Good Outfeed and Assembly Table Sizes??

[bad_idea]

I am a novice wood worker. I build basic things for around the house. Not fine furniture, but not **** either. I'm not interested in building up a pro grade home wood shop, steel is my preferred medium. I slapped together (and I mean slapped - used scraps from building the garage) a 4'x8' combo outfeed and assembly table about a year ago. I built it to see how I would work with the bench. I don't really care for it. The table is on wheels and shoved in a corner when not in use. It is troublesome at times to wheel it out to the middle of the shop as it needs a large, open path. It is also a nuisance to move the project out of the way to cut another piece of wood on the table saw.

I would like to build a separate table saw table and assembly table. My table saw is the Dewalt DW745 (10" job site saw). I plan to build a table a bit wider than the saw and long enough for the saw to sit on one end and have enough outfeed support for ripping a sheet of plywood. What is a good length on the outfeed side? I am also thinking of a fold down extension to minimize the stored foot print.

What is a good size for an assembly table? I am also thinking of building the assembly table at the same height as the table saw table to support long materials ran through the saw if needed.

Open to any and all suggestions. Thanks all.

 

[niget2002]

You might not like my answer, but I've found my 4'x8' to be a great size for me. I'm lucky in that it easily fits in the middle of my shop, though.

That size of an outfeed table also leaves lots of room for storage under the top of it too.

Really, I think you could get by with a 3'x6' table. That should be big enough to still handle full sheet plywood and let some hang over the edge.

I also have a few of the stands with rollers that allows some more support if I'm cutting something that hangs off too far.

 

[tarmy]

This may give you some ideas...

The bigger the better...

 

[Toolfool]

In my previous shop I built a 6'x8' outfeed table. Had my cabinet saw on one end and contractor saw at the other end, with dado set installed. The extra 2' of the outfeed table was enclosed below, like a plenum, and hooked up to the DC system. Holes drilled in the melamine allowed for a nice downdraft table for sanding on. I built a separate 4'x8' assembly table at the same height so I could slide big projects from one surface to the other.

 

[theoldwizard1]

There are DOZENS of different table saw "extension" ideas on YouTube ! Search for "saw table workbench".

One of the classics ones worth looking at is the Ron Paulk Workbench. It might nit be right for you, but it has a lot of good ideas.

One "accessory" everyone with a table saw should make is a panel cutting sled. Again, dozens of videos on YouTube.

 

[LeeG]

Generally I don’t make anything larger than standard kitchen style cabinets. I find that a 30” x 72” size works great. Big enough to hold my work, and not so big that I have to reach to work on the back side.

 

[Voi]

I would like to build a separate table saw table and assembly table. My table saw is the Dewalt DW745 (10" job site saw). I plan to build a table a bit wider than the saw and long enough for the saw to sit on one end and have enough outfeed support for ripping a sheet of plywood. What is a good length on the outfeed side? I am also thinking of a fold down extension to minimize the stored foot print.

I built a folding extension for a hybrid saw many years ago that came out pretty good. Good enough that a contractor working on my house made me an offer for the whole thing that I couldn't refuse so she's long gone.

I don't remember the exact depth of the outfeed table. There was a short fixed section off the back of the saw plus the folding section that was just long enough to miss the floor when folded down. From the back of the blade to the end of the folding extension was just under 5' so a fully ripped piece of 8' material could still be balanced on the table.

Obviously this would be determined by the working height of the table. The higher the table saw is the shorter that fixed section would be. But I'm not sure what kind of support. Also the measurement from the back of the blade to the back of the table saw table would matter.

However, with that system the table saw supported the structure of the fixed extension and the folding section.

For a DW745 I'd approach oppositely. I'd have the structure of the outfeed table support the weight of the saw. Like this:

I'm sure there are examples of smaller Paulk benches that are joined together on job sites. There might even be examples of folding Paulk benches.

What is a good size for an assembly table? I am also thinking of building the assembly table at the same height as the table saw table to support long materials ran through the saw if needed.

From how you're describing your situation I think trying to combine them is a good idea. I like my table saws to be 36" off the ground, give or take.

However, I like my assembly tables to be lower. I think I could find an intermediate height that would work for both but I'm not sure what the measurement would be. Maybe around 33" as a guess.

With the Paulk setup that's an easy thing to adjust.

I'll attach the image above in case the embed doesn't work or it disappears from the www in the future.

 

[Lynden]

My assembly table is two folding, adjustable-height Skil X-Benches. I use them singularly or I slide them together to form a large assembly area. They are heavy duty, sturdy and easy to store out of the way. The X-Bench is no longer available but there are similar tables.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010ODQ1U/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubi-Folding-4-in-1-Working-Table-66924/308088645

https://www.griotsgarage.com/produc...MI692H1cnk7QIVbh-tBh1TnAk7EAQYAiABEgLZC_D_BwE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BYJVR7X/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[jonshonda]

I build a 4x8 work bench that is attached to the wall and folds up only consuming 4" depth of wall space. It has been one of my favorite additions to my garage. The only issue is that even at 6'2" with long arms, things along the back of the work bench can be hard to reach.

What I am getting at is that you would do a folding work bench that was at the same height as your table saw, and then your table saw would be much easier to maneuver, and no need to roll a large item around the house.

20201013_174050 by Jon S, on Flickr

20201013_173935 by Jon S, on Flickr

 

[karoc]

As the oldwizard said, you can watch Youtubes for days on this subject and come up with all kinds of ideals that will get you drooling. MDF is cheaper than lot materials and you can put couple coats of clear finish to help make it slick. Just build you a frame to include drawers are what ever you come up with and the mdf is nice flat.

 

[niget2002]

My 4'x8' build table/outfeed table.

When I need to use it as an outfeed, I just spin the table saw around and push the wood through from the other side.

 

[El_Pozzinator]

Built mine off a solid core wood door with no trimming or prep. Top was a whopping $80 at homeless despot. Lag screwed six lengths of 4x4 for legs, trimmed to length for 4” locking casters to the same surface height as the folding table saw. Installed three drawers and framed the legs together. Trimmed the sides and back with spare wood laying around from other projects, shot the base black, left the drawers raw, and sealed the top with linseed oil and a buffing wheel. Total I think I’ve got maybe $200 in it for stuff I didn’t already have laying around (maybe another $50 worth).

Came out pretty well. Can’t wait til a buddy of mine’s shop is finished (he flooded in 2016; lost everything) so I can give it to him.


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