Table Saw Extension Table

[Home]

My table saw had a gaping void where the 50" fence rails protruded out the right side. I decided to fill the space in with an extension table and cabinet. The cabinet stores all the various saw parts and jigs. On the end of the extension I built a router table which uses a sub-fence attached to the main saw fence for a guide. The project is not a pretty one as I built it mostly out of salvaged lumber from the trash cans of my neighbours and a couple sheets of construction grade plywood. The top surface and the fence front are 3/4" MDF for its flatness. A few coats of a floor grade varnish was applied as a finish for protection. I did not make any plans for this, rather just a couple of rough sketches and a lot of impromptu construction.

The sub-base for the top is made of scrap pine boards. They are joined with simple dadoes and screws.

The sub-base bolts to the fence rails and the saw table. The bolt holes are drilled slightly over-size so that the height may be adjusted to ensure the top surface sits flush with respect to the saw table.

Install the vertical sheets which form the sides of the cabinet.

A 12" hole is cut using the router to fit an insert plate from Lee Valley.

A t-slot is added to the front of the table to allow use of a miter guage while end-grain routing.

The bottom has adjutable feet and some bracing to stiffen it.

The bottom is installed with the vertical sides fitting into dadoes cut into the bottom.

The router table insert installed.

The bottom of the insert shows the levelers and clamps to make installing and removing the router machine a snap.

Add the front and back panels. Dadoes are cut in these to slide over the sides.

A door keeps dust out.

Some threaded rod epoxied into blind holes on the inside of the door becomes places to store spare blades.

The end of the cabinet houses two drawers to store the junk for the router.

I turned all the knobs using some hardwood scraps I had lying around. To chuck them I made this simple screw chuck out of some more scrap fastened to a face plate.

The top drawer has some shop made bit racks for router bit storage.

This paddle switch that I bought at Busy Bee makes turning the router on and off easier as you do not have to reach under the table.

The fence is built up of plywood layers and then a large face of MDF.

The initial bit gap is cut using the router mounted in the table and sliding the fence over it. I anticipate this hole will grow as necessary with use.

If zero clearance is required, auxillary faces mount into the t-tracks.

An adjustable plexiglass shield keeps my finger tips attached firmly to my fingers.

The back of the fence shows the plywood base layers. This channel is cut through the center for dust collection.

This block was drilled out of some scrap with a couple intersecting holes and shaped further with a file. This forms the adapter to attach a shop vac to the dust port.

The router fence simply attaches to the saw fence with a couple of clamps on the ends.

The final touches are couple of sets of holders to store the router fence and my mitre guage.

[Home]