How is Unisaw Extension Table Constructed?

[orren countin]

I bought a used 2015 52" Unisaw but it did not have a extension table top. It came with the legs. Not sure if there should have been iron under the table.
My table will be closer to 42" and Ill cut down the rails.
How is the table built? Did it have a wood or metal frame?
Does it bolt into the cast iron extension and just supported by the legs on the other end?
Does perhaps someone have a picture for some ideas.

BTW will double as a router table so Ill be building a box under the router to supported by the table..
Id be grateful for any insight and advise.
Thank you

[Mike Kees]

All the stock fences I have seen on Uni's have two pieces of angle iron with holes/slots cut in them down the edges of the table ( long side). The top is just a piece of 3/4'' plywood or melamine. The legs screw on the bottom side. There is a piece of flat steel about 2.5'' wide that bolts to the side of the cast top in the table extension holes,it has more holes for the table to bolt to with three more pieces made from angle iron that screw to the underside of your table and then bolt to saw. So as you stated it bolts to saw and legs support other end. What fence do you have with that saw ? The design of your fence/and rails will help you figure out what you need.

[Matt Day]

Mike’s got the basics, I’ll just add that instead of just a piece of melamine, supports are generally added under the melamine to eliminate sag.

Do some google searching, tons of information about it. Try searches like “Unisaw extension wing router table”.

I just picked up another Uni and will be building a dual saw station so I’ll be building another table soon.

[Joe Hendershott]

It bolts onto the saw. Mine from '95 is metal. I will get you a pic tomorrow.

[orren countin]

All the stock fences I have seen on Uni's have two pieces of angle iron with holes/slots cut in them down the edges of the table ( long side). The top is just a piece of 3/4'' plywood or melamine. The legs screw on the bottom side. There is a piece of flat steel about 2.5'' wide that bolts to the side of the cast top in the table extension holes,it has more holes for the table to bolt to with three more pieces made from angle iron that screw to the underside of your table and then bolt to saw. So as you stated it bolts to saw and legs support other end. What fence do you have with that saw ? The design of your fence/and rails will help you figure out what you need.
I see. Thats a big help. It has a Biesemeyer 52" but Im going to cut it down to about 40". From your description I see that Im missing the is the steel that mounts to the cast iron table and holds that end of the table. It sounds like angle iron lip the table sits on?. Whats not clear to me is how the table sits flush against the cast iron? Is there a picture somewhere you know off? or can one purchase this table mounting bracket? Awesome help. thanks for your generous share.

[orren countin]

It bolts onto the saw. Mine from '95 is metal. I will get you a pic tomorrow.

a pic would be awesome. Thank you

[Matt Day]

https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/make-router-table-extension-table-saw/

This should help.

You are also capable of using a search engine. Try it.

[Tom M King]

I tossed the original junk piece, and made one with 3/4" Birch ply, reinforced with aluminum angles underneath, and Formica on the top. I did keep the front, and back angles that a fence bolts to, and the legs. The Unisaw is my jobsite saw.

[Ray Newman]

My old circa 1986 Uni-saw had the 52" Uni-fence. The top warped and I replaced it. I always felt the original design, fabrication, and materials never seemed too robust.

Back about 1989, I built a table from 2x4" stock (AKA tub-ba-four), 3/4" white melamine for the top. Fitted it between the saw and Uni-fence front rail. Grooved the legs to accept 1/2" pyw'd panels for rigidity and screwed a 1/2" lag screw to each leg bottom for leveling purpose. Then screwed it all to Uni-fence front rail. Front and back were left open for storage area under the table.

I sold the Uni-saw back in 2016 and the new owner uses the same table.`

[orren countin]

https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/make-router-table-extension-table-saw/

This should help.

You are also capable of using a search engine. Try it.
thanks. That journal was helpful. He bolted the wood sub frame of the router table directly to the iron table and I assume to the fences angle iron which is predrilled.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Often, I’m just finishing up one of these. I’ll post photos tomorrow, including a dust box that fits under the router.

Why shorten the fence rails?

[Ron Hampe]

Absolutely hated the original side table and the mobile base that came with it. I replaced mine with the empty cabinet, 2nd table and a Peachtree cast iron router wing and two Portamate 3550 mobile bases. Not show are the delta sliding table and miter gauge extension. Also have an HTC outfeed table that I plan to mount on a rod so that I can move it to any portion of the backside of the table.

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[Rick Potter]

Another way to go is to google for the on line manual for the Unisaw. Mine has an addendum manual that covers the standard table that was optional. It has pics and drawings.

[orren countin]

Often, I’m just finishing up one of these. I’ll post photos tomorrow, including a dust box that fits under the router.

Why shorten the fence rails?


A picture would be very helpful. thanks! the reason to cut the 52" is that it wont fit width wise in my 1 car garage shop. Cut it or buy a fence with shorter rails, $350ish and sell my 52" rails, fence and legs. Probably makes sense just to mod what I have.

[mike stenson]

A picture would be very helpful. thanks! the reason to cut the 52" is that it wont fit width wise in my 1 car garage shop. Cut it or buy a fence with shorter rails, $350ish and sell my 52" rails, fence and legs. Probably makes sense just to mod what I have.

I decided, years ago, that my 52" biesemeyer was just too wide for my shop (at the time) and the work I did. It was surprisingly easy to find someone to trade fences.. in my case I went to a unifence (which I actually view as an upgrade). We traded everything, including the extension tables.

FWIW, the tables are really cheaply made, and yea my manual shows how to make one.

[Travis Conner]

Usually it's just osb with that laminated counter top stuff like every house had back in the 90s. I forget the word. Then a regular 1x3" frame around it.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Orren, I had four clients today and was not able to post photos yet. So sorry. I’m actually excited to share my work-to-date on this forum. Good news, I guess, is that the day job is roaring right now = $. I’ll get to this soon. Probably Saturday.

[Bill Dufour]

I used a hollow core door cut down to length. I do not remember if I had to narrow it a little or not. This is also known as a torsion box. The cut end away from the blade with some blocking glued in to hold it from warping.
Bill D

[Jeff Ramsey]

I took the original folding legs from my Unisaw extension table, welding them so they're fixed, then bought two additional legs from ebay and welded two adjustable feet to those. My table extension is 7' x 4', with a cast iron BenchDog router table extension. The table is 3/4" cabinet grade plywood that's varnished top and bottom, and attached to the original UniSaw with angle iron. There are oak ribs underneath for stability, glued and screwed. See the following.

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[orren countin]

awesome! good problems to have..being busy! good for you

[orren countin]

great inspiration. Wonderful setup. Im envious of the room in your shop. Thank you. thats a good way to attached the table. I can deal with a piece of angle iron and drill holes to match table and slot the holes to adjust. Im gonna measure now to see the iron I should buy.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Orren, you might have moved on by now, but here are some photos of the table extension I'm making.

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The left edge will abut the table saw and the right side is for the router lift. Top is 3/4" Baltic birch, covered with horizontal grade laminate. Case is just 1x3 pine from Home Depot, with the top edges jointed flat after acclimatizing in the house for a week. So far the top is dead flat.

Joinery: I returned to my Kreg jig after maybe 15 years of non-use. It worked out to be very quick and convenient. I Kregged the long boards to the top first, and the the cross members are Kregged to the long boards.

Besides the Kreg holes, you can see the bolt holes running along the long boards. These are placed to fit to the Unisaw's fence rails.

The rectangular area around where the router will go is reinforced to prevent sagging. I'm putting a 14-pound router and an 11-pound router lift into this table, so I didn't want to take any chances with stiffness. One solid-wood member of each side of the rectangle is screwed and glued to the top to reduce vibration. The other (1/2" plywood) members are glued up around the primary member to do three things:

1) Inside members sit under the edge of the router plate to reinforce the birch top that will have about a 15/32" deep ledge routed in for the lift plate. I didn't want to hang the router assembly on a 9/32" plywood ledge! Mine will have a full 2-3/4" of vertical support.

2) The doubled 1x3 on the right of the rectangle (you can see members 4 and 5 if you expand the photos) will sit under the dado for the miter track. This dado needs to be over 1/2" deep, which would cut into the birch ply top way too much. The solid boards on edge below the top will take up the structural load.

3) Outside members fit the primitive but effective dust box I was already using in my older router table. Here's a shot of the dust box (upside down):

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That's a little door on the right side to run the power cord out of the box. It slides closed to seal around the cord. I made that box probably in 2004; I just didn't have the heart to remake it.

I plan to attach the new top on Wednesday, and then rout the recess for the plate maybe on Friday, and finally the dado for the miter track. Then I plan to get going with my new 0.001" adjustable lift! Fun. It's been a long process, but I should have a beefy and precision tool.

[orren countin]

Orren, you might have moved on by now, but here are some photos of the table extension I'm making.



That.
Awsome job Bob. I love the dust trap at the bottom of the router box. Nice work. You gave me some good ideas.

[Jim Becker]

Usually it's just osb with that laminated counter top stuff like every house had back in the 90s. I forget the word. Then a regular 1x3" frame around it.
Not OSB....which is an exterior sheathing product and not smooth enough to cover with laminate. (horrible material for most things other than it's intended purpose in building structures) MDF or Particle Board is generally what is under the laminate. In some cases, OEM tops are melamine covered particle board.

[orren countin]

Absolutely hated the original side table and the mobile base that came with it. I replaced mine with the empty cabinet, 2nd table and a Peachtree cast iron router wing and two Portamate 3550 mobile bases. Not show are the delta sliding table and miter gauge extension. Also have an HTC outfeed table that I plan to mount on a rod so that I can move it to any portion of the backside of the table.



very clever!. Love the re-purposing of the saw cabinet

[orren countin]

How do you level the extension table to the saw table?
Use shims or adjusting screws?
This is what I though to do and would welcome your opinions.
First off I would me making the table from 4x8 sheet probably 3/4" with Melamine surface and glue on additional 3/4 MDF for stiffness and stability so 1.5" thick.
Using 1.5" x 1/8" angle iron attach that to end of table using bolts into existing threaded holes, cut out from the end of the table a recess for the angle iron and the mounting bolts.

To level the saw table with the extension a) use shims on top of the angle iron and then attach table through angle iron with lag bolts or 2) add leveling screws to the angle iron similarly as is done with blade inserts to level then secure with lag bolts through the angle iron..

Attached is a sketch if its not already confusing enough.

Thanks for any advise!426059