Tablesaw Table Extension - What to use??

[Glen Blanchard]

I will be constructing a table extension for my table saw. I plan on applying a white plastic laminate on both sides of the extension. Additionally, I will be attaching an oak apron 360 degrees around as well. The apron will be used to secure the extension to the fence rails, as well as to the mounting bracket which will support an Excalibur overhead blade guard.

What should I use for the table substrate? 3/4" MDF is the first thing that comes to mind, but that stuff does not hold screws very well, which makes it a bit difficult to secure the apron to the table substrate. Is there a more appropriate substrate I should consider?

[Jamie Buxton]

I'd use plywood instead of MDF. For the same thickness, plywood sags less than MDF.

I'd also use glue to fasten the edging to the table. One way to do this is to apply the edging to the ply, plane it flush, and let the laminate run all the way to the edge of the hardwood.

[Todd Burch]

In 1997, when I built my outfeed table, I used 3/4" white melamine. It has seen some VERY rough use, and even made it through one shop relocate just fine. It would be a lot cheaper than a sheet of MDF and two sheets of laminate, plus a whole lot less work. The screws I used to hold it down were coarse sheetrock screws and they are holding just fine and dandy.

Keep it simple and cheap. That's my advice.

[Tim Morton]

I tried one using the melamine sheet only, but could not get it to stay flat enough on its own, I was always bumping wood into it when pushing it though. I am in the middle of rebuilding it as a torsion box with a piece of 1/2" ply on the bottom. I would not use MDF only because of the weight of it. I am building mine using the plans from Chris Dehut's volume 10 and 11 of his Woodworking at Home dvd magazine. Its a GREAT version of an outfeet table. its based on using it with a biesemeyer oe biesemeyer style fence with a sturdy angle iron in the back.

[Steve Cox]

My vote would be for melamine and biscuits to hold the apron on. Lots easier and cheaper than laminate and plywood. BTW buy yhr melamine from a lumberyard and not the borg. It's much better stuff.

[Glen Blanchard]

My vote would be for melamine and biscuits to hold the apron on. Lots easier and cheaper than laminate and plywood. BTW buy yhr melamine from a lumberyard and not the borg. It's much better stuff.

Isn't melamine just a very very thin plastic veneer placed (most commonly) on MDF?

[Tim Morton]

Isn't melamine just a very very thin plastic veneer placed (most commonly) on MDF?

I think its actually a "paint" layer over particle board. It is not as durable as laminate.

[Steve Cox]

In my experience it usually has a particle board core. It is just a very thin layer of plastic. It is, in fact, the exact same plastic layer as you find on a sheet of plastic laminate just instead of being bonded to resin impregnated paper, it is bonded directly to the substrate. As for the lumberyard vs the borg, I have several sheets in my shop right now, one of which I got from the box store and others from my regular supplier (I needed one on the weekend). The particle board is much finer grained and the edges are gently eased to reduce chipping on the lumber yard material as compared to the other stuff. I just looked in my catalog and as a regular item, melamine is only available with an MDF core in 1/4". All other thicknesses are particle board.

[Steve Cox]

Melamine is not as durable as sheets of laminate, BUT it depends on what and where you buy it. Like everything else, there are grades of the stuff. My local supplier lists "high pressure melamine", "low pressure melamine", and "roll coated melamine" depending on what exactly you're looking for. High pressure is the only one of the three I'd use for an outfeed table because it is most durable. In addition, melamine runs about $25 a sheet. Laminate runs closer to $40 a sheet and you will need two plus the underlayment (particle board $15) and the contact cement. You will also need the time and space to lay it up. For all that I can build several out feed tables from melamine.

[Glen Blanchard]

This probably does not change the recommendations, but this application is not for an outfeed table, but for an extension to the right of the blade to which the fence rails will attach. I get the feeling that most here are recommending a 1/4" melamine to keep the weight low. The only way to connect such a thin substrate to the oak apron would be to glue it as it is too thin to use buscuits or anything else.

Sound about right?

[Steve Cox]

Glen, on my Jet cabinet saw the extension table to the right to which the rails attach is 3/4" melamine with oak aprons screwed on from underneath. It has worked well for several years now, and the melamine is in fine shape.

[Cecil Arnold]

It's the same on my Jet, and, malimaie is in fact a thin laminate coating that is cooked on to MDF. The only problem you may have attaching with screws is that the MDF tends to bulge when teh screw is driven. The fix is to unscrew whatever you have attached and put a slight chamfer on the hold. After that everything sits flat.

[Mark Singer]

Make it really big and you will be surprised how easy you can make great cuts...it also becomes a terrific glue up/ finishing table. For sheet goods its the best....mine is 4 x 8

[Norman Hitt]

Glen, if you will go to the Biesemeyer Website, they have a drawing of how to make an extension table, with a wood frame, and 2 or 3 crossmembers, and then the laminated top on it. My first one was hurriedly thrown together with scraps, and (without the help of this drawing), but last year I made a new one using this design, and oak for all the wood parts and 3/4" MDF laminated on both sides and the edges, and it is as solid as the Rock of Gibralter. I laminated the bottom and edges of the top, then drilled and screwed it down on the oak frame, and then filled the screw head countersunk holes with spackling compound, sanded it and applied the top laminate so the screws don't show. it's heavy, but very flat and solid, and I'm Very Pleased with it.

[Glen Blanchard]

last year I made a new one using this design, and oak for all the wood parts and 3/4" MDF laminated on both sides and the edges, and it is as solid as the Rock of Gibralter.

This was going to be my approach, but I was getting the feeling from the previous posts that weight might be an issue. This is for a Jet cabinet saw with a 30" fence. I don't have the saw yet, but from what I can tell the table board needs to be 27" x 16". The small size might negate any concerns about weight however.

I have made a hard copy of the Beisemeyer plans - Thanks.

I do have another question. Regardless of how it is constructed, I see a potential problem with getting it exactly level with the cast iron table. Once I have it built, I thought I would clamp it to the rails and make "marks" where I need to drill the holes for the lag bolts to attach to the rails. I bet though that these holes will not be absolutely perfect and I will need to make some small adjustments to get it good and level. Rather than making a "hole" in the oak apron, should I make some sort of "vertical slot" which would then allow some adjusting of the table to get it level with the rest of the saw? I can't remember how this was done on my Jet contractor's saw.

[Steve Cox]

Rather than making a slot which can be a pain, why not just make the holes a little oversized for the bolts you are using use oversized washers. Easy to do and gives you some wiggle room.

[Tim Morton]

weight is not an issue for a extension table...I was speaking about a folding outfeed table...my mistake in not paying close enough attention to the question :D

[Todd Burch]

When I attached my outfeed table to my tablesaw (powermatic), I took a simple approach. I made a 2X2 about 6' long and screwed that to my rear rail. Then, when I slid my extenstion table up to the tablesaw, I simply screwed the extension table's apron to the 2X2. If I was a little off, I backed the screw out, gave it a nudge, and drove a new screw hole.

I made my outfeed table about 1/8" lower than my saw. Use a 4' level to check as you go. If you screw up, fix it. My saw is stationary, so I used door trim wedges whereever I needed to accomodate for an imperfect floor and/or my imperfect construction of the table height.

[Jerry Clark]

I also use a 4X8 sheet but I have it sitting on a 3/4 plywood. I use it for a work table and glue-up, and a catch all. When it gets messed up, I just turn it over and have a good side again. :cool:

[Norman Hitt]

I have made a hard copy of the Beisemeyer plans - Thanks.

I do have another question. Regardless of how it is constructed, I see a potential problem with getting it exactly level with the cast iron table. Once I have it built, I thought I would clamp it to the rails and make "marks" where I need to drill the holes for the lag bolts to attach to the rails. I bet though that these holes will not be absolutely perfect and I will need to make some small adjustments to get it good and level. Rather than making a "hole" in the oak apron, should I make some sort of "vertical slot" which would then allow some adjusting of the table to get it level with the rest of the saw? I can't remember how this was done on my Jet contractor's saw.

Glen, the easiest way to get the table level with the saw's table is to clamp the extension table in place to the saw's table making sure the Center is exactly level and drill and bolt it tightly together. You can then do the front and back edges by pushing down or lifting up that edge to get it exactly correct. Just make the holes in the extension table "Slightly" oversized to allow you a small amount of adjustment as you tighten it up. The main thing is to do the Center One First.

[Glen Blanchard]

Thanks for the great suggestions y'all. Making a slightly oversized hole is the obvious (at least to everyone else) strategy to employ here. I'll be putting the table together in the morning after a quick trip to HD.

Thanks again.