Min overhang for counter

[Jay Yoder]

I am currently designing a miter saw/RAS station which will have base cabinets that are 24" deep. what is the typical overhang for the top. I was thinking of using 1.5" clear over the doors to allow clamping to the top, kinda like a hybrid assembly table. Would this idea fly?

[Russ Boyd]

I don't see why not, as long as you have at least a 3/4" thick top. Better yet would be to thicken the top at the edge a little so as not to curl. Again, it depend on the material and thickness. Russ

[Jay Yoder]

I was planning on at least one, maybe two layers of 3/4" mdf and wrap the edges with 3/4" red oak. maybe i could attach a vise at one end too...

[Bill White]

then double the edge as has been suggested. 1.5" to 2" would be fine. Heck, its your top. Do it anyway you want so that it will fit your work style.
Bill

[Jay Yoder]

I would figure that 2" overhang would be the max without worries about the edge strength...

[Larry Edgerton]

I have one in my shop that is 4'x7'6" with drawers and the top is 3/4 particle board on the bottom and 3/4 oak plywood on the top with a 5/4 ash edge, 6" overhang on the ends and 2" on the long sides. I made it so I can replace the top if need be but it has been heavily used for 15 years and still has the original oak ply on top.

If I would do it over again I would make the overhang on the sides 3" beyond the inset drawer fronts. 1" over slides will still give you full access. This will give you a better purchase for the clamps when gluing up long stock that is wider. 3" will get you to the center of a 6" piece, and a lot of glueups seem to be in that size range. The 6" overhang on the ends is handy, and has not sunk at all over the years, and I have had tons of weight on this thing. It is where I unload hardwoods for sorting and I usually buy full lifts of around a 1000 Bd. Ft. at a time

I would make the drawerfronts inset again but I set them back a half inch to keep spills, etc out of the drawers.

Make one drawer that fits your most used small clamps. For example I have a drawer in the middle of one side that holds about 50 Jorgensons. When I glue up they are right at hand, and when I unclamp they go right back in the drawer, so no clutter, or less anyway....

Wheels are nice, but get good ones rated for more than you think you will need. I have 2500# wheels on this one and it will flatspot the poly tires if I let it sit with a big load too long. Also the smaller the wheel the less it takes to stop then as far as obstacles.

I have two Record vises mounted on the same long side, not as handy as I thought it would be, I think I would put them on the ends next time.

Make it at table saw ht or a hair below so you can use it there for outfeed. Its a good ht to work at anyway.

You did not say how long you were thinking of going. As long as mine is and considering how it was going to be used I welded up a 2x2 1/4" wall frame under it that I welded the wheels to and then have rows of drawers on both sides with a 3/4 ply stiffback in the middle that runs from the floor to the top. All of my drawer partitions are 3/4 ply as well. This may sound extreme but the last one I built sagged. I use this table to assemble doors so it has to be flat.

I have fixtures to hold air tools under one of the 6" overhangs, and misc. tools on the other end under cover of the overhang.

I am collecting parts for another one and will make some changes on the next one. There will be space under the top of the next one for my PC switched vacuum and a port or two in the top. I haven't figured out how to get power outlets into the center of the table, and yet have them out of the way and not always filled with sawdust? I have learned if an invention requires too much effort to use it is soon forgotten so it has to be fast and simple as well as dependable. I am thinking a pull-up plug socket with a steel top that fits flush into the top when not in use, but it is not clear yet. In my mind that is.

[Andrew Nemeth]

Standard overhang for counter tops is 1.25"-1.5" past the faceframe. I have seen as little as .25" past the door and as much as 2.5" past the door. From a structural perspective I don't think you should have any problems if you stay under 2.5 if you are going to use a 1.5" top. Functionally a larger overhang would give you something to clamp to and be an alternative to a toekick allowing you to walk right up to the table surface without kicking the cabinet underneath. If you do provide a large overhang make sure you use full extention drawer slides, esspecially if you have drawers up near the top, to maximize your access to the drawers.