After-market Tablesaw Wings

2 x 1617evs one in the table, one that I switch bases on for everything. And an old Craftsman professional from 1960's 1/4 that I keep a dedicated 1/8 round over bit in.

See I need one more so that I can have 2 hand helds. I am thinking maybe

2 more now... > >> I agree about the do not disturb. Once you have a setup, you don't want
Reply to
tiredofspam
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Ya, I plan my work so I get all the sawing done, clean the table off, get the routing done, clean the table off. Sometimes I don't plan as well and have to re-setup something but that's not a problem. It's not like I do that every day (or even every week) - I'm a hobbyist and the space saving is more important. If I was doing this every day and needed to make really nice stuff for others, I would definitely opt for the efficiency of seperate units.

John S.

Reply to
John Shear

When I got my contractor saw (many moons ago) Delta sent me replacement stamped steel wings twice and I realized I was never going to get one that's not twisted or otherwise malformed. I considered plain MDF and melamine but I wanted durable - like a counter-top to that's why I went with the laminate wing - it's slick to slide material on and it's tough, stable stuff.

I also had little routing experience (but enough to know the value of a table) and didn't feel confident I could make a table as nice as what I could buy so I got an affordable solution from Woodhaven that's worked extremely well for me. If you go to woodhaven.com search for TM500. Mine came with the wood supports and frame and all mounting materials but it's not clear they include all that now. I don't like the angled legs though, so I'm going to change those to vertical legs that go straght to the floor with adjustable feet like what my Biesemeyer table has. Obviously I never move my saw.

I always thought cast iron would be the cool manly thing to have, but I honestly can't think of any reason why spending more on cast iron would be an upgrade over what I have (for the hobbyist) so I'm sticking with what I have and expect it to last my lifetime.

John S.

Reply to
John Shear

I like cast iron, and I'd like to have the full surface cast iron. That said, the upgrade isn't near the top of the spending list. I'm hoping this is the year I can afford a band saw, and that is far higher on the wish list.

The wings currently on the table are flat, though I need to spend more time on getting them aligned right.

But it is nice to know that there are suppliers, so I could do this if I decide to.

Reply to
Drew Lawson

Ah, always dreaming ahead like me. :^) Back when I bought my bandsaw, I got what is currently the Powermatic PWBS-14CS. Not sure what the exact model number was back then, but it was priced close to an equivalent Jet, except the Powermatic had many "extras" that easily made it a better value. Now I see there's a little more difference in price but it's still a great value for everything you get. The Powermatic is an awesome machine and maybe even a little more than I need. I still have to try re-sawing one of these days...

John S.

Reply to
John Shear

That is one that has my attention.

I've been focused on the Rikon 10-325 for a while. That was a combination of price and cutting height. But over time, the price difference between that and the Powermatic with riser block has shrunk.

Roughing turning bowl blanks is the justification for a band saw. But once I have it, I'm sure I'll try some resawing.

Reply to
Drew Lawson

[...snip...]

I doubt there are aftermarket cast iron wings sold; saws vary as to the dimension of the top.

What might work is to get some as replacement parts from a manufacturer. If you can find a model of saw with the right wing dimensions to work with your saw, perhaps you could order those. My guess is the main dimension to worry about is front to back depth.

The way the ones on my saw work, there are two or three bolts that goe through holes in the wing into mating threaded holes on my central top. If your table has such an arrangement, and you had a suitable sized wing but the mounting holes don't line up, you could drill new ones. I'd guess you want slightly oversized holes to allow adjustments.

Reply to
Jim Weisgram

On Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:53:43 +0000 (UTC), snipped-for-privacy@furrfu.invalid (Drew

One thing that I consider detrimental about cast iron is it's weight. Supporting that weight is often a problem and under certain circumstances, that weight tends to affect alignment. Also, it rusts.

It sounds a little like your desire for cast iron is more you just being enamored with it than having a real need for it. The only practical reasons I can see for cast iron is that it's probably flat and likely to stay that way. Finally, it's an unyielding solid surface that you can use to hammer things on.

Reply to
Dave

I find that fairly compelling. I'd pay $200-250 for a cast iron top. But TS-add ons I see seem to start closer to $300-400 and have non-trivial install. And I suspect one still has to buy an appropriate router insert.

Reply to
Bill

The router insert is open to discussion. On my cast iron contractor's table saw wing, I used a cut off wheel in a grinder to cut away the enough of the ribs underneath. Then used a hack saw to cut a round circle for my Makita 3612br router, which I bolted directly to the wing. This was some 35 years ago. Took me about three hours to do the entire job.

If it had been an insert, I suspect the process would have been much easier. Hacksaw to cut a square plate out and bolted on retention supports to stop the insert from falling through.

To be honest though, considering the weight of the cast iron wing and the added weight of the router, I'd go with a melamine wing these days. Easier, faster, cheaper. Can't beat those three reasons.

Reply to
Dave

I like cast iron because it is, within my conditions and lifetime, unchanging. If it is flat when I get it, it will still be flat the day I die. (All assuming I take enough care to prevent rust.)

And, once things are assembled and upright, I consider the weight to be a major benefit. Turning the saw upright was a pain in several body parts, but I only have to do that once. After that, it is all inertia to resist vibration.

Do I *need* the wings to be cast iron? Certainly not. If I absolutely needed that, I'd have held out until I could afford a saw in the next price step. But I'm a hobbiest. I don't really need a table saw. It's a really cool toy. I make my living in a cubical.

Reply to
Drew Lawson

Just stumbled across this, which has a 50 lb. cast iron wing

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

Reply to
John Shear

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