What to do with extra cast iron wings and table

[jamil mehdi]

I recently dismantled an old Yates American cabinet saw. Among the bits and pieces is the cast iron table top and the extension wings. I'm trying to think of something creative to do with them, but I'm coming up short. They're in reasonable shape, but nothing to write home about. I haven't thrown them out because I'm sure I'll think of something to do with them 5 minutes later... So now I just pick them up and move them to another part of the shop every few weeks.

Any suggestions for how to repurpose cast iron tops?

[Bruce King]

Nice to have for weight for certain types of glueups.
Or sell on CL.
Why didn’t you sell the whole machine?

[Robert Hayward]

Before you toss them give the people at OWWM a chance. Might be one of them looking for just that part to finish a restoration project.

[jamil mehdi]

I wanted the Baldor motor and the price of the saw was cheaper than buying the motor. I thought about keeping it, but it was an inherently bad table saw for a number of reasons. The table profile wouldn't work with any modern fences without some custom fabrication. The throat plate wasn't able to be shop made. The blade sat at the far back of the table requiring an outfeed table. There were a number of problems that could be overcome with money and creativity, but in the end, it would be an "OK" saw for the price of a better saw.

I kept the motor, the power switch, and the bed, but the rest; the trunion, the cabinet, and all the other bits and pieces are sitting in a storage unit destined for scrap.

[Andrew Seemann]

I'll get skewered for saying this, but sometimes Good Old Arn is more old than good.

[Mike Wilkins]

Post it for sale on this forum or the OWWM site. Someone is always looking for a project, especially an old iron one.

[Charlie Jones]

Depending on the construction, it might be possible to make a router table top.

[Jamie Buxton]

Industrial-style coffee table? Or if it is big enough, industrial-style desk. Picture some stylish loft, probably in a big city, with modern furniture and this cast iron table.

[Dave Mills]

I periodically use the cast iron top of my table saw for glue ups or other purposes when I want something I know is flat. Any chance you'd want to embed this cast iron into a bench top for similar reasons?

[Mike Kees]

I have an extra Unisaw top that is going to become "winter traction " in my pickup box. I looked at a router table idea ,but the machining is to much work. That said an old one on it's original stand is acting as a" work " table on the metal end of my shop now. I suffer from Unisaw purchasing syndrome ,I buy and sell them occasionally.

[Roger Feeley]

Industrial-style coffee table? Or if it is big enough, industrial-style desk. Picture some stylish loft, probably in a big city, with modern furniture and this cast iron table.

+1 on the coffee table. Find some cool legs and the condo crowd will pay a fortune.

My late father-in-law gave me a valve from and old Cooper Bessemer engine used to pump natural gas. The valve is about 60lbs and stands about 32" high. It has a 5/8" threaded hole in the top so I found a cast iron wheel from and old train car, bolted the two together and now it's an umbrella stand. I get all sorts of complements.

[Patrick Kane]

I once saw a table that was really thick plexi/glass/something clear mounted to a very old table saw base. The kind where the table tilted and not the saw arbor, but it allowed for the whole table to tilt, which was kinda cool. I dont know the specific Yates saw in question, but some vintage saw bases/cabinets are quite heavy. You would need a pallet jack to move your repurposed table saw drafting table around your house.

I second the OWWM. Some guy might need one of your parts, and you would make some money and be doing another person a solid.