roller v. ball bearing stand?

[Jesse Tutterrow]

I need to purchase or make a couple of support stands for my shop. Most that I see have a single steel roller on top, but I recall reading somewhere that if the roller is at an angle it would pull the wood away from the fence as it moves past. So, I am thinking of using multiple ball bearing rollers (http://www.woodcraft.com/Catalog/ProductPage.aspx?prodid=1486&ss=b4b3c65e-4f7d-49cc-9679-d1e44d060d03). So the piece can move in any direction.

I will want to use the stands to support Plywood with the table saw and material going through the planer and jointer. Also, as a support of the end of my chop saw bench.

What do you think roller or ball?
They are sold in light to heavy duty, how do they compare?
Do you have any good plans for home made?

Thanks in Advance,

Jesse Tutterrow

[Carroll Courtney]

I have the roller and its HD and I do like it,but I wish that I had the BB's instead for the reason that you stated.---Carroll

[Wayne Jolly]

I have the roller stands too, and learned that I just turn them slightly so the work is pulled INTO the fence instead of away from it. The rear of the work piece is controlled with the push stick or whatever.

But my "GO TO" supports are these:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?jspStoreDir=hdus&catalogId=10053&productId=100618242&navFlow=3&keyword=flip-top+support&langId=-1&searchRedirect=flip-top+support&storeId=10051&endecaDataBean=com.homedepot.sa.el.wc.integration. endeca.EndecaDataBean%40147a2a34&ddkey=Search

I like them a lot.

Wayne

[Jason White]

Forget the stands and build an outfeed table. Roller stands are good for getting you out of a bind, but they will just frustrate you until you build an outfeed table. Jason


I need to purchase or make a couple of support stands for my shop. Most that I see have a single steel roller on top, but I recall reading somewhere that if the roller is at an angle it would pull the wood away from the fence as it moves past. So, I am thinking of using multiple ball bearing rollers (http://www.woodcraft.com/Catalog/ProductPage.aspx?prodid=1486=b4b3c65e-4f7d-49cc-9679-d1e44d060d03). So the piece can move in any direction. I will want to use the stands to support Plywood with the table saw and material going through the planer and jointer. Also, as a support of the end of my chop saw bench. What do you think roller or ball? They are sold in light to heavy duty, how do they compare? Do you have any good plans for home made? Thanks in Advance, Jesse Tutterrow

[Doug Donnell]

+1 on the outfeed table if you have room. Much safer and a pleasure to use. I have a PM 64A contractor saw and I made an outfeed table 3 feet deep and the full width of the saw. It just sets on top of the angle iron at the rear of the saw, and I quick clamp it to the saw. Outer corner legs have swivel castors, inner legs are just off the floor when the table is up on the angle iron, so I can move the saw and table as a unit. I can unclamp the table and take the legs off if I need the room (never have), but more often I take the table off the saw and having 4 legs makes it stand alone useful. It is one of the primary utility tables in my shop.

I also have roller stands for the inevitable need. Mine are rollers, as others have said you need to set them perfect or they will pull your work away from the fence and create a hazard. Better to slightly err to angling them to pull work into the fence.

Though I have not used them, I think the ball bearing stands are much more user friendly and safe. Of course, they are more expensive and not usually available at my borgs.

Doug

[Bill Huber]

I don't have an out-feed stand of any type but I do know this.

The roller is not that good and has to be set just right or the wood will want to walk.

Casters are much better but the best is the bearing.

I work at Fedex and we have large decks and large floor areas some have casters and some have bearings. When you pull a 5k lb. can across the decks the bearings always do better, they do not change the direction of the can at all were the casters will.

[Dave MacArthur]

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10998
Rockler ball bearing stand.

[Richard Spain]

Plus one for the Ridgid Flip Top. They have a slight tilt to help prevent hangup on first contact. Good engineering!

[james gerus]

I like the one man stand its similar to the rigid. www.1manstand.com Jim Gerus

[Andrew Nemeth]

I have rollers and as others have already mentioned, they have their limitations and ways to work around the limitations. If you have the space an outfeed table is the way to go for the table saw. I end up using mine as much for other stationary tools (drill press, router table, jointer) as I do for the table saw. The bearings would be better than the rollers but the best would be one that had bearings that could be locked out or covered witha cap or flipped upside down so that you could use them as a set of narrow sawhorses. I can't tell you how many times I have tried balance a long board on two roller stands and that little voice in my head said "this just isn't a good idea". If you ever hear that voice, it is almost always right. I think I either saw a plan for homemade stands that could be flipped from roller to flat and I think someone makes a set that flip between bearings and a flat side.

[glenn bradley]

Ball bearings are bad news for material of any weight. The supporting surface area of the point on the ball focuses the pressure and leaves trails of indentations on the wood. I removed by balls and replaced them with casters.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=127976&d=1253064875

[Ray Newman]

Glenn: for some time now, I have routinely utilized ball bearing rollers on theTS infeed side (there is a NYW clone assembly/outfeed table) to cut stock of various thicknesses, sizes, and weights. I have not noticed what you describe when using TS.

Now maybe cutting a large and heavy piece of lumber/beam/log on a BS or planer/thicknesser, that might cause marks/trails on the stock.....

[Dave MacArthur]

I actually have a 3'x1' outfeed table that is covered in the ball bearings, so enough support to not dent wood. I don't use it though, as it doesn't have a good stand... end up using the roller.

[Don Alexander]

+1 for an outfeed table solid surface laminate works good for slipperyness if you need more than ply or mdf top will give you also the laminate is pretty durable

[Don Morris]

I saw in Kelly Mehler's TS video about the negatives of outfeed rollers. So I built my work bench to be mobile and at the same height as my contractor TS. Worked fine. When I upgraded my contractor TS to a cabinet TS there was a mismatch. After some frustration I finally built an outfeed table. Took a little doing but there is no doubt that it is the way to go. The laminate surface won't harm any wood that slides across it and the outfeed table sometimes adds to my overall work area. Since it drops down, it doesn't take up much space but I seem to leave it up much of the time for the added work area.

[Joe Scharle]

A slippery top works best for me. I have 2 old shopbuilts and 2 Rigids (came out later). Rollers and castors will bind and 'track'.

[Thomas Canfield]

I agree that an outfeed table works best for the table saw. There are some advantages to both the roller and ball as stated also. I have a couple of the combination roller, ball, and flat stands from Sears that I use in addition to another couple of roller stands. The roller work best for straight pull such as at miter saw or drill press table where only support is required, and the ball work well after the planer where the boards seems to wander. The combination were purchased after the roller and might have kept me from buying the roller. It is a hard to have too many stands or clamps.

[glenn bradley]

Glenn: for some time now, I have routinely utilized ball bearing rollers on theTS infeed side (there is a NYW clone assembly/outfeed table) to cut stock of various thicknesses, sizes, and weights. I have not noticed what you describe when using TS.

Now maybe cutting a large and heavy piece of lumber/beam/log on a BS or planer/thicknesser, that might cause marks/trails on the stock.....

Could be that having only one row for support is the issue. Large panels of veneered sheet goods also suffered and there is not much material to allow correction there. Set ups like the HTC fold up outfeed with multiple rows would distribute the load and reportedly work well. My single row would leave compression lines on 6/4 and 8/4 stock. Most would come out while sanding or scraping or the routine final preparation of parts cut from the stock but, I had one too many surprises once applying finish and so switched. (the $1 each casters on sale at HF didn't hurt :D).

[Howard Acheson]

I have the roller stands too, and learned that I just turn them slightly so the work is pulled INTO the fence instead of away from it. The rear of the work piece is controlled with the push stick or whatever.

But my "GO TO" supports are these:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?jspStoreDir=hdus&catalogId=10053&productId=100618242&navFlow=3&keyword=flip-top+support&langId=-1&searchRedirect=flip-top+support&storeId=10051&endecaDataBean=com.homedepot.sa.el.wc.integration. endeca.EndecaDataBean%40147a2a34&ddkey=Search

Wayne

Yup, the Ridgid stands are the way to go.

[Jesse Tutterrow]

Gentle people (have to be politically correct), I have an out feed table on the TS. I would the roller stand to support plywood going into the in feed side of the TS or on the in & out sides of the jointer and planer.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Jesse, I had a roller stand that I attempted to use and found that it tended to steer the wood in whatever direction the roller was pointing.

I then bought a ball bearing type roller stand and found that although it was better, it had a similar problem in that if the material dropped slightly it hit the stand and knocked it over.

I suggest that you have a look at a Felder or Hammer video showing extension tables that clip onto a jointer or saw. You can buy the tables and mounting rails and install them on other machines.

You could also drill a couple of holes in the end of your jointer tables and make a simple wood french cleat to hold that end and a simple wood table with an adjustable height leg to hold the other end.

Those are the best solutions to infeed/outfeed rollers.

You may be able to make a similar table to clip onto your fence rail (with an adjustable leg) to act as a table saw infeed table.

Now that I have a Euro machine with those clip on extensions, I wonder why I never thought of making or purchasing them for my other machines.

regards, Rod.

[Rob Steffeck]

I removed my balls and replaced them with casters.

:eek:

+1 on the Ridgid flip-top stands. I have two and they work well.

[David Helm]

My old cabinet saw had laminate covered outfeed tables. Since my shop was crashed into, I am building all new miter saw station and table saw station. The material I am using is HDO plywood. HDO is high density overlay. It is primarily used for concrete forms. The surface is very hard and slippery. Currently finishing up the 12 foot long mitre saw station. Since I'm still waiting for my new table saw I haven't started that area yet. The HDO comes in 2'X8' and 4'X8' sheets. It isn't inexpensive, but I like the 1 and 1/8 inch thickness, the weight (substantial) and the hard slippery surface; perfect for outfeed.

[Todd Hyman]

:eek:

+1 on the Ridgid flip-top stands. I have two and they work well.

+2 on the Rigid flip top stand. It also works great as a tall drill press table support.

[jim gossage]

I removed by balls and replaced them with casters.



That must have hurt:D