Shopmade Outfeed Gadget Mounted on Sawhorses

[Steve H Graham]

A while back, I posted about the outfeed doodad I made to fit on my plastic sawhorses. I posted photos, but I hadn't finished the assembly. Here's how it looks, mounted. I ran my planing sled over it, and it's obvious that it will work.

Looks like I dropped one of the washers. The little bits behind the washers should really be hardwood or plastic or aluminum, but they work.

I'm going to rig up a metal thing to guide the wood or sled onto the casters.

One thing it does not do well: change direction. There is room for the casters to pivot, but they do it with difficulty.

[Bob Genovesi]

Steve,

Looks good and as long as it works you're good to go!

[Joe Chritz]

I expect it wouldn't allow pivoting very well since some of the wheels will try to stop the movement but I bet it rolls straight really nice. I really need a drop spot for my planer and sander and something like that just might be the ticket.

Time to look for some cheap casters I guess.

Joe

[Jason Hanko]

I bet something like THESE (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5328&filter=bearing) would be a good alternative to casters...
It would solve your direction-change problem, and probably be cheaper than casters too (even from Rockler).

[Steve H Graham]

It would solve your direction-change problem

Is it really a problem? I assumed I wouldn't need to reverse direction, since the outfeed generally goes...out.

Those bearings look good, except for the possibility that the small load-bearing surfaces might mar the wood.

[Duncan Horner]

I bet something like THESE (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5328&filter=bearing) would be a good alternative to casters...
It would solve your direction-change problem, and probably be cheaper than casters too (even from Rockler).


Bear in mind that I've never used ball casters, but it strikes me that they could easily damage stock, maybe not small stuff, but sheets of 3/4 ply might apply enough pressure that the very small contact point may dent the stock as it rolls over.

Would anybody care to set me straight?

EDIT: Darn, beat to the punch again!

EDIT 2 : Excess verbosity strikes again

[Steve H Graham]

EDIT: Darn, beat to the punch again!

HA!

The forum software wants a longer post, so I added this sentence.

[Darrell Young]

I've been using ball bearing rollers for the last five years for table saw and planer outfeed support. No issues with the bearings denting the wood. I haven't ran a 4 X8 Sheet over them but smaller 2 foot pieces of ply and edge glued soft pine panels have not been a problem. I bought a Craftsman multi-action work support about five years ago which has a single roller, support stand and ball bearing rollers. You just flip the different heads over as needed. I've got to buy another one, it's a very handy item.

[Jeff Willard]

The idea behind the transfer balls is to have an array of them to adequately support the wood. If used minimally with a heavy enough board I suppose they could damage the stock, but by using a number of them the pressure is distributed so that no one ball bears that much of a load. Something like a person laying on a bed of nails.:eek:

[Eric Gustafson]

I have used the outfeed cylindrcal rollers and found them to track the wood, either away or towards the fence, never straight. Ok to use on a chopsaw, but impossible to use on a TS. So I bought the ball rollers. When ripping long lumber they work well as an infeed. However, used as an outfeed, they have too small a target. If the wood dips too much, rather than catch the wood, the wood hit the stand lower than the wheels. Annoying and potentially dangerous. The only real solution is a continuous table extending off the back of the saw. I do not have that yet, but a folding version is on the drawing board and will be added soon. In the meantime I am using the Ridgid outfeed stand from HD. It costs less than $30 and works better than anything else I have used. The table tops tilts slighly toward the saw and works better than anything else.

http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/tb_rigid_suppport_lg.jpg

[glenn bradley]

I bet something like THESE (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5328&filter=bearing) would be a good alternative to casters...
It would solve your direction-change problem, and probably be cheaper than casters too (even from Rockler).


Is it really a problem? I assumed I wouldn't need to reverse direction, since the outfeed generally goes...out.

Those bearings look good, except for the possibility that the small load-bearing surfaces might mar the wood.

I had a couple stands with the roller balls. Although it seems like it should be a good idea, here's what happened with mine:

1. - heavy material ends up with long running dents due to the very small area of contact on the tip of the ball.
2. - balls eventually get dirty and jam adding intensity to item 1.

I removed the balls and added wheels ($1 each at HF). They leave no dents. They allow your material to move freely; they don't try to steer you like long rollers do. I have and use long rollers too as sometimes you want that 'steering' like when using my planer sled. I like the wheeled units particularly for the bandsaw as they will support the material and allow you to swing it to cut curves.

I have a few dozen of the roller balls in various states of functionality in a coffee can in a cabinet somewhere . . . they just seem like they should be good for something and I can't bring myself to toss them out.