clean up is easy. I have even sanded my last table down after many years of abuse with a random orbit sander and some 320 grit, cleaned it right up and actually made it slicker. So I'm doing these tables the same way, it works and works well.

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## Wildthings (Jun 4, 2021)

That's gonna be a whole lotta contact cement. Maybe or maybe not  wear your respirator

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## sprucegum (Jun 5, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> That's gonna be a whole lotta contact cement. Maybe or maybe not  wear your respiratorView attachment 210371


The old school contact cement was for sure a glue sniffers dream, the new non flammable low VOC stuff is not bad. Personally I think the old stuff sticks better.

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## sprucegum (Jun 5, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> Today I got the formica for the table tops. I had a hard time finding anyone that sells it locally for a fair price so I just ordered it through home depot. Got it the next day. 4x8 sheet of bright white.
> View attachment 210358View attachment 210359
> It was packed well, nice honeycomb cardboard on the ends to protect it in shipping.
> View attachment 210360
> So why formica for the top? Several reasons, it's slick and stuff slides on it nice, especially after you wax it. The white reflects light well. And when you use it as an auxiliary work bench for finishing and glue ups the clean up is easy. I have even sanded my last table down after many years of abuse with a random orbit sander and some 320 grit, cleaned it right up and actually made it slicker. So I'm doing these tables the same way, it works and works well.


I used to use sheet goods laminate all the time for countertops and other projects but as you say no one seems to have it in stock. I used to get it from a countertop shop for projects like yours they always had discontinued colors and odds and ends cheap, the place burned to the ground a few years ago. They rebuilt but now only deal with lumber yards and have no direct sales to the public or contractors.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 5, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> That's gonna be a whole lotta contact cement. Maybe or maybe not  wear your respiratorView attachment 210371


That's the worst part of the whole job, lol. But it's what has to be done.


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 5, 2021)

sprucegum said:


> I used to use sheet goods laminate all the time for countertops and other projects but as you say no one seems to have it in stock. I used to get it from a countertop shop for projects like yours they always had discontinued colors and odds and ends cheap, the place burned to the ground a few years ago. They rebuilt but now only deal with lumber yards and have no direct sales to the public or contractors.


I used to get it from home depot in store and I could get deals on damaged sheets. Maybe just a corner broken off and it would be discounted and still have lots of usable material in it for shop projects. But they dont carry it in the store anymore, you can order it through home depot on line though which is what I did. I got it next day and it looks like it shipped right from the formica company.

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## Don Ratcliff (Jun 5, 2021)




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## woodtickgreg (Jun 5, 2021)

I had to skip working on the Table today to go buy a tool.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (Jun 5, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> I had to skip working on the Table today to go buy a tool.


Awww, poor you.... I hate buying tools

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 16, 2021)

I picked up some spray contact adhesive for the laminate.


I hope this is enough but I might have to purchase one more, I'll see after the big table is done. I'll be getting back on this project soon as the mortiser cart I'm working on is done. Almost there.

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## Wildthings (Jun 16, 2021)

Hmmmm I would never have entertain the thought of aerosol. I figured roll on out of a can! Interesting


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 16, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> Hmmmm I would never have entertain the thought of aerosol. I figured roll on out of a can! Interesting


I did my last table with aerosol as well, it worked very good. It lays down a uniform coating and dries quickly.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (Jun 16, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> I did my last table with aerosol as well, it worked very good. It lays down a uniform coating and dries quickly.


We use that on cabinet end panels in the homes. At the shop, a different story but on site. It works wonders with a few pin nails to hold the corners still while you set trim to it.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 18, 2021)

Ok, back to work on this now that my other project is done, lol.
I set up a roller stand so I could trim the large table top up a little.



I ripped a little off of both sides to clean up the edges and reduce the width so the laminate will hang over the edge when I get to that point.



Finished width is a hair over 47 3/4" That will allow me some laminate material to flush trim with a router.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 19, 2021)

Next up was to prep stock for the grid that will be built on the bottom of the table to stiffen it and give so.ething to attach the legs too.

I started by taking a moisture reading on the maple pallet wood I found to see if I could use it.
13% isn't bad for pallet wood. I've seen it in the 20's before. About 12% is what I shoot for on air dried wood so this will be fine.



I selected some rough sawn maple boards to use.



And jointed 2 sides.



After running them through the jointer I have a nice pile of boards to use.



Then I ran them through the planer to clean the last surface up and dimension them. I'm shooting for 1" thick from these 5/4 boards.



Ended up about a 16th of an inch shy of the 1" I was hoping for, close enough.



I put a new ripping blade on the saw to rip them to width. 



A nice stack of true 1x2's. I can work around the defects on these.



Next up will be cutting and gluing. I'm going to build this with no metal fastners because at a later date I plan to instal 2 router lifts in the table and when I cut into it I don't want to hit any nails or screws.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 20, 2021)

So today the cut and glue up of the bottom grid has started.
This first end piece I held back from the edge a little as I cut it freehand with a circular saw and it's a little rough in a couple of spots. The laminate trimmer will clean this edge up.



I marked some lines to keep me square during the glue up and clamping.



Some clamps ready.......



TB II and a silicone spreader.



Just using a putty knife to scrape off the squeeze out. Since no finish is going on this I can get away with it.



First piece on.



Sometimes you have to get creative with your clamping, lol. Some cut off strips and a couple blocks as calls gave me the needed down pressure to get squeeze out.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 20, 2021)

Still gluin and clampin.

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## Wildthings (Jun 20, 2021)

I've never seen clamps like the Shop Foxes in the 7th and 8th pictures -- cool!


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 20, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> I've never seen clamps like the Shop Foxes in the 7th and 8th pictures -- cool!


Those are cabinet clamps, shop fox brand. I purchased them from a member here but I can't remember who. they are actually made for 3/4" wood, so I had to sand down the wood where the clamps where since the wood I'm using is almost an inch thick. Lol.

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## Wildthings (Jun 20, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> Those are cabinet clamps, shop fox brand. I purchased them from a member here but I can't remember who. they are actually made for 3/4" wood, so I had to sand down the wood where the clamps where since the wood I'm using is almost an inch thick. Lol.


That's sweet. A little Google brought up these CLAMPS

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 21, 2021)

After cutting and fitting all the cross members I drew lines around all of them so I would know where to put glue. Easier to glue that way rather than the individual boards and getting glue all over the place and my fingers trying to get them in.



Glue spread, now I just insert the boards until they are fully seated and imbeded in the glue.



Since I'm not using any mechanical fasteners in this table I added some glue blocks in the corners for a little extra strength.



This grid work should help keep the top flat. Also using a good quality plywood will help with that also.



Now the glue needs to dry then I'll pull the clamps and give it a sand all around the outside just to clean it up some from glue squeeze out.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 21, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> That's sweet. A little Google brought up these CLAMPS


Exact same thing.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 21, 2021)

Came home from work today and went down to the shop, took all the clamps off and flipped the top over to pattern rout the one circular saw cut edge flush.
Here you can see the material being removed. 



A little better view.



Then I sanded all the way around to remove glue squeeze out.



Then I flipped it back over to plan out the legs and base. I think I want a 6" overhang on the sides and about a foot on each end. This should give me a 36" x 37" base. This will also give me a place to attach the top to the base. The base will be plenty heavy and sturdy, and I think one end will be attached to the table saw.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 22, 2021)

Legs? I salvaged some walnut 3x4's a little over a year ago, they have been in the garage since then. I think I'll use these for the legs.
I'll just cut around the defects.



Found free wood. It helps to date wood so you know how long it's been drying for. After I make a fresh cut into it I'll take a end grain moisture reading.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 22, 2021)

Let me show you my legs!  
A little measuring and calculating and I think I have the leg length. 30 1/4"




A fresh cut end reads 12.4% on the moisture meter, good enough. The garage kiln did its job.



I cut 4 blanks a little oversize.



Then jointed 2 edges to give me a square corner, 2 passes and they cleaned right up.



Then it was off to the planer to clean up the last 2 sides.



A little over 2 1/4" on one side.



And 2 7/8" on the other. Plenty big enough for free walnut.



So now I have 4 legs all squared up and milled to equal size.



Not exactly how they are going to go but you get the idea.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 22, 2021)

Then I picked the ends that where knot free and marked the centers.



And drilled the countersinks in the ends with a forstner bit.



Just enough to get the flange flush.



Then I switched to a smaller bit and bored the center out for the flange post.



And this is all so the leveling feet can be attached.



4 legs all drilled out for the leveling feet flanges.



Next I marked them for the correct length. 30 1/4"



And I set up a stop on my miter saw fence so they will all be the same length.



Here's the set up.

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jun 22, 2021)

On your measurements, did you allow for the leveling feet height? Oops, I see you did. Duh!

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## Wildthings (Jun 23, 2021)

WHAT!!!! no tapers?

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 23, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> WHAT!!!! no tapers?


Lol, not done yet, maybe just some chamfer at the bottom. Cross bracing has to go on yet to support a shelf. And besides this is utilitarian not furniture, lol.


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## Nubsnstubs (Jun 23, 2021)

Gonna be nice when done, but I gotta ask about that tape measure. How'd you get it?? .............. Jerry (in Tucson)

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 23, 2021)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Gonna be nice when done, but I gotta ask about that tape measure. How'd you get it?? .............. Jerry (in Tucson)


I worked at 2 home depots for 8 years as a tool rental tech and a hardware associate. I'm just borrowing that one.

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## DLJeffs (Jun 23, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> WHAT!!!! no tapers?

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 23, 2021)

Ha ha! Now that's funny.


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## Nubsnstubs (Jun 23, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> I worked at 2 home depots for 8 years as a tool rental tech and a hardware associate. I'm just borrowing that one.


Yep............... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 23, 2021)

The design I see in my head for the legs calls for some more material the same thickness as the walnut legs, I don't have any walnut that I want to cut up for that.
But I do have some maple from pallets.



These boards have some defects but I can cut around them to get what I need out of them.



I batch cut all the legs to length.



Not bad for pallet wood, it'll work for the shop table.



This one's a little high, could have used some more time in the garage but I need it, lol. So I'm using it.



4 cross braces rough cut tonight. Need to be jointed and planed.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 24, 2021)

Had a few minutes before Ieft for work this morning so I jointed 2 sides of the maple. One might clean up a little undersized but I think I can still make it work.

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## DLJeffs (Jun 24, 2021)

"Somebody said there were going to be tapers. There better be tapers or someone's going to pay."

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 24, 2021)




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## woodtickgreg (Jun 24, 2021)

Got all the maple ran through the planer, one piece didn't clean up so I had to make another.



I cut the maple stock to length and did some layout for the tenons.





Same on the walnut for the mortices.





And then I got to use my new morticer, it works great! So smooth and fast.



Because of the mortice being 1" wide I bore one side, then flip it around and do the other side, gives me a mortice 1" wide.



This should give me plenty of glue surface and the shoulders will prevent racking.



I can't believe how quickly all the mortices where done. All 4 legs are prepped.



What a machine! Nice pile of walnut chips on the floor, lol. I love the smell of walnut when you work it.



Next will be sawing the tennons.

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## Nubsnstubs (Jun 24, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> Got all the maple ran through the planer, one piece didn't clean up so I had to make another.
> View attachment 211529
> I cut the maple stock to length and did some layout for the tenons.
> View attachment 211530View attachment 211531
> ...


Wooo Hooo , a dirty floor. Bout time Greg. I was starting to think you were super human.
I'm glad you like the mortising tool. I now have 3 sets of the chisels, and it still takes an effort using my drill press. And, it's a good drill press. Cincinnati Royal made before the '20's, I think........... ......... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 24, 2021)

Nah, I sweep up often though.


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## Gdurfey (Jun 24, 2021)

Greg, I so appreciate the time you take to document your builds. Sure appreciate it. @Kenbo should be proud!!!

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## Kenbo (Jun 25, 2021)

This is looking great. Not a fan of that sawdust on the floor but in order to make an omelette, sometimes you gotta break some eggs. LOL. Nice looking build so far Greg.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 25, 2021)

Kenbo said:


> Not a fan of that sawdust on the floor but in order to make an omelette, sometimes you gotta break some eggs. LOL.


Funny, my shop is not Kenbo clean but I do sweep up at the end of the day. And I finally have dust collection in my shop now so that's a big help.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 26, 2021)

Set up the fence on the table saw to cut the tennons on the cross stretchers using a miter gage. My fence can be slid back so you don't get a binding situation. Same as clamping an auxiliary board as a fence. But on my new saw it's always there.
Here you can see how for back it is.



The work piece clears the fence before contacting the blade.



I did remove the blade guard for this task.



Mortice meet tennon.



One done and seven to go.



A Stanley rabbit plane comes in handy to make adjustments, as well as a file.



Dry fit.



I'm liking it, just set this in place to see how it looks.



And since this is pallet wood there's witness of where a nail was, kinda cool.



Glued. I used tb III because it has a longer open time.



And since the actual workbench is under the table I had to spread some plastic bags to catch the glue drips. When this table is done I'll actually use it for assembly, finishing, and glue ups as well as an outfeed table.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 26, 2021)

I did have to make one consession making the tennons. I gave my shop made tennon jig to the guy that purchased my old saw since it wouldn't fit the new saw. I don't have a dado insert for the saw yet as they are on backorder. I didn't want to cut all of them by hand as that's a lot of work! And I don't trust my skills for that many cuts, I know I would wander on some of the cuts. So after making all the set up for the shoulder cuts and the depth of cut was right I just did a few hundred cuts and nibbled away at the waste. It was effective and I got the task done. I would have much preferred a tennon jig on the table saw. Making or purchasing a new tennon jig is on my to do list.

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## Nubsnstubs (Jun 26, 2021)

Greg, instead of getting a tenon jig for your saw, make a dedicated slide board for cutting your tenons using a dado set for hogging off the wood. I did that 10 years ago, and have made about 3-4 hundred tenons and tongues so far. Works like a charm, and it's all wood except for the screw I used to locate the length of the tenon... if you need a picture, I'll be more that happy to comply. ........... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## 2feathers Creative Making (Jun 26, 2021)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Greg, instead of getting a tenon jig for your saw, make a dedicated slide board for cutting your tenons using a dado set for hogging off the wood. I did that 10 years ago, and have made about 3-4 hundred tenons and tongues so far. Works like a charm, and it's all wood except for the screw I used to locate the length of the tenon... if you need a picture, I'll be more that happy to comply. ........... Jerry (in Tucson)


We dont like pictures...

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 26, 2021)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Greg, instead of getting a tenon jig for your saw, make a dedicated slide board for cutting your tenons using a dado set for hogging off the wood. I did that 10 years ago, and have made about 3-4 hundred tenons and tongues so far. Works like a charm, and it's all wood except for the screw I used to locate the length of the tenon... if you need a picture, I'll be more that happy to comply. ........... Jerry (in Tucson)


I always open to new ideas. Let's see that pic.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 26, 2021)

Last one is in the clamps.



There will be 2 of these leg assemblies.



Jointed 2 sides of some more pallet wood maple for the braces and shelf support. I'll plane them tomorrow I hope. So far everything except the plywood top, sheet of formica, and the leveling feet is all free found wood.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 27, 2021)

1" maple boards all dimensioned and cut to size for the cross supports and shelf ledge.
Gotta be cut to length yet. This is the bottom shelf support.



Ripping the rough sawn edge off the top boards.



I sanded both assemblies with 100 grit and a rose. Then I broke all the edges with a folded used 150 grit sanding disc. The edges where so sharp on the hardwood they definitely would take the skin off your knuckles if you bumped them.



2 leg assemblies all sanded and ready for the levelers to be installed. These will be replacing the spindly legs they are leaning on.



Pre drilled the holes for the no. 6 screws and attached the insert.




Here's one all installed, very beefy levelers with a nice grippy foot.



Legs all ready to be installed.



These are beefy, square, and will give great support to the table and be adjustable for the height off the back of the saw.

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## Nubsnstubs (Jun 27, 2021)

For my pictures, go to the jigs and fixtures forum. look for Tenon and Tongue Slideboard thread. ............ Jerry (in Tucson)

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 27, 2021)

It's time to attach the legs to the table top. I'm doing this without glue and in such a way that if I ever had to take it apart to move it or get it out of the basement I could. It will just be screwed together.
I set the miter saw stop up at 16" and cut some 3/4" plywood blocks. I cut 4 of these.



Then I pre drilled for the screws and screwed them in place.



I centered the legs and clamped them in place. The reason I used plywood for the mounting blocks is if it takes a hit they won't crack like a solid board might, or split from the screws.



They came out perfectly square.



Once the legs where attached I saw a place that needed some support. 



So I cut some strips of scrap plywood.



And screwed 2 pieces under each leg. This gave the legs more to sit on, and will also help to prevent racking.



Then I installed the cross braces for the legs, upper and lower. The lower will also be for a shelf support. Here you can see the last piece clamped on before I pre drilled the screw holes and screwed them on.



And the legs are on, very sturdy and solid.



The top has plenty to sit on, lots of support.



Next it will get a little more sanding before I flip it over and set it on the ground. Then I'll mill the lumber for the shelf. Last ting to do will be the formica before cutting the miter slot grooves and attaching it to the saw. Still some work to do on this but it's getting there.

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## Wildthings (Jun 27, 2021)

Hmm I expected you to dado the top of the maple (bottom in pic), drop it over the center cross piece and screw it to the supports beside it. That would have put the bottom of the top on the top of the legs


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 27, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> Hmm I expected you to dado the top of the maple (bottom in pic), drop it over the center cross piece and screw it to the supports beside it. That would have put the bottom of the top on the top of the legs


That would have been a lot of unnecessary work and the way it is now there is still plenty of support. Also remember that I'm trying to hit a dimension for the table height. Also I dont want any screws in the top grid supports so that at a later date when I cut into the top to install router lifts I wont have to worry about hitting any metal fastners.

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## Nubsnstubs (Jun 27, 2021)

You planning on parking a Tank on that table, Gregg???  

BTW, looking good. It's looks pretty sturdy and if kept indoors, should outlast you and your grandkids.... Good job on the build..... .......... Jerry In Tucson)

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## DLJeffs (Jun 27, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> Hmm I expected you to dado the top of the maple (bottom in pic), drop it over the center cross piece and screw it to the supports beside it. That would have put the bottom of the top on the top of the legs


....annnndddddd.....tapir butt.

View attachment 211799

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 27, 2021)

Nubsnstubs said:


> You planning on parking a Tank on that table, Gregg???
> 
> BTW, looking good. It's looks pretty sturdy and if kept indoors, should outlast you and your grandkids.... Good job on the build..... .......... Jerry In Tucson)


Thanks Jerry. Remember, wood is free! Except for the plywood this is all found or salvaged lumber from pallets.


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 27, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> ....annnndddddd.....tapir butt.
> 
> View attachment 211799


Sorry no tapirs in this one, lol.


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## DLJeffs (Jun 27, 2021)

and what's not in this photo? That's right, no tapir. That's a giant river otter who's really pissed because there's no tapir. You got some serious 'splainin' to do Lucy.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 4, 2021)

Ok, back to work on the table.
I set up a redneck spray booth.......



Plenty of room to walk around it.



Took the leveling feet of and put some blue tape over the threaded holes. I'll shoot one coat of finish on the bottom.



Strained some wbp and filled the paint cup.



I cup gives one coat. First coat is on and I'll give it an hour and recoat it. I just did the legs and the outside rim of the table.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 4, 2021)

What it looks like dry. 



It's not furniture quality finish but for a shop table it's fine. I'm happy with it and at least it's sealed, 4 coats. I'llet it dry overnight, it might hit the ground tomorrow.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 5, 2021)

This table is useless even with a pic so off with it. Lol.



I put the leveling feet back on and got the table on the ground.



My calculations came out pretty good and I have room for adjustment and to level it. Got about an 1/8"



Going to be so useful. this is just set in place temporarily to see how it was going to match up to the saw.



Here's the old table sitting on the new table for size comparison.



Next I picked out some maple pallet boards for the shelf.





Then I cut them to length about an inch oversize.



These will get run through the jointer and planer


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 5, 2021)

Next I gave the top a quick sand with a rose and 220 grit just to clean it up.



It's laminate time!



This was my set up to cut the laminate to size.



I sprayed 2 17oz cans of 3m high strength contact adhesive, 1 can on each piece. Set some sticker boards in place so that I could position the laminate.



Laminate is set in place. I'll pull the middle sticker out and start rolling with the J roller from the center out.



Once the laminate was rolled down I trimmed it off with a laminate trimmer.



I went around the edge with some 220 grit on a block of wood to break the sharp edges. And now the top is done.

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## DLJeffs (Jul 5, 2021)

Nice table Greg. Don't you need to route some dado grooves so the rails on your various sleds and jigs can run out?


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 5, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> Nice table Greg. Don't you need to route some dado grooves so the rails on your various sleds and jigs can run out?


I am going to do that but it will be the last thing I do before bolting it to the saw. And before I do that I need to make the side table to match. It's all a work in progress still.

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## Tony (Jul 5, 2021)

Looks great brother!

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 6, 2021)

Got the shelf boards jointed on 2 sides after work today. These must clean up to 1" no less. I already rejected 2 boards because they would not have cleaned up.
Pretty cool mix of hard and soft maple, some ambrosia figure and a couple pieces with some light curl.



Once there planed to 1" thickness I'll rip the last rough edge off.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 11, 2021)

Finally got some shop time today to work on the table.
I think this top board is hickory, really heavy and hard. Once planed it doesn't have any of the characteristics of maple..



I ran the boards through the planer and got 1" boards for the shelf.



Then I ripped the last rough edge off on the table saw. Now I have the dimensioned boards for the shelf.



Set up my cheapie craftsman router table.



And also set it up with one of the tongue and groove bits, this one is for the groove. I centered it on the board best as possible.



All the grooves are now cut.



Then I switched to the tongue bit and did the same. I set it as close as I could to the already cut groove.



And here we have tongue and groove hardwood boards for the shelf. A mix of maple and a few hickory boards.



This is what it will look like when I put it in place on the table as a shelf. I forgot to leave 1 plain edge on 2 boards so I'll have to rip the tongue and groove off of those end boards.



Almost filled the dust collector drum again just dimensioning these boards.



Now if some.one was building a table like this for their own saw you could just use 3/4" plywood for the shelf. But I salvaged and repurchased enough pallet wood for this Tae that I don't really have to buy much wood at all, in fact just the plywood for the top. It will be very heavy and sturdy, just what you want for a shop table/outfeed table.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (Jul 11, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> This is what it will look like when I put it in place on the table as a shelf. I forgot to leave 1 plain edge on 2 boards so I'll have to rip the tongue and groove off of those


How bout just take 1 board and RIP it down the center giving a start and finish board, 1 tongue and one groove with a plain edge on each.
Dont ask how I think these things up

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 11, 2021)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> How bout just take 1 board and RIP it down the center giving a start and finish board, 1 tongue and one groove with a plain edge on each.
> Dont ask how I think these things up


Wow, that's a great idea! Thanks for that, I'll definitely give that a go. I have one board that is really wide that will work well for that.

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## Nubsnstubs (Jul 11, 2021)

Greg, good job on the top. Now for the question. When routing for T&G, do you always try to get center as close as possible for the groove. Then you do the same for the tongue. Do you flip the boards to verify they are centered? 

I have the same bit you have, but by another maker. The last time I made T&G boards, I used only the groove bit for both T&G. Got it as close to center as possible, ran one side, then flipped it and cleaned any off center there was. After running all grooves, I then lowered the bit until I had the tongue where it's supposed to be. Ran a test piece on both sides. If it's not correct, either raise or lower the bit until tongue fits lit it's supposed to. I've been doing it that way for over 20 years now. When flipping your pieces for both details, you are guaranteed center. Time taken to set up is negligible. ............... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 12, 2021)

@Nubsnstubs Jerry I guess either way would work. I ran the groove first because it was the easiest to center the bit. Actually I was just going to do it with a dado blade but the dado insert for my saw is on backorder and I dont have one yet.


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 13, 2021)

Well I went into the shop this morning and looked at the wide board I was going to rip down the middle to give me 2 plain edges but after measuring I still would have been short. So I just dimensioned one more board, and made a tongue on it after work today. And I notched it for the legs on the bandsaw.



So now I will have a 1" overhang all the way around the base. Hopefully that will keep the boards from splitting at the screw holes. There's 2 boards in this pic.



I don't plan to use any glue on these boards and I'll be drilling the screw holes oversize to allow for some wood movement. And I'll only use one screw for most of the boards.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 17, 2021)

Today is screw the shelf boards down day
One bit for drilling and counter sinking, one bit to drill the holes in the shelf boards oversized, and a torx bit to drive the 2" deck screws. The screws will be a loose fit in the boards but tight in the frame.



There will only be one screw in each end of the boards. I run them down until they seat and then back them off. This should allow for wood movement and shrinkage. Humidity is the highest its ever been in the shop today, 74% The boards will definitely shrink in the winter. No glue on the boards.



Here you can see the screw is not tight but still below the surface.



In this pic you can see the groove is filled in on the end with a strip of wood.



The last board!



And then I sanded everything to 80 grit. I didn't go finer because I'll be piling a bunch of jigs and stuff on the shelf.



But I am going to give it a few coats of wbp to seal it up. Big 3" brush to cover this quickly, lol.



One coat on. I should be able to get 3 or 4 coats on easy today and be done with the shelf.



Looks pretty nice, to bad you won't see much of it. Man the 2 hickory boards really look nice with a finish on them.



With the tongue and groove boards the shelf is very ridged and strong even with no support in the middle. Boards are a true 1" thick. It supports my weight on the shelf no problem. Today will probably be the last time there are no gaps in the boards, when the humidity changes with the seasons the boards will shrink and swell. Today is probably the largest they will ever be.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 17, 2021)

Ok I'm gonna call this part done, except for the miter grooves.
This is what it looks like.



The second part of this project will be the table on the right of the saw.



Notice that I filled the scrap box just with the first part of the build, lol. It was empty when I started. Well looks like I have another backyard fire pit day coming.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 18, 2021)

Part 2 has begun, side table is now in progress.
Cutting the plywood to size and already using the outfeed table.



I found some oak boards that where salvaged from a steel shipment, I'll use these for the legs.



All jointed and planed to 2 1/4" square. I milled the leg stock while I was waiting for glue to dry on the top, framework is in the clamps.



After cutting the legs to length I did some lay out for the tennons.



The tennons will have a 1/2" shoulder all the way around.



I also did the layout for the mortices.



Since this table is much smaller than the outfeed table and will be supported by the saw rails I'm only adding one cross support underneath. This wall also give me room for a future router lift I think. No mechanical fastners again, just glue.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 20, 2021)

I added another board to the end to form a pocket for the legs to go in.



This will also give me a way to attach the legs and remain sturdy without adding any further bracing. There will be a full length cross stretchers in the pocket as well.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 20, 2021)

I'm thinking a router lift will go here eventually.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 21, 2021)

Had a little time before I left for work so I set up the morticing machine.





Drilling square holes is fun!

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## Nubsnstubs (Jul 21, 2021)

Greg, nice set up you have. I wish mine was a dedicated machine rather than a drill press attachment. I now have 3 sets of attachments with 4 bits for each one. 

In the last picture, I see what looks like the bit is leaving round bulges on the square hole. Drilling holes for what the machine is designed for is not an issue, but if you ever want to use the square hole as a feature, those bulges can and will be a distraction. I'll have to look around for a piece I did to show what I mean later today, if I still have it...... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 21, 2021)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Greg,
> 
> In the last picture, I see what looks like the bit is leaving round bulges on the square hole. Drilling holes for what the machine is designed for is not an issue, but if you ever want to use the square hole as a feature, those bulges can and will be a distraction. I'll have to look around for a piece I did to show what I mean later today, if I still have it...... Jerry (in Tucson)


Yup Jerry it does, but it's minor. If I was doing a through mortice I would go a little undersized and finish it with a chisel or a file. But for plain old mortice and tennons this machine is the berries!


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 21, 2021)

After I got the mortices done I drilled the mortice for the levelers.



Then bored the hole for the shaft.



And they sit nice and flush now.



And now the legs are done, just need to form the tennons on the cross stretchers.



Setting the blade height. I snuck up on the final dimension. It took 2 attempts to get it close.



Here you can see how my fence slides back to act as a stop for repetitive cuts without binding on the blade when using a miter gage. As I push through the cut it clears the fence before contacting the blade. This keeps all of my shoulders perfect.



Then a little work with the rabbit plane just enough to take the saw marks off and it fit nice and snug. One down and 3 to go.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 25, 2021)

Finally got some shop time and worked on the tennons for the legs.
Test fitting......



Dry fit.......



And glued up and in the clamps.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 26, 2021)

Not to much to show today but it was a job I was happy to get out of the way, sanding.
I got nice legs. 



Everything is sanded to 80 grit with a rose. Top is to 220 to clean it so I get a good bond with the contact cement.

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## Wildthings (Jul 26, 2021)

Yep your legs are looking good!!

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 31, 2021)

Working on the legs again today. I rounded over all the edges and I got them test fit in the pocket on the top.



I was having trouble getting the legs in so I trimmed about 1/8" off each side where they fit into the pocket. This will also allow for wood movement.



It will only get a few screws right in the middle section to hold the legs in. This should allow for some wood movement too. No glue either.



Got 1 coat of wbp on, maybe 2 more.



When the finishing part is done I'll laminate the top with formica.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 1, 2021)

Today is laminate day for the right side table.
I sanded all the way around to remove the finish that ran over the edge. It would have left a ridge.



Spraying the contact cement on the laminate.



And on the plywood surface.



I place some sticks to hold the laminate off the surface so I can get it I to position.



In position and ready to pull the center stick.



I worked from the center out with a laminate J roller. Once it touches its stuck!



Then I installed the brackets for the levelers.





Just like the outfeed table.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 1, 2021)

Next it was time to trim the laminate.
Small dewalt trim router works great for this.



Then I sanded all the edges with some 220 on a block so the edges weren't so sharp.



Installed the legs.



Time to take the saw apart. Black mdf table has got to go.



Next I removed the fence rail so I could get at the screws.



Then I drilled 4 holes in my new saw cast iron table to mount the new table to.



Holes drilled.



Here's the old table sitting on the new table. And the spindly legs.



Getting it set in place to mark the holes to bolt it to the saw cast iron wing.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 1, 2021)

The bolts where really close to the plywood top after drilling the holes so I had to make some relief to clear the washer and nut.



Now there's room for the hardware.



And this is me fixing a major error. I used the leg dimension from the outfeed table. But that table sat on top of the legs, this table they sit inside the lags against the plywood. So I cut the legs to short. The fix was to glue and screw 2 blocks of scrap leg stock to the legs to bring it back to the correct height. Not a big deal, it will be plenty strong.



And I reinstalled the legs. If I didn't tell you about the mistake you'd never notice it. This is what happens when you don't work with plans and just go off the plans in your head.



Getting the table mounted. It's bolted to the saw but not the rails, I need to pick up some flat head countersunk screws. 



This table will also add a lot of stability to the saw. It's heavy and will act as an anchor. My saw will never be moved once all of this is set up. I don't think I'm going to bolt the outfeed table to the saw, it's so heavy it doesn't move and the rubber leveling feet keep it from sliding too. This project is getting there, almost done with it.

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## JerseyHighlander (Aug 1, 2021)

Looks great. Those have got to be some of the most serious levelers I've ever seen, outside of heavy machinery. Where'd you get them?

Going to make one suggestion. The formica on top is a completely impermeable surface. Leaving the underside uncovered/uncoated, it can absorb and release moisture that the top side now can't, causing the plywood deck to warp/cup, even with the skirting and supports. I'd recommend at least coating it with poly or something to even out between the top and bottom, so there isn't a tug of war going on every time the moisture changes in the room.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 1, 2021)

JerseyHighlander said:


> Looks great. Those have got to be some of the most serious levelers I've ever seen, outside of heavy machinery. Where'd you get them?
> 
> Going to make one suggestion. The formica on top is a completely impermeable surface. Leaving the underside uncovered/uncoated, it can absorb and release moisture that the top side now can't, causing the plywood deck to warp/cup, even with the skirting and supports. I'd recommend at least coating it with poly or something to even out between the top and bottom, so there isn't a tug of war going on every time the moisture changes in the room.


I got the levelers off Amazon, it's actually 2 parts, the levelers themselves and the mounting brackets. 
Now as far as the top goes my last table was built very similar and it never moved, it's still flat to this day after 10 or 15 years, always in a basement shop. The new owner of my old saw has it now. I'm not too concerned about this top moving or cupping, rarely happens with plywood, more common in solid wood. And this is a high grade 7 layer hardwood plywood. But thanks for mentioning that.


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 14, 2021)

I finally got some shop time to work on the outfeed tables.
I didn't like the way the right side table was sitting, it wasn't flush with the top so I needed to elongate the holes. So I unbolted it to do that and raised it up just enough to get the job done.



Not the prettiest hole but it's effective and no one will ever see it when it's bolted on.



I'm glad I took the time to get the top flush, so now its on to attaching the table to the rails.
Drilled the holes for the bolts. 



Got some nice flat head countersunk bolts.



I clamped one side while drilling the holes.



Then I did the same thing on the back rail, got the bracket for the dust collection hose back on as well.



Next it was time to put the fence rail back on, got the bolts set near where they needed to go.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 14, 2021)

Now that the fence is back on I can use it to lay out for the miter slots.



Made the slots nice and wide so saw dust won't plug them up.



Then I made a router guide out of a piece of 1/4" tempered hard board and some plywood scraps. I just used CA glue to make it, quick and easy.
So here it is clamped on and ready to go.



I plowed it out in 4 passes.



It came out pretty good, it's about 1/2" deep



1 done and 1 to go.




Both done. Then I sanded all the edges with some 220.



Then I added this maple spacer to the old table bracket, this will keep the table the proper space away from the saw so it won't interfere with the fence.



A view of the spacer from the top.



And with the table right up against it.



The table is not attached to the saw, between its weight and the rubber leveling feet I don't think it's going to move. I can always put a couple screws in it later if I need to.

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## DLJeffs (Aug 14, 2021)

Two demerits for unpretty holes, hidden or not. We expect perfection from you.

Edit: Plus two merit points for pretty miter slots.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 14, 2021)

Then I set the height on the outfeed table and made it equal plane to the saw.



All I need to do now is get some wax on the tables. I wax them because I use them as a multi purpose table for glue ups and finishing. Once you wax them they clean up easy.



I like the whit tops much better, they reflect the light nice. This is a great improvement for my new saw. This isn't the only way to make outfeed tables but it's how I did mine. I did this on the cheap. Only things I purchased was 1 sheet of 3/4" maple plywood, the formica and contact cement for the top, the leveling feet, and some screws and hardware. All the maple and walnut wood came from pallets. My shop has a saw again! With this set up I can cut plywood sheets and long boards by myself safely, and accurately and I don't have to worry about boards falling off the back of the saw or trying to support and catch them as the pass by the blade. I had a very similar set up on my old saw and I really liked it.
This part of the project is done!

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## Nature Man (Aug 15, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> Now that the fence is back on I can use it to lay out for the miter slots.
> View attachment 214273
> Made the slots nice and wide so saw dust won't plug them up.
> View attachment 214274
> ...


Thanks so much for the very thorough tutorial! Two questions, first, what router bit did you use to make the miter slots on the outfeed table, and second, how did you attach the Maple spacer to the Table Saw? Thanks! Chuck


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 15, 2021)

Nature Man said:


> Thanks so much for the very thorough tutorial! Two questions, first, what router bit did you use to make the miter slots on the outfeed table, and second, how did you attach the Maple spacer to the Table Saw? Thanks! Chuck


It was just a straight cut router bit about 1/2" in diameter. Only one I had with a 1/4" shank for the small router I used. I really like this small router, not as powerful as the larger routers I have but way easier to handle. 
When I removed the old table I left the mounting bracket on the saw, it is just a flat strip of steel and it already had three holes drilled in it for screws. So I just held the wood up to it and marked the holes, then pre drilled them and ran the screws in and out before I mounted it on the saw. I'll get a pic of it later for you.

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## DLJeffs (Aug 15, 2021)

Just looking at those last two photos... I think you're going to need a bigger shop.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 15, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> Just looking at those last two photos... I think you're going to need a bigger shop.


We always need a bigger shop. Lol. That's why most of my tools are on wheels, everything except the table saw, it never moves.


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 15, 2021)

@Nature Man here's the pic of how the board is mounted.
Hopefully you can see the 3 screws holding the spacer board on.



Used it today, so nice to just push a board through and let it lay on the table and not have to worry about catching it.

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