Outfeed table finish

If you can find it, buy a sheet of melamine and make your self a torsion box topped off with the melamine.

Your next choice is a torsion box covered with 1/2" mdf and covered in laminate from the home center.

Here is a picture of that arrangement

The torsion box is made from 3/4" shop grade birch plywood. That is skinned over with 1/2" mdf and finished off with generic white laminate.

I also made a drop down section with a piano hinge so the table isn't so long for the entire time.

I have the underside supported pretty well. The table is 3'x4' and there is

I have to say this is a danged neighborly group.

Ed

Another reason I like it is that it's done, I don't have to glue it down. I like to build stuff. I don't like to build other stuff, in order to build stuff. (Actually, I do, but you get the point.)

I know what you mean about the thinness, but I consider it disposable. I don't want to have to baby my work surfaces. I even built my new router top out of the stuff. If I want to screw down something to the top, I don't care... when it gets too dinged up, I cut out another piece and replace it.

Funny, when they were designing this Caravan, it's like someone actually considered that one might use a van to do what a van is supposed to do. It fits 4X8 perfectly with no wiggle room. You should see how much lumber I've carried on the luggage rack. :-) That's another thing, the rack it just high enough off the roof pads, to *sqeeze* 2x material underneath, nice and tight. But that's not why you called.

On my last table, I used strongbacks, made from the same plywood. Jointed straight and pocket screwed/glued to the bottom. Strategically placed so as to not get in the way, they worked well.

I love the way that all folds up, Pat. Very nice!