After-market Tablesaw Wings

[Drew Lawson]

Are there any after-market/upgrade tablesaw wings, preferably cast iron, available?

A few weeks back, I picked up a R4512, and I have no real complaints (aside from my lack of experience). But in looking around before the purchase, I found one site that says the Bench Dog ProMax will fit on it. That got me thinking, it would be cool if I could get a solid wing to replace the other side. Preferably something well under the $400ish for the ProMax.

(Undecided on whether I *want* the ProMax. When I upgrade the bench-top router table, I'm on the fence between a Norm style station or a table saw type.)

[Leon]

Food for thought, TS extension router tables work best in a larger shop. HUH? Do you ever use you TS extension for any thing other than cutting wood? I find it to be a nice work surface that for 25 years eliminated the need for me to have a work bench of the same size. Add a router to your TS extension and you double the chance that you will need to keep that area cleared off and have a separate work bench.

YMMV

[Drew Lawson]

Thanks. Reviewing 293,000 pages will probably be faster and more reliable than asking people with experience.

[RonB]

I don't intend to be a smart-a** but it sounds like your are re- thinking your original purchase. As I recall your saw is in the $500 range and, in the stores, it looks like a pretty nice machine. But if you start adding a $400 router table wing and cast iron on the other side you are getting into the range of some 3hp cabinet saws or 2hp hybrids. Here is a cheaper cast router table wing if it will fit. Also a Hybrid and another saw that if fitted with the wing would be a pretty good upgrade for a little more money. I have a Grizzly 1023S that is fitted with a shop made router table extension and fence that was largely made from scrap. it is as good and as versatile as some of the expensive ones. The extension table is within the length of the saws rails.

[John Shear]

I have a small basement shop and classify myself as a hobbyist. I wanted a wider left-wing on my contractor saw so I added a Woodhaven router table as the left wing. Great support for sawing larger materials and I don't need to have a seperate router table taking up space. Ya, the router table takes up the space, but I wanted the wider left-wing anyway so I got 2-in-1. I'm just fine with laminate (Formica) covered wood as my wings. It's stable and strong. My 40" Biesemeyer table is laminate-covered and I never had a desire for cast iron.

I do also use the saw wings as work spaces. But I also have a work table just behind the saw for sanding, assembly, and supporting large material as it comes off the saw. I don't have a real woodworkers workbench. Btw, I'm a bit of a neat freak and like to keep my tables cleaned off when I'm not doing real work on them. :)

-- John S.

[Drew Lawson]

No, but I am a life-long daydreaming window shopper.

If I can swap out the side tables in a year or two, I'd like to know it is possible. If it is possible, but $400 per side, I have better ways to spend the money, but I'd still like to know.

I've been browsing all sorts of accessories (shop made and commercial) that I have no current need for, but I like knowing what the possible range of use is. This is the first saw I've had that is anywhere near standard size and detail, so some things have been pointless to look at before.

A few weeks has shown that I hardly have room for this saw. Any more saw would be a problem. Any saw requiring 220 would be a dust collector for at least a few years to come (until a major garage reworking).

No shop-made table from my shop will satisfy the cast iron fetish.

[Drew Lawson]

Quoted above.

Googling on: aftermarket table saw wings brings an estimated 293,000 results.

The first page has a couple discussion pages where someone got wings from somewhere. Vendors aren't referenced and the threads are over a year old. The rest of the first page are vendor pages for people who sell "aftermarket foo" mention "table saw" somewhere under another product.

At this point I know that aftermarket router tables that replace one wing exist. That gives me hope that cast iron wings the same size are available, but I don't know. I'm a new player in this market space. Many posters here are esperienced players there. So I asked.

There, I've clarified my question. Exactly what did your response contain?

[Dave]

On Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:06:14 +0000 (UTC), [e-mail]

Hey. If you've got the time to read answers here, then you've got the time to read several thousand of this Google search results.

Maybe you need to narrow your search pattern a little more. Try combining words separated by plus signs and surrounded by exclamation marks. You *can* get very specific with Google searches.

[Drew Lawson]

I scanned the page and loaded a half dozen of the hits. I missed that one. Thank you for pointing it out. That would have been useful. Without it, you post was easily read as "don't bother us with any questions."

BTW, you do know that Google results aren't the same for everyone, right? They are cleaver in customizing results based on search history. The results can also differ by region.

I thought the question was clearly asked by someone unfamiliar with the tablesaw market. How would I already know what is common practice?

As for the above, searching on: aftermarket table saw wings will find pages with those words, but they may not be in the same part of the page. One of the pages sold aftermarket fences and table saw jigs, for example.

I'll take that one as a starting point.

As I've said a few times (as in the original question), I had no idea whether there were suppliers of such things. You can waste a lot of time searching for someone who sells something that doesn't exist.

[Just Wondering]

1. When I wanted to extend my table saw, I got a sheet of 3/4" MDF and, with appropriate bracing, made one myself the exact size I wanted. If you're any kind of woodworker at all, you might consider a similar solution.
2. How many people do you think you will find here who have experience in cast iron aftermarket/upgrade tablesaw wings who are going to take the time to answer you? 2? 5? 10? Is that a large enough sample size for you to make an intellingent decision? My solution worked great for me, and may work for you too, but it's nothing like what you asked about. If I confined my self to your specific question, I wouldn't have a clue from my personal experience..
3. Most people, when they use a search engine, don't care that it will display thousands of hits. They know that if they use the right search query, and the information they seek is available, it will show up in the first 20 to 100 sites displayed. If the first 4 to 5 pages don't give you a solution, you are unlikely to find one at all.

[Drew Lawson]

I already have stamped steal extensions. I don't see MDF as an improvement. As for whether I, today, am any kind of woodworker

-- I have not asserted that much. I'm a tool buyer who is trying to learn.

It depends on the posters. I've been reading here for years. I have a pretty good idea who is full of wind, who is helpful and who is an asshole but reliable when he finally answers.

And any single "Yes, CompanyName sells those" would be all it takes on the "yes" side.

I appreciate that intent.

But for a specific, "Does anyone sell this sort if stuff?" I see "No, there is no market" or "Some do, but I can't say who" to be helpful.

I figured this was a question more focussed on woodworking and woodworking tools than MBAs or socialism so I thought I'd give it a shot. If no one answered, I'd figure I was looking for something no one had interest in.

[Larry Jaques]

has 'em for Griz saurs. With a little ingenuity, they might be made to fit other saur brands, too.

-- Resolve to be thyself: and know, that he who finds himself, loses his misery. -- Matthew Arnold

[Leon]

Nothing wrong with formica wings, I used that for many many years. And the router on the left side makes much more sense to me than the right side but I find I use both the saw and router table and not wanting to disturb settings on either. ;~)

>

[tiredofspam]

[Pat]

Probably available from a repair parts store.

[Leon]

I currently have 4, a dedicated router for the router table, a 1617evs for general routing and a 37 year old B&D dedicated to flush trim laminate and veneer. Then there is the big Bosch plunge that I cannot remember the last time I turned it on.

[Leon]

MDF with Formica is a huge improvement over stamped steel. Much heavier and flatter. Been there, done that.

[Dave]

On Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:05:14 -0500, Leon

What? No Festool routers in there? Shame on you Leon. You can't be a real Festool owner if you don't own at least one of their routers.

[Swingman]

I have five at last count, and not one a Festool.

Contrary to popular belief, we elegantly sip from a small demitasse of Festool koolaid ...to supersize, or gulp, would be declasse'. ;)

[Dave]

Truly, I'm shocked. Considering you two meeting for your middle of the road morning tool tradeoff, I'd have figured there'd be at least one Festool router in there.