The additional wing or extension wing for your table saw is a good way to help you expand its space as it always comes to be as little by its original design. We are going to show you how to expand on different three sides and may double the available size for your working space. This is not a new idea as most woodworkers aware of this limitation of the table saw. Some think of building an additional table accompanying with it. This, in fact, can work well if your workshop is with no problem regarding of space. On the other hand, it is also not very convenient to have a small thing standing in the way while you are working. It is with many conveniences, floor space saving and ideally minimum cost. You can also have a lift mounted to your table saw with this extension wing. In fact, it is just a simple shallow box.
You can use plywood to make it.
It is recommended to use pine plywood which you can get from the store with a good price with the good quality. Or you can re-use any B-Grade Wood piece around your house with the right dimension and still in good condition. You know, any countertops can be even used to make a fence. You see? You can make it at no cost. However, remember to remove dirt and damaged part on your material in order to get the usable part for your project only. Sand the wood piece to have a flat surface.
After collecting the materials, the next step is to make the structure. Carefully measuring everything before cutting is an important thing to do first. Build the frame first. Then use glue and nails to fit it at the stable position.
The next thing to do is to cut the insert plate holes. You should use a tape measure and mark the right size of the perimeter on the surface for the final cutting. A jigsaw is recommended to get a right cut with the drawn line. Some people use the pocket holes to make a guide frame during the cutting for an exact perimeter so that the insert plate is mounted fittingly. You can also use a router bit with a guide bearing to route out the rest of the material so that the insert plate can be fitted in that right opening just by that reference. The router lift is mounted to the bottom side of the extension wing.
The wood piece will mushroom out a bit during the drilling screws into the wood piece. Therefore, it is better to have the countersunk holes predrilled into the router lift top. It will help to keep the screws go into the router lift and the extension wing which will make a little room expansion into the counter for a snug connection between the two plywood layers. You should also mount it to the bottom of the extension wing before the installation. Remember to make it aligned with the drawing.
The removal of the commercial extension wing from the table saw will make room for the movement of the new extension wing. The mounting holes should be far away from the table saw so you can balance its weight compared to the original wing.
Everything is nearly finished. It is time for installation. The moment of mounting the final piece fittingly will make you extremely proud of your wood making skill.
Next, the table saw surface should be leveled with the extension wing. It will be perfect to have a straight and coplanar edge.
The final step is the dust collection port. It should be installed right up to the cutting edge of the router. The efficiency of the dust collection port lays on the fact it is installed correctly with the router but. The hole behind that router bit should be cut larger.
The corners on the insert plate are removed to have the insert plate fitted into the hole.
If you want to have a right position for the insert plate, you just need to measure to decide the center of the router bit in the router collet. And then, you will know the right location for the insert plate on the bit top.
The extension wing is mounted and fitted into the table saw with no difficulty and the proper fitting will make your experience in wood making expand to the new position. Share with us to see how far you have done with your project.
