The Powermatic tool company started adding solid (laminated) extension tables to their table saws a couple of years ago. I thought they looked so cool, that I had to have one! My dad and I planed down a bunch of oak boards and glued up two 14x48x2″ slabs of oak. Fortunately, he has a 20″ spiral head planer to smooth it all out. We biscutted and glued the two pieces together and cut them to size. Having a 8″ long bed jointer sure was nice… It did not even notice that big piece of oak, neither did the table saw for that matter! Getting that huge piece of oak to line up with the cast iron wings was easier than I thought. We then made some cool adjustable legs for the unsupported end of the table. Overall, I think it came out really cool. (and looks just as good as the Powermatic version, and mine was free! Thanks Dad!)
September 30th, 2008 12:48 pm
Sweet…
June 19th, 2010 10:51 am
Have you noticed any appreciable seasonal expansion with the laminated oak top?
June 24th, 2010 4:36 am
I have not seen any movement, but my shop is pretty well insulated. It is heated in the winter and even with the Virginia summer humidity, it does seem to effect it. My father built one for his Unisaw last summer and he has had not seen any issues yet. His shop is in a 100 year old post and beam barn in Ohio. His tools see much more weather related change than mine; he has to worry a lot about his tools sweating at different times of the year, extreme heat and cold swings. So far, so good! Thanks for looking!