Most table saws have very short built-in outfeed tables which is why roller stands and flip stands have become so popular, but they have their own problems. The ideal outfeed table is an actual table that is either attached or very close to the outfeed of the table saw so that longer boards will simply slide out onto the outfeed table and make for a safer, and better cutting situation.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/K1wys-PPbRw
The floor in my workshop is quite uneven and I move my table saw around a lot, so having a table with legs attached would not work. I know that if I had a flip out table that attached to my saw that had legs, either the legs will get in the way of my camera dolly, or tripod or ... more likely than anything, I will accidentally kick the leg with my foot on the way by and break, or bend it. The other alternative I have seen is a stabilizing leg that is attached to the underside of the table saw and has some pins that you can insert and the whole thing slides up and down on a sliding dovetail leg. Not a bad idea, but I don't want to have to get on my knees every time I want to set up an outfeed table and I just know, where I live, the sliding dovetails will swell in the winter and bind on me ... neither of these appealed to me.
From time to time I each around to see what I can find for something like heavy duty shelf brackets that I can attach to the saw that will serve as brackets for an out-feed table and recently I found exactly that.
They come in 2 sizes, but before I ordered the larger size, I wanted to see what it was like. The only place I have been able to find these particular heavy duty brackets is a place called Lee Valley Tools in Canada, If you are in the US, you will see the US version of their website here. The brackets Colin used are heavy duty, made in Germany by Voormann, the 4 position shelf brackets are somewhat expensive, but for me, they are worth every penny because of how the release leaver is recessed. There is also a similar version from Amazon that should work fine, but might need a bit more finess to make the quick release work, you can see the Amazon verions here - Folding Brackets.
The system I used to set mine up could be totally different from what you use on your saw, just because there are so many different kinds and shapes of saws. I needed my out-feed to be about 1/8th of an inch from my saw fence guide so that the foot of the fence would not bind against the new out-feed table, but that was easily solved, and discovered in the "dry fit" stage.
The uprights used were 2 inches square because they needed to be wide enough to for the bracket and new out-feed table to clear that rear fence support guide. To attach my uprights, I used self-tapping metal screws. I have used these in the past, and they hold extremely well, and the sheet metal in the side of my table saw, is plenty strong to hold them.
I purposely made sure that my new out-feed table was slightly lower than my table saw deck, and it's about 16th of an inch low. In terms of a coating on my out-feed table, I have left that bare for now and just work with it as it is. Even if it does get scratched or warn over time, if I want, I can still contact-cement an arborite or laminate top to it, or if it gets seriously warn or gouged so that it doesn't work ... the top is easily replaced.
The only drawback is that those heavy duty shelf brackets have 2 other positions on the way down, so you need to keep the little button depressed past the second one so the table likes flat when collapsed, but all things considered, that's a very minor issue. I can't imagine a more convenient and easier system.
My top turned out to be 44 inches wide and 24 inches deep but you really need to start by measuring how high your table saw deck is off the floor because that will tell you right away what the maximum depth you can make your outfeed table. I also have a dust collection hose at the bottom so I needed to ensure I left room for that too.
All in all, an easy build and a great addition to the table saw, and the workshop ...
Copyright Colin Knecht
woodworkweb.com
UPDATE
For those of you who have "contractors saw" that is, table saws where the motor sticks out the back of the saw, here are some pictures of what Richard has done with his saw, by making a "trap door" in his outfeed table that accomodates his motor.
Well done Richard and thanks for the pictures
