Table saw upgrades.

[Tim Morton]

During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, I got a little stressed and bought a new fence for my Delta 36-465. Thought you guys might like to see the pictures. Before and after....My regualr camera is not here so these are with my daughters kodak...(don't ever buy a kodak digital camera...they are the ryobi of digital cameras!!) But here are some quick snaps including one of the underneath of my home made table. I LOVE the new saw..should keep me from thinking I need a cabinet saw for awhile...now its time to build an outfeed table. Thanks for looking.

[Jim Becker]

Wow...that's like a whole 'nuther saw, Tim! Quite an update. Congratulations!

[Tim Morton]

The fence is dead on out of the box. With the unirip fence I could never cut anything straight. With this fence the wood seems to stick to the fence(in a good way), and the splitter is much smoother. I am going to be looking at your website this afternoon for idea's on an outfeed table.

[Jim Becker]

Tim, my outfeed table was primarily designed for a cabinet saw, but several others have successfully adapted it to a contractor's style saw, including Fred Voorhees...you might message him for some detailed pictures. The only downside to my design for the contractor's style saw is that the fixed portion can interfere with the alignment process unless you have arms about five feel long with several articulated joints. In some respects a free standing outfeed table may be a better choice for a contractors' style saw for that reason, although if you can make the fixed portion of my design easily removable, than there is no issue. The good thing about mine is that it moves with the saw...

[Tim Morton]

In some respects a free standing outfeed table may be a better choice for a contractors' style saw for that reason, although if you can make the fixed portion of my design easily removable, than there is no issue. The good thing about mine is that it moves with the saw...

I have read in other places where you have commented on this. So going into it I am not thinking about a fold down table. I am thinking about a fixed table maybe 12-18" deep and 60 or so inches wide (happens to be a drop i have about that size)...I will attach this to the fence rail from underneath and add some bracing and legs, but make it easy enough to take off if needed. Then i will build another table that will reside agains the far wall in the picture of my still empty basement (waiting on 220v). This will be able to push up against the saw whenever needed.

[Frank Pellow]

I've never seen a Delta contractors saw look so good! Nice job Tim!

p.s. I like and agree with your comment about the Kodak digital being the Ryobi of digital camers. The Kodak is where I started, but I quicklu "graduated" to a Nokon.

[Jim Becker]

Tim, that makes sense. I actually wish I made mine the full width of my saw, anyway, and if I did it again, I would. While the primary purpose of the surface is for outfeed support, like in most shops, mine also provides additional assembly/clamping area when I'm working on projects, especially larger ones. That means I can also do other things at the workbench while waiting for the glue to dry. There is generally no interference with saw use since hopefully by then, everything is already cut! (stuff happens... ;) )

[Corvin Alstot]

Wow, what a difference. I would think the manufacturer's would take notice and offer a saw like yours as an option.

Great job.

[Russ Massery]

Great job Tim! I had craftsman contractors saw years ago and put a the same fence on it. Was amazed by the difference, I think it's why I kept the saw alot longer then I planed . I moved the fence over to my cabinet saw and sold the stock fence with the Craftsman. As far as the outfeed table goes I built Jim Becker version and I'm very happy with it. I also put a router table on the end of the side table you can make a fence that sides over the biesemeyer.

Russ

[Tim Morton]

I just used my drop to see how it works. I screwed a ledge to the bottom and used some old clamps for now. Once I get more time I will rout a dado in the bottom to flush it up against the tables saw and figure a better way to clamp it. But at least now I can push work past the blade without having it lift up and or fall on the floor. I will also have to rout some miter slots in the table too. But now its time to get outside and enjoy the sun. :cool:

[Norman Hitt]

Nice job, Tim. Looking at your pic of the table clamped to the angle, it looks like it might be pretty easy to drill a couple of holes up through that angle iron and into the spacer wood beneath the outfeed table, and then put in two lag bolts and use a couple of those Knobs with the nut inside and a hole that goes all the way through the knob, to tighten it up and hold it onto the angle/saw, and would be very fast to remove. Those knobs seem to be pretty inexpensive at places like Woodcraft, Rockler, etc, or you can make your own from wood and a Nut epoxied in place, but for time spent vs the cost, I don't think it's worth the effort.

Another tip, (for cheap, adjustable support legs), I've used fir 2 x 3's, and drilled a hole into one end, tapped in a "T" Nut and screwed in a round head "Stove Bolt" for the adjuster. You can put a nut on the stovebolt before installing it in the T Nut to use as a Lock Nut, if desired.

Again, that's a Very Nice Setup that will give you valuable, long time returns in increased capabilities and cut quality performance.

[Tim Morton]

Another tip, (for cheap, adjustable support legs), I've used fir 2 x 3's, and drilled a hole into one end, tapped in a "T" Nut and screwed in a round head "Stove Bolt" for the adjuster. You can put a nut on the stovebolt before installing it in the T Nut to use as a Lock Nut, if desired.

Great tip..thanks. I have looked for the adjustable feet but being out in the sticks sometimes you can't find everything you need. But i will use your idea for the legs. I already have some 2x4 sleepers under the table. but once I get it further along i will want to have adjustment on all sides to make it all square.

[Jerry Olexa]

Looking good Tim! You're moving right along AND I see you installed the Delta Splitter. When I bought my Delta TS a few years back I took the option of the upgraded Precision fence and the Table extension like yours. I'm still using the primitive roller stand when I rip longer pieces. Also use the crosscut sled a lot !Also purchased a GrrRipper last week.You and I at least shouldn't be in the "accident reports" posts from now on. Good pics. (Go Pats :) )

[Jim Becker]

You could also make your own adjustable legs by using some carriage bolts in short slots routed in some 1x stock. By overlapping the two "sides" of the legs, you get a sturdy post that you can change in length "just enough" to account for variations in your floor. They will be less slippery on the floor surface, too...I used the bolts in threaded inserts as Norm suggested and find they just don't have the "grip" I want on the concrete surface.

[Andy Haney]

Hope you don't mind if I "borrow" some of your ideas for future TS upgrades...but I sure wish you had said something about the Kodak before I got one for my wife at Christmas. She seems to be happy though, and I'm not tellin' her!

[Norman Hitt]

You could also make your own adjustable legs by using some carriage bolts in short slots routed in some 1x stock. By overlapping the two "sides" of the legs, you get a sturdy post that you can change in length "just enough" to account for variations in your floor. They will be less slippery on the floor surface, too...I used the bolts in threaded inserts as Norm suggested and find they just don't have the "grip" I want on the concrete surface.

Jim, I agree that they can be slippery on some surfaces, but they can be MODIFIED Slightly, (and cheaply too), with a rubber foot that works well, (the rubber foot don't turn while adjusting, and the bolt head won't punch through the rubber foot). Rather than describe it here, give it a look on Terry Hatfield's site listed as "Cheap Levelers", ( I think). See it at: http//:www.terryhatfield.com where it is explained w/pic.

To use it in the "T" Nuts, you would also need to Jamb two nuts on the bolt to fit a wrench onto, to adjust it. These are what I use on my TS mobile base.

[Mike Holbrook]

Very nice Tim. Your set up looks very much like my new General Contractor Saw that comes with the General version of the same fence and rails.

An interesting discovery...

I was about to start on my outfeed table when my eyes came to rest on a topless cabinet left over from our basement finishing job. We bought a sink base cabinet to put in the bathroom. One drawer in one of the cabinets did not want to close so they sent two different guys out to try and fix it. Neither one got it fixed so they sent us a new cabinet. I simply elongated the screw holes in the drawer face plate and had the drawer fixed in less than 5 minuets, leaving me with two cabinets :)

As it turns out, the open space (for the sink) in the middle of the cabinet fits the protruding motor of a contractor saw like it was made for that purpose. The 42" cabinet top matches my saw table top width almost exactly.

[Byron Trantham]

Tim you're going to love that "Bies". I put one on my Craftsman contrator's saw and one came with my Delta. Nice job on the retro. :D

[John Hemenway]

Looking good. I'm sure you'll appreciate the accurate fence.

For the outfeed table be sure to check clearance for the motor when you do bevel cuts since the motor moves way UP and left during the tilt motion.