Outfeed Table Project

[JayStPeter]

I just completed a neander type workbench for my shop and the place was a disaster. So, I've been deep cleaning it for a couple weeks now. Along the way I built a shelf to store some jigs that were piled in the corner. It quickly became clear that I relied heavily on the temporary stand that my workbench top has been on for a while as an outfeed table. I have a small fold up outfeed table (about 18" deep), but the bench added another 30" when I clamped a piece to the edge (which was pretty much always there). I've decided to remove the folding outfeed and make a larger one that doesn't fold and gives me a full 48" of outfeed plus can act as an assembly table when necessary.
With all the mentions of the Wood Whisperer outfeed table, I checked that out. It looked good, but I wanted it a little smaller. 4'x4' seemed like a good size after some quick measurements, so off I went to get some ply. Bzzzzzt. The only place in town that used to stock decent stuff at a decent price now has the same China made junk as all the other places. Bummer. I can't bring myself to pay $50 for that junk that just makes working with it painful. I've made a point to clear out all the scraps I had of it so I wouldn't have to deal with it again. Plus, with the shelf on the bottom that's $100 worth of ply. Not as cheap as I want. There's no more $30 sheets that work decently for shop furniture, seems like since Katrina.
So, I hatched a plan to build a similar table from four 8' 2x8s and a sheet of MDF. Total cost around $45 plus some levelers that I'd need anyway. Pic1 is the materials ready to go. I had cut the 2x8s in half on the way in.
So far, the 2x8s are in pretty good shape. A couple passes over the jointer and through the planer and I was sawing them into the blanks (pic2). I cut them into 4 4" wide pieces, 4 <3" wide pieces, and 8 3.5" wide pieces. The basic frame will be similar to the wood whisperer version, just out of 2x materials. The "legs" will appear to be 4" square and the supports will all be 3.5" (pic3). All the blanks are slightly oversized right now. I'll let them acclimate overnight and make some final passes over the jointer and through the planer just before I join them. If I don't allow the wet borg wood to dry in the shop for a couple months, I like to get it all joined up within a few hours of coming off the jointer.
I went ahead and attacked the MDF. I decided since I have some extra structure over the wood whisperer version, I'd go ahead and let the top overhang a few inches so I can get some clamps on something if I want to use it as an assembly table. So, the overall dimensions of the frame will be 42"x42". The lower shelf will match those dimensions. First, I cut the ragged end off the MDF sheet with the Festool saw and rail. Then I used a jig made from a piece of scrap clamped to another piece of scrap to set the rail in place 42" away and perfectly parallel to the cut side (pic4). Using a known good framing square with a Veritas square fence on it, I set the rail perpendicular to the first cut and cut another edge. A combination of the framing square and the original jig makes the piece into a perfect square. It actually wound up around 42 1/16", but the diagonals are spot on (pic5).
So far I have about an hour and a half in the shop. I'm hoping I'll have enough time to get this thing together tomorrow.

[JayStPeter]

Saturday was a mixed day for productivity on the outfeed table. I spent 6 hrs. in the shop, but only about 4 on the table. It should be done, but I took a time consuming detour.
It started off well. I had found these elevator bolts (pic1) to use as leveler feet. They are very heavy duty with 3/8" threading. Add to that some "gripper" rubber feet and the thing should stay put well. To make sure everything would work OK, I installed it in the end of one of the leg parts. I screwed it in until it bottomed out then backed it out a little and held it against the TS to mark the height (pic2). I hate measuring.
I used a scrap of MDF to move the height down by the thickness, then split the line with the blade to give me 1/16" to play with. Or, that's what should've happened. Instead, I couldn't close the blast gate for my TS. I pulled apart the ductwork and found this (pic3) jammed in my hacked together reducer. My plan for years now has been to upgrade my TS to 6" ductwork, so I had temporarily hacked together something to work until I got everything I needed. Over the years I've gotten everything I need except the 6" flex tubing. So, I switched gears, blades, etc. and redid the ductwork to prepare for the 6" upgrade. The reducer is now at floor level and will be removed when I get the flex tube ... someday.
That got me back on track (for now) and I cut all the legs to length.

[JayStPeter]

I was planning on bolting the table together. I knew I had some bolts around from an older bench made by the previous owner of my last house. I had disassembled it and had the bolts laying around for years. Finally, I can get them out of my hardware storage ... not. The previous bench was very poorly constructed and the guy had bolted through too many layers at once. So, all the bolts were waaaay too long. I had forgotten all that and just assumed the bolts would work since it was all built out of 2x, bummer. Oh well, instead of a trip to the hardware store this gives me the opportunity to play with my mortiser (remember I'm trying to avoid a trip to the HW store). I have only used it once before, so I still have a little to learn about it.

First, I had to decide what height for the shelf. The wood whisperer mentions this in his outfeed table. My situation is worse than his. I have raised the height of the TS in my shop (pic4). The top of my hose sits at about 13". I plan to upgrade it to 6" eventually so it will be even higher. I decided to go under it and run the hose through the table along the shelf. With that decided I layed out the mortises.

I set up the mortiser (pic1) to cut the mortises. The parts were all about 1 3/8" thick. So, I marked the parts by tilting a ruler to hit 1 1/2" going across and marking the 1/2" marks. That gives me exactly 1/3 the width. I used a 3/16 bit and set the fence so I would do a pass in either direction so the mortise would be centered.

This pine is nothing like the Sapele I cut mortises on last time. The chips were piling up and clogging the bit. I put a vac hose against it and it worked OK, but I was having trouble holding the piece and the vac hose. Another delay on the way.

I drilled a small hole in the holddown and a matching hole in the vac nozzle and safety wired it on. It didn't actually go that smooth. Drilling the hole in the holddown led to 3 broken bits. Sheesh, I don't know what was going on. I didn't want to drill a very big hole and compromise the strength of the holddown. So ... yep, off to the hardware store anyway to get some more small bits. With everything mounted up the new DC worked well (action shot pic2). It took some time using that small of a bit, but all the mortises got cut (pic3).

[JayStPeter]

Now, including the delays, I've burned about 4 1/2 hours getting to this point. Only another hour or so until I have to go out. I got cranking. I plowed through making the tennons (pic1,2).
All the joints fit together well, so the clamp-ups went very fast (pic3). I would clamp each frame together, then shoot a couple brads into the joint. Then I could remove the clamps and hit the next one. The only snag came on the last frame when my CabinetMaster clamp broke. This is the second one I've had this happen to. I'm definitely switching brands.
I was running a little late at this point, but had to dry fit it before I left for the day (pic4).
Man, I have around 7 hours total working on this. Probably 1.5 hrs of that wasted by the equipment issues I had. I still have at least a couple hours left. I think I'd be done the wood whisperer version and then some by now.

[Jim Becker]

Some days are like that, Jay! Nice work on the outfeed system...

[JayStPeter]

Well, another 4 hours or so today plus some cleaning afterward.

I started out by sanding the frames and routing some decorative chamfers. Hey, if I'm going to spend this much time on the thing I might as well make it look half decent. I drilled some pocket holes so I wouldn't have to clamp up the thing in stages. I cut slots in the corners of the shelf for the legs and routed a little chamfer on the top of that. That is more functional than decorative as it keeps the MDF edge from getting banged up as easy, but it looks nice too.

I glued up the frame and took a break for dinner. After dinner, I came back and added the levelers and some additional support for the shelf. I expect to make some form of storage system down there and want the structure to support it. I used some scrap construction ply I had laying around and just used pocket screw joinery to get them on there (pic1). Did the same for the top, but used some more substantial 2x material from the same construction scrap pile as the ply (pic2).

I cut the top to size the same way I did the shelf. Then I used the extra to put a 2" wide band around the edge (pic3). If I clamp stuff to it it'll give some extra meat for the clamps to grab. Finally, I added some Ash trim around the top edge, chamfered it, and pushed it into place (pic4). It still needs the miter slots routed once I finalize the location. I'll probably put some sort of finish on it also to keep glue from sticking to it.

This took a lot longer than I expected. It is a beast of a table though.

[Brian Penning]

Very nice. Couple of questions.
1. Don't need some slots in the table for the miter gauge?
2, I notice you have the table positioned more to the right of the blade. Any reason for this?
TIA

[JayStPeter]

Very nice. Couple of questions.
1. Don't need some slots in the table for the miter gauge?
2, I notice you have the table positioned more to the right of the blade. Any reason for this?
TIA

Brian - Thanks

1. Yep ... leads to ...
2. I'm still trying to decide on final positioning of the table relative to the blade. The front corner of the table starts to encroach on where I stand when using my jointer. A shop rearrangment is in the plan anyway, so I may move the drill press and push the saw back a few feet. If that works out, I'll line up the side of the table with the side of the saw. For now, I'll use it without slots and push it around when necessary until I'm comfortable with where it is. I'll probably sink a Kreg bench klamp in it also when I get the router out.

- Jay