Smal space small budget alternative
In the fall of 08 I began attending Miami University in Ohio. For myself and my fiance, this was our first time out of our parents house. I spent the entire summer designing and building furniture for our very first apartment. I set up shop in my In-Laws two car garage with nothing more than a circular saw, drill, and basic hand tools. I had to create a quick workshop that was cheap and easy to tear down. I came up with this design for a table saw/ router table combo. I built it out of 2, 4′-8′ sheets of 3/4″ MDF. It provides a powerstrip in the rear for electrical hook-up, a “dust collection” drawer, and the rest is used for tool storage. I applied 4 rubber locking casters to the base of the cabinet to make it very mobile and easy to use. I bought a DELTA table saw for $100 and based the dimensions of the cabinet around that. If you plan on using this design, one important construction tip you must keep in mind is the area of the cabinet that the saw attaches to. You must cut a hole big enough to allow the dust to exit beneath, and also you should reinforce the MDF with a 2*4 frame beneath the table saw. Most table saw manuals specify the size of the hole needed to be cut out of the base.
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Nice SketchUp, now try building one. Your design is too much for a real shop. it looks like something from a kitchen design. The cost would be out of sight for what it's for, and don't forget that your router and saw need to be accesible for changes and adjustments. If you want to have one that really works. Keep it simple. If it has to move. Make it light. Your better off having your cabinets on the wall, your sawdust collected under the saw and your router table and wiring where you can get to it. Extra outlets within reach beneath will come in handy as well. Keep switches where your can get to them quickly and where you can easily see them. If you have to grope for a switch, you might just have an accident. One last thing, 2x4's are for wall studs. They may be cheap but their clunky and add a lot of weight. Use square steel, thin wall tubing. Save your wood for the table top. If you extend the table for a router add on. Extend the base too.
I used to have a similar setup, with a router in a custom made table extension. I used it until one day when I was leaning on the table and went to turn on the router. I instinctively reached for the table saw switch instead of the router switch; my hand was literally a quarter inch from the blade. After washing my pants, I got a stand-alone router table.
The design I had in mind for this setup had a easy shut off switch mounted for the router, but I never ended up getting one. I had to use the switch on the cabinet of the table saw to turn it on, and I had to reach under the table to turn the router on manually as well so I never ran into that problem. It's fortunate that you're okay with your experience. Chris T
Have you made this? It would be great to see pictures of the final product. One way to mitigate turning on the wrong switch is put them in completely different places. Also I was wondering why you saw is placed on the right side? Most table saw rails have a longer rip to the right of the blade. How is your fence going to be utilized? Great setup though, I am going to be down grading my shop, it is one hardship if being in the Army. I am contemplating a mobile table saw or the festool saw with guide. Good sketch-up too by the way.
JamesI have made this setup, however, the sketchup model is a little more advanced than the final product that I made. I didn't have the time or budget to make all of the tool drawers, only the drawer below the saw to collect dust. I guess I never contemplated long enough when I decided to put the saw on the left. I usually don't rip anything wider than a foot with it. I just used a circular saw and guide to cut larger pieces. Like I said before, I was crunched for time, but I believe you could install a more sophisticated rip fence to this set-up. I do have one picture that shows the saw, however, the picture wasn't being taken to showcase the piece, it just ended up being in the background so it's not a very good picture at all. Unfortunately I am living 2 hrs. away from home at school right now so I don't have any better pics for you right now. I'll attach what I do have though.Chris
Chris,
I understand your set up now. That is great utilization of your equipment. Great job.
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