Table Saw Cabinets/Outfeed/Router

[Erik Salo]

Hi All;

I just finished building a cabinet for my Delta Unisaw. The cabinet has eight drawers, a collapsible outfeed table, a router table and power for everything including the Router and three phase power converter for the table saw motor.

I had great input from this forum when I was working on the design and wanted to post the results. Here are a few pictures. I also have a sketchup model of the design if anyone's interested.

Erik

[Salem Ganzhorn]

And I see casters so it is mobile to boot too right?
Looks nice :).
Salem

[michael case]

Very sexy. What a nice set up! I love the way you put this together into a unified work station.

[Erik Salo]

Thanks for the reply.

The assembly is supported by six casters, all of them full swivel. Four are under the saw itself (roughly one on each corner of the steel saw cabinet) and the other two are at the far end near the router.

I took care to use locking casters for all six so the thing wouldn't move around. In practice, I've found it so heavy that unintended movement is no problem at all. I've never bothered to lock any of the casters and it's rock solid. A little hard to push around even....

There are almost six full sheets of 3/4" plywood in the project. One full sheet for the bottom (it's double thickness for strength, probably overkill). Two sheets of oak ply for the body and drawer faces. Almost two sheets for the drawer body's and another sheet of MDF for the top table and outfeed table. The saw is also pretty heavy.

For power, I have 220V and 110V input plugs on the back. When I plug extension cords into those connectors, I have power accessible from four GFCI protected outlets under the table, two outlets (router and dust collector for router) switched with the large switch you see on the end and 220V power (also switched) to the 3 phase power converter.

The electrical was one of the biggest time items in the project. Between making every wire run a steel conduit run and wiring the 3 phase converter system, I'll bet I took nine trips to Home Depot each time to go get the "one" little connector or piece I forgot.

Erik

[Rob Cunningham]

Good looking set up Erik. Lots of good ideas incorporated into your plan.

[Tullie Templet]

Very nice. Almost exactly what I was thinking of doing. I am interested in the sketchup if you don't mind.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Erik, Are yuo going to box in that router?

[Edward P. Surowiec]

Great job Erik !!. If you have any plans or sketches they would be appreciated.
Ed

[Erik Salo]

Hi; I couldn't get the sketchup file to upload to this forum so I added it to Google's 3D warehouse. Here's a link:

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...c4&prevstart=0 (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=2cae8ad22a377d5333ad613c6f6d8cc4&prevstart=0)

If that doesn't work, just go to the 3d warehouse and search for, "Table Saw Router" and it should be there. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll mail the file.

It's a first for me in that I totally relied on sketchup to make this piece. This was my first time making a part in Sketchup at all and I really like the result. It was much easier to look at the design and see things I needed to tweak looking at the full model on the computer. The method I used was first I found the models of the Rockwell Router and Delta Unisaw in the 3d warehouse and then designed the cabinet around them. I then used a plugin called, "cutlist" to automatically lay out the panels for a 4x8 sheet and show me the most efficient way to cut the pieces. I just printed the graphical cutlist and made the pieces all in one shot. Everything fit perfectly.

The finished product is exactly the same dimension as shown in the sketchup model.

I spend just as much of my spare time with metalworking and sports cars so I wanted the whole system to be one piece. When I'm not woodworking, I just roll it into a corner.

I haven't decided what to do with the regarding router dust collection. One thing's for sure, it gets messy when I use it.

Erik

[Brad Westcott]

Nice job. Looks like a great use of space while still maintaining the needed surface area to do the job right.

Thanks for taking time to share some photos.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Hi;

I haven't decided what to do with the regarding router dust collection. One thing's for sure, it gets messy when I use it.

Erik

Erik,
With the fine job you did on that cabinet, I'm sure making a matching enclosure will be a cinch. Just make sure you put "breather" slots towards the upper part of the sides, and use a 4" hose connection on the back and you will be fine. You'll be surprised at how clean everything can stay.

[Tullie Templet]

Sketchup worked perfect. Thanks alot.

[Erik Salo]

Hi All;

Here are some better pictures per the request of those of you who emailed me.

Erik

[Chris Parks]

I want to resurrect this thread and ask a question of Erik. The out feed attaches to the angle iron rear rail and on my saw the fence support on that end rides on the top of the angle iron. Did yours do the same and if so how did you overcome the problem? If the support were to be put back on the top surface of the table, when it was moved across the mitre slots the support would get caught in them. I just can't see a way around the problem.

[Erik Salo]

Hi Chris;

Thanks for the note. This was initially a problem for me. My fence had a, "foot" that slides on the angle iron. I think this is the same as the, "support" you mention. The foot had a threaded adjustment into the the fence and a round end made of hard plastic that rides on the angle iron. I needed this foot in place when I didn't have a full table to the right of the saw blade. When I got past the part where I had a table, the foot would keep the fence in place. However, the foot also make the fence skip or shudder as it slid across the angle iron. I found when I made the long table to the right of the blade (the one with formica edged with oak, not the outfeed table) and adjusted it perfectly to align with the steel from the saw, the fence worked much better without the foot in place. I removed the foot and now I can slide the fence from one end to the other much more smoothly. Also, there's no foot to get in the way of the outfeed table.

Another benefit is the foot I had raised the fence slightly above the steel table and this caused problems when I cut really thin stock. Since the foot was keeping the fence slightly above the table, thin stock would slide under the fence and either bind or cause me to cut incorrectly. Removing the foot caused the fence to ride perfectly on top of the steel table and I no longer have this problem. The whole system works better without the support on the end.

You might try removing the foot and seeing how your fence slides on your table without the foot in place. For me, it made the system better.

Erik

[Chris Parks]

You might try removing the foot and seeing how your fence slides on your table without the foot in place. For me, it made the system better.

Erik

Mine will not slide without the nylon foot, it just drags on the steel table and is unusable. I might try putting a different one on it that rests on the table and round the edges to see if it will cross the mitre slot without catching, I particularly want to build the out feed table as you have but can't do it until I can remove the need for the rear of the fence to run on the angle iron. Off the shed to experiment.

[George Sanders]

That is one sweet setup.

[Doug Hobkirk]

Very clever! The newer photos show it much better. I am impressed by the way you enclosed the phase converter. You certainly didn't skimp - conduit in the unit? Drawers on both sides? 6 sheets of ply/MDF? I do not doubt your statement that it's heavy!

What size casters did you use? I find the big ones (at least 4") roll noticeably better than the smaller ones.

[Erik Salo]

Hi Chris;

I had a close look at my fence. The reason it slides without the foot is there are several thin pfte (or some other slippery plastic) shims glued to the bottom of the fence. I never noticed them before since they are so thin they only lift the fence a very small amount above the table. The fence slides on the shims and that's why it's smooth.

I can post pictures if you want, let me know.

I'll bet you could reproduce the system with some of those stick on slides you stick on the bottom of furniture, chair legs, etc so they don't mark up a hardwood floor. I got some at Home Depot for my dining room table.

[Erik Salo]

Hi Doug;

I used six 4.5" casters. I'm really surprised how hard the unit is to move around. If I did it again, I'd get even bigger casters (6" or larger) in the hope it would make the unit more portable. I'm a pretty big guy and I have to really lean into the thing to move it around. On the plus side, it stays put solid when the saw is running. I never have to lock the casters.

The other thing I would do differently is the drawer configuration. The way it is now, all eight drawers are 12" deep. To do it again I would make the drawer in the front 18" deep and use them for the larger corded tools. I would make the back drawers only 6" deep and use them for smaller tools like router bits, hand planes, etc.

Erik

[Erik Salo]

Hi Doug; Missed your question about conduit. All the wiring outside of the motor box is encased in flexible steel conduit. That includes the run where I went in between the drawers and come out the far end of the unit. Didn't want to risk putting something in a drawer and having it nick a cord. The cord inputs (about 12" long on the back on the unit) are that tough round rubber encased wire that's rated to be used without conduit.

The only exceptions are the wires running to the phase converter (about three inches are open), I didn't think they were in any danger of getting touched since the converter is in it's own little box. Also, the converter design didn't lend itself to running the conduit right up to the fittings. Erik

[Chris Parks]

Hi Chris;

I had a close look at my fence. The reason it slides without the foot is there are several thin pfte (or some other slippery plastic) shims glued to the bottom of the fence. I never noticed them before since they are so thin they only lift the fence a very small amount above the table. The fence slides on the shims and that's why it's smooth.

I can post pictures if you want, let me know.

I'll bet you could reproduce the system with some of those stick on slides you stick on the bottom of furniture, chair legs, etc so they don't mark up a hardwood floor. I got some at Home Depot for my dining room table.

That's a damned good idea I would never have thought of that. more food for thought and thanks for the info.

[Chris Parks]

Hi Doug;

I used six 4.5" casters. I'm really surprised how hard the unit is to move around. If I did it again, I'd get even bigger casters (6" or larger) in the hope it would make the unit more portable. I'm a pretty big guy and I have to really lean into the thing to move it around. On the plus side, it stays put solid when the saw is running. I never have to lock the casters.

The other thing I would do differently is the drawer configuration. The way it is now, all eight drawers are 12" deep. To do it again I would make the drawer in the front 18" deep and use them for the larger corded tools. I would make the back drawers only 6" deep and use them for smaller tools like router bits, hand planes, etc.

Erik

I have the same issue of moving mine, no way would it ever move without two people guiding it and supplying the muscle. I have some air castors I am going to put under it so I can do it on my own.

[Dave MacArthur]

great workstation for your saw! I had one, not as nice as yours, for my contractor saw/router setup, but haven't finished one for my PM66...for a couple years now. Every time I use the saw I wish I had a good outfeed table and storage under the right table. Your design looks really nice, and has gotten me excited about downloading your sketchup and getting back on that "shop projects" list. Thanks for posting, looks great!

[Erik Salo]

Hi Chris;

Here are pictures of the underside of my fence. The black pieces are the slippery plastic things that make the fence slide smoothly on the table.

[Chris Parks]

Erik, I am surprised the black things don't catch in the mitre slots as the fence is pushed along the table. Thanks for the photos.

[Bob Elliott]

That's a beautiful cabinet. I made a similar setup using old shipping crates I brough home from work that I took apart. They are pine 1x4 and 1/4" plywood.

I put a box under my router and used a 4" closet flange for a dust collection connection. It cut way down on the dust generated by the router.

I posted pictures on the forum. If you want to see them do a search for my name.

Bob