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Thread: Paulk Style Outfeed table

  1. #1
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    Paulk Style Outfeed table

    So I am definitely building this and bought his plans just as inspiration. Mine will be perm. A few general questions. Why are his openings circular versus rectangular? I could see putting some drawers in there if rectangular. Only reason I can come up with is arches are stronger ala Roman Arches in medieval times. I understand the reasoning also behind having two pieces vs one and its weight due to it having to be mobile, but in a permanent situation it could have solid partitions in the middle or am I missing something? TIA
    Tim in Hill Country of Texas

  2. #2
    They are circular because they are done with a router, he makes 1 as a template and copies away. If you are building as 1 solid piece then adding a part down the center for rigidity should be fine.

  3. #3
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    So no structural advantage. I can get almost square with a router and template though without having to use the hole saw

  4. #4
    The idea of the lower top is for temporary storage of tools to keep them off the upper work surface. Putting drawers in would eliminate that feature. But it's your worksurface.

    Mine is open with the rounded openings but I agree they are not essential. I have a drawer below in one area but mostly I have open storage below the lower top. I have a stand for my track saw and below that my domino and below that a drawer for the accessories for both. I also store 3 foot sticks of domino tenon material in this area, a couple small compressors, a few frequently used nailers, and a couple skil saws. On the lower top are two sanders and a Bosch jigsaw and some clamps. Your frequently used items may be different but it is handy to have them in the open and not in a drawer. I have lots of drawers in my shop but for things I want to grab quickly I like them to be out and available.

  5. #5
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    Paulk has two different style benches. His original had openings that were almost oval in shape. The cutouts did two things: reduce the weight of the bench and allow the interior to be used for storage. The oval shape preserved as much strength from the plywood as possible. (Sharp 90 degree corners are weaker.)

    His new design uses rectangular openings. For strength, he still rounds the corners, but the radius is quite small. This is possible because he's using a better quality plywood. The original bench used 1/2" cdx ply. The new bench is made from 3/4" cabinet grade ply. It may also be that the 1st bench was stronger, and heavier, then it needed to be. Of course, the original design has proven to be very rugged and has provided its owners years of use. The new design is, well, new. Only time will tell if it can stand up to the same amount of use as the original.
    David Walser
    Mesa, Arizona

  6. #6
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    I built DIYTyler's outfeed/assembly table which is based on Paulk's design. It's 4 x 6 ft. 4x4 would be fine for an outfeed table, but I prefer the longer dimension for use as an assembly table. I'm very happy with it. Tyler has free plans available, leaving out some of Paulk's details. I used rectangular openings, and they work great. I also did a few slight modifications to fit my saw and saw height. As you might expect, there's quite a bit to figure out yourself with a contractor saw's external tilting motor. As with most plans, some of the dimensions are best determined as you build.

    One feature I added is ~1.5 inch "kick plate" at the bottom to help keep small parts and dust from slipping into that 4x5 foot abyss underneath. It just rests on the floor, not attached to the table, and held up with a single screw at each corner.

    Last edited by Andy Fox; 12-11-2020 at 1:27 AM.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy Fox View Post
    I built DIYTyler's outfeed/assembly table which is based on Paulk's design. It's 4 x 6 ft. 4x4 would be fine for an outfeed table, but I prefer the longer dimension for use as an assembly table. I'm very happy with it. Tyler has free plans available, leaving out some of Paulk's details. I used rectangular openings, and they work great. I also did a few slight modifications to fit my saw and saw height. As you might expect, there's quite a bit to figure out yourself with a contractor saw's external tilting motor. As with most plans, some of the dimensions are best determined as you build.

    One feature I added is ~1.5 inch "kick plate" at the bottom to help keep small parts and dust from slipping into that 4x5 foot abyss underneath. It just rests on the floor, not attached to the table, and held up with a single screw at each corner.

    Hi Andy, have seen his video and will prob go that route. Will add 20mm parf holes on top also. Did you find 4x 6 adequate in top size and were there any limitations perhaps to your shop size that drove you to 4x6? Do you have full pass thrus underneath as Paulk does in his design ie cut outs in all internal members? I dont see a need since mine will be stationary unless I wanted to store really long items like a track for a track saw. I do want to add wheels in case I need to reposition. DIY Montreal has an innovative solution where she has wheels that barely extend below the bottom of the table say maybe 1/8-1/4" and then secures the table with leveling feet. Her floor is very uneven as mine is also. If you need to turn the table, its is easy to withdraw the leveling feet and rotate table. Andy, do you or anyone else find themselves moving the orientation of the table very often? At approximately 4:21 in to the video she starts the casters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snRi...el=DIYMontreal
    Tim in Hill Country of Texas

  8. #8
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    Sharp corners would require a jig saw, or stopped cuts with a circular saw and hand cleanup. Or worse, piecing it together. Sanding all those edges into a corner would suck too. Why would you want that? A simple rectangular template and a router 'fixes' all of that.

    And I doubt there's any loss of strength. It's mainly a shear panel to prevent racking. Although the full radius might be better in compression for heavy loads.

  9. #9
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    Didnt really mean 90 degree square, more of a slight radius and could be cut on a router table with a template.
    Tim in Hill Country of Texas

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by tim walker View Post
    Hi Andy, have seen his video and will prob go that route. Will add 20mm parf holes on top also. Did you find 4x 6 adequate in top size and were there any limitations perhaps to your shop size that drove you to 4x6? Do you have full pass thrus underneath as Paulk does in his design ie cut outs in all internal members? I dont see a need since mine will be stationary unless I wanted to store really long items like a track for a track saw. I do want to add wheels in case I need to reposition. DIY Montreal has an innovative solution where she has wheels that barely extend below the bottom of the table say maybe 1/8-1/4" and then secures the table with leveling feet. Her floor is very uneven as mine is also. If you need to turn the table, its is easy to withdraw the leveling feet and rotate table. Andy, do you or anyone else find themselves moving the orientation of the table very often? At approximately 4:21 in to the video she starts the casters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snRi...el=DIYMontreal
    Hi Tim, Sorry for the delayed reply. The 4x6 is perfect for my needs. Smaller would work ok too, but I like the larger size for assembly of larger furniture. My shop is in the basement, and it's the size of a two car garage, around 20 x 25 ft rectangle, but with a 10x5 section missing in a corner. I built it with full pass through trusses on the last two spaces in both x and y directions (to the right of the photo below). That allows me to put longer clamps and cauls under there. My table isn't on casters at all, yet anyway. That looks like a great way to do it. I don't see much of a need to move it in my shop, but it might be needed sometimes. My contractor table saw (32" fence rail) motor is inside the trusses at the end, and that's an additional barrier to mobility.

    Here it is before I put the drawer fronts on:



    Quote Originally Posted by Wes Grass View Post
    Sharp corners would require a jig saw, or stopped cuts with a circular saw and hand cleanup. Or worse, piecing it together. Sanding all those edges into a corner would suck too. Why would you want that? A simple rectangular template and a router 'fixes' all of that.

    And I doubt there's any loss of strength. It's mainly a shear panel to prevent racking. Although the full radius might be better in compression for heavy loads.
    Exactly. I used a template and pattern bit. The openings are rectangular overall, with the corners just having the pattern bit radius.
    Last edited by Andy Fox; 01-09-2021 at 12:18 AM.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by tim walker View Post
    So I am definitely building this and bought his plans just as inspiration. Mine will be perm. A few general questions. Why are his openings circular versus rectangular? I could see putting some drawers in there if rectangular. Only reason I can come up with is arches are stronger ala Roman Arches in medieval times. I understand the reasoning also behind having two pieces vs one and its weight due to it having to be mobile, but in a permanent situation it could have solid partitions in the middle or am I missing something? TIA
    I think his latest design has rectangular openings.

  12. #12
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    I am in the process of building an MFT-3 style table to be the same height as my existing MFT. I just made the “torsion box” frame and will be making the MDF top next week. The frame is made from some 3/4” plywood 5” high and placed at the corners and centers as well as the middle of the table for additional support. The height will enable me to get my hand in for securing dogs, vacuuming sawdust and providing a spot to lay some tools while in use.

    FAF2C139-FD4C-4BD0-B783-D74F53C4D95E.jpg

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