What's the easiest way to reduce thickness in a large top by 1.5mm

[Alan Lightstone]

So, busy making the new shop furniture, and I'm building a large cabinet to house previously built drawers that used to sit under my contractors saw.

The table carcass is finished, and is large (71"L x 26" deep), and when I put it on its casters, is now about 1.5mm too tall. A tiny amount, you think, but it sits on the left side of the saw, and would really screw up long pieces of wood going through the saw. So it must be decreased in height.

It's made of 3/4" Baltic Birch plywood.

Unfortunately, it's just wider than my wide-belt (24" capacity), and is too long to safely dealt with in other ways.

What's the best way for me to get 1.5mm off of its thickness and keep it flat? It is not light, to say the least, and is very bulky.

I've thought of taking the table apart and asking my local wood supplier if I can run the top through their wide belt (an imposition, but they'll likely say yes). I would have to sand the paint off the top to not gum up their belt (which I will do).

Any other thoughts on doing this in house. Not really looking forward to the prospect of hand planing a top that large, plus keeping it flat could be an issue, plus planing plywood??

[Stan Powers]

If it is on casters, just lower the bottom. Cut an insert for the casters 1.5 mm deep and the top should be right where you want it to be.

[Mark Wooden]

Yes, mortise in the caster plates

[Jamie Buxton]

Or raise the saw by that 1.5 mm?

[glenn bradley]

I am in the 'mortise the caster plates' camp.

[Alan Lightstone]

Or raise the saw by that 1.5 mm?

Thought of that, but then I need to raise the outfeed table, ...

[Jamie Buxton]

Making a big sheet of plywood 1.5 mm thinner is big work. You'd be better off buying 5/8" plywood.

[Matthew Curtis]

Use smaller caster and then add spacers on them to get to the correct height.

[Jacob Reverb]

Thought of that, but then I need to raise the outfeed table, ...

Would having the outfeed table 1/16" lower than the TS hurt anything?

If so, 1/16" mortises under the casters should go pretty quick...

[Alan Lightstone]

Would having the outfeed table 1/16" lower than the TS hurt anything?

If so, 1/16" mortises under the casters should go pretty quick...

The outfeed table is already at least 1/16" lower than the table saw. I think making it >1/8" lower might be a bad idea.

The mortises sound like a good idea. I just need to get someone to help me turn the table on its top. Getting pretty heavy with all that 3/4" Baltic Birch plywood.

[Mike Henderson]

I built an outfeed table for a friend and it wound up just a bit high. I mortised in the casters and everything worked fine.

Mike

[Matt Day]

I think you’ve been given about all the answers there are. Pick your poison.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with the others...concentrate at the "bottom" to make adjustments for height in this case, not the work surface.

[Bill Dufour]

Ditch the casters and use adjustable height fixed legs. I think they make adjustable height casters. no idea on minimum/maximum heights. how tall are your casters now.
Bil lD.

[David Buchhauser]

Reduce the diameter of the casters by 3mm. This would be a simple lathe job. Or recess the caster mounting plates as others have suggested.
David