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Thread: Shop saw-station layout & mft type bench advice

  1. #1
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    Shop saw-station layout & mft type bench advice

    I’ve got a couple shop upgrades coming and I’m trying to plan ahead. Currently I’m restoring a Powermatic 72 12” table saw (and adding a Rotary Phase Converter for it and a few other 3 phase machines I have on VFD’s now, and replacing a Rodgers edge sander with a Newton) and this saw will replace a Unisaw. I currently have 2 Unisaws in a table saw station oriented catty corner to each other as shown in the layout drawing. This has worked okay, but I get some fence overlap problems. FYI the shaper and edge sander are/will be mobile for long rips.


    For my new setup I’d like to try side by side sharing a Biesemeyer fence rail (each with a fence). Looking for opinions on this setup.


    Also as part of this rearranging I’d like to somehow add an MFT type bench/table. I have a track saw and using some of the mft system would be helpful for wide cross-cuts and unique rips.


    My current bench is a standard bench, solid 2.5”maple top, end and side vises. It has square dog holes which I’ve found to be a pain because most accessories such as hold downs are made for circular holes. I don’t mind adding round holes to it which I’ve been meaning to do.


    What I’m trying to figure out is what to do about my benches. Wondering if should get a hole template for my main main bench and add an MFT hole layout on. Or possibly making the outfeed of my table saw station into an MFT?


    Thanks for any suggestions.

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    Last edited by Matt Day; 04-30-2022 at 8:10 PM.

  2. #2
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    Guess my thread got moved here to die. Oh well.

  3. #3
    I think you would be better off making you outfeed an MFT style table. With the saws and some 2” rigid foam you should have great support for cutting. As for your existing bench adding a few round dog holes in strategic spots could be helpful, cause if your using holdfasts a 3/4 mdf top probably won’t work.

  4. #4
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    Good points, thanks.

  5. #5
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    Frank Howarth on the 'Tube is the master of outfeed support for multiple cabinet saws. In at least one of his videos when setting up his current shop, he discussed how he arranged things, if I'm remembering clearly.

    Whether to put the saws in parallel or at right angles has to be influenced by "how you work" when you're doing projects. I do agree with Brian that an outfeed surface that's perforated with dog holes like an MFT as well as clamping slots will make for a more versatile surface when you are not actually cutting things with one or both saws. That's going to be a big, stationary island of space, so maximizing use. You could even do something like I did with my axillary bench by having inserts for different purposes...flat, downdraft sanding, pocket hole jig, etc. I guess the major point is that aside from supporting material passing through the saw blades, make this thing the "bee's knees" of work surfaces since you have the ability to do a clean slate design.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  6. #6
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    Thanks Jim, good points. Do you have a link to your outfeed table?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Day View Post
    Thanks Jim, good points. Do you have a link to your outfeed table?
    My website was shut down many years ago, so unfortunately, I don't have a link for the fold-down table nor even the files due to my own stupidity. But if I were doing this today, I'd go the way I described in my previous post.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

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