Replies

1. 
   rslatm | Nov 21, 2003 08:26pm | #1

   I have a brochure on the exact thing in a box at home somewhere.  A lot of the big beam type  panel saws  have them mounted on the infeed and outfeed tables.  I see them advertised in the material handling and industrial trade journals  off and on.  Companies that deal a lot with pneumatics should know something about these.
1. 
   migraine | Nov 22, 2003 01:17am | #2

   If you have a chance, I would appreciate your help is finding a resourse.  Thanks in advance.

2. 
   JohnWW | Nov 22, 2003 02:01am | #3

   Migraine,

   On a smaller table, say 3 foot by 4 foot, you may be able to get away with just drilling 1/4 or 3/8 inch holes on maybe 4 inch centers and feeding in air from a shop vac or small compressor and avoid all the specialty hardware.  You could possibly divide the table into a few sections and just feed the air to the areas that the stock will cover. 

   A number of years ago Ryobi made an air float table to go along with their BT 3000 tablesaw, I don't think it had special control buttons and it ran off a shop vac.  Maybe someone can post the details of their design

   John W. 

3. 
   rslatm | Nov 23, 2003 06:40pm | #4

   What are you needing these for? Pretty pricey and you need a lot of air. Sandor Nag...(sp!) has a page in his book on a simple air floatation table using a shop vac.

   http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070202.asp

   The commercial units will probably run a lot more than the shop vac. I'll be sorting through things off and on but can't say when I'll find the brochure. The other commercial air tables use a blower mounted underneath. You plan on a commercial application? Contact the major dealers of beam saws. Try the pro sites like woodweb.com

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/23/2003 10:42:42 AM ET by Rick at Arch. Timber and Millwork

1. 
   migraine | Nov 23, 2003 09:50pm | #5

   I will be making one just as you have asked, with a fan mounted inside the box underneath.  And, yeah, I know they are not cheap.  Thanks for all your help.  

   -Brian

   Edited 11/23/2003 1:51:25 PM ET by migraine

1. 
   Scrit | Nov 24, 2003 12:07am | #6

   I'm not sure that you will be able to generate enough lift with a fan for heavier stock. Is it your intention to move sheets or smaller stuff as these things seem to work best when you are using high pressure and very small vent holes. The industrial stuff does use copious amounts of compressed air.

   Scrit

1. 
   rslatm | Nov 24, 2003 01:44am | #7

   The fan I was referring to and I believe Brian also was more like a high powered blower similar to a dust collector but made to move air.

   http://www.unicraftcorp.com/tables.html

   http://www.bt3central.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=3240

   If you scroll down half way you can see a Holzma HPP-81-3200 saw with air flotation tables similar to what Brian referred to in the first place...

   http://www.schmidtindustrial.com/manulist.asp?Manu=Holzma

   I should have been more clear in my use of the term fan.

1. 
   Manchild | Nov 24, 2003 02:25am | #8

   I've been toying with the idea of using air under a crosscut sled. It seems to me that if you have a large side table (right of blade) and a large out feed table there are two drawbacks to a large sled. One is getting it out of the way when you don't need it. the other is getting it to slide with a large panel on it.

   Is there any merit in using air under the sled to make it slide?

2. 
   rslatm | Nov 24, 2003 02:40am | #9

   I suppose it would make it easier to slide but my inclination would be to use some kind of low profile wheels on the sled or put some kind of wheels in your table to the right of the blade. Seems to me to be a much cheaper, simpler and quieter solution. Those add on sliders like the exactor work pretty well if you have the room. I've seen a sawhorse like set-up with roller balls placed to the left of the saw as well. Using small swivel casters is cheaper and works well. Another option is a strip of UHMW wich could be used under the sled to reduce friction. What ever works is fair game.

3. 
   migraine | Nov 24, 2003 04:28am | #10

   In your question of using air under a sled is like taking a sheet of melamine and lifting it a little off the table and letting it back down.  There will be a cushion of air under the material and it will easily move, or until the air is squeezed out.