Powermatic Table Saw Extension Table Support and Outfeed Table Overhaul
A number of factors made me downsize the P66 and the outfeed table: 1) I never cut panel goods on the table saw anymore, they are cut using the Festool track saw in the garage right as they come off the truck. So I did not need as big a working table. 2) The P66 does more ripping than crosscutting, crosscutting occurs on MFT3 table or in the crosscut sled on the tablesaw. 3) I wanted more square footage available between the P66 and the northern bench. 4) I wanted to get rid of the downdraft portion of the outfeed table...with the Festool DC system I just do not need to sand with a downdraft table. 5) I wanted to simplify the Gorilla DC 5" hose connection. 6) I desperately wanted to make more room in the eastern end of the shop...this portion of the work space has become the number one work area with the addition of the bench and assembly table plus the transition to hand tools. The pinch point between the left end of the rail on the Powermatic and the right front edge of the new workbench had to be relieved.
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| The drawers and dust collection unit built under the extension. |
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Here is the outfeed table.
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So, the first order of business was to lop off the left end of the P66 rail. I marked the proposed cut with tape and then watched for several weeks. I never seemed to need the fence on the left side of the blade. The loss of the left hand fence position vs. the pain associated with how many times I had hit myself (or some object) on this edge...there just seemed to be no contest. So it had to go.
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And go it went...
The second phase...cutting off the end of
the table, the back rail, the front rail and the front support...was
going to take a lot more work and so it took a while before that happened. |
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I put strip of tape on the top as a visual for several weeks and I analyzed the potential cutting line;then one day I backed into the right end of the front rail and in a fit of anger I decided that the time to cut was right then...I quickly altered the location of the cutting line...blue tape instead of green tape...got out the reciprocating saw and went at it.
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After reciprocating saw and jig saw work the end of the unit was gone...
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Then I moved the basic postion of the P66. The 220 v power supply comes up through the floor (escutcheon) and then is protected by flexible conduit. I moved the saw about 2 inches to the north and 4 inches to the west. This seems like a small amount but it dramatically eased the southern "pinch point".
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The connector box was remodeled (only one conection point) and relocated...the 4 inch hose off the P66 goes into the 5 inch connector in the space between the cabinets.
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After stripping out the dust collection system of the downdraft table I was ready to shorten the top and the cabinet.
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I wanted to salvage the oak trim on the front of top. I marked the mitres using a kerf starter to make the sawing more precise. |
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I then used a japanese pull crosscut saw to make the mitre cuts. |
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Tore off the end cabinet bulkhead; the dado at the bottom established the height of the cabinet floor. The two attached feet have built in levelers that can be adjusted with a hex key through holes in the cabinet floor. This unit will be stripped down, de-nailed, etc. and then reused as the bulkhead. |
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Reattached the bulkhead to the shorter table top. |
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The cabinet doors were pulled, narrowed and reinstalled.
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The northern edge of the island is only shorter by about a foot but it really created a lot more square footage in the aisle. Shown here with the 5 inch dust collector hose in place. |
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Without the hose. |
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1/4 inch hardboard was placed into the frame that used to house the downdraft table top. The remodeled island is ready for use. When time permits, the outfeed table will be reconfigured and given an new top.
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