Buying a bigger saw may seem like a convenient option, especially if you have the budget.
However, learning how to build a larger table saw platform can be useful when you upgrade your workshop and use larger table saws.
Ready to get started? These steps will show you how it’s done.
5 Steps to Make Your Table Saw Bigger
Step 1: Build Your Subframe
Your subframe sets the foundation of your DIY table saw. If your subframe isn’t solid or is weak, it will only create a domino effect of accidents and half-baked results.
To start off, here are some rules to remember if you want a sturdy subframe to last you for years:
- Use a 2×4” frame if you want an average-sized, sturdy build. For a larger build and additional stability, go with a 4×4” frame.
- Measure all the lumber first before joining the pieces together.
- Consider the different types of lumber you’ll be using: compressed, uncompressed, and lumber from different drying batches. Each piece varies from one another.
Building your subframe also requires strict planning and measuring. Remember, a tighter fit will add more stability and longevity.
Before you head on to step 2, ask yourself these questions when designing your subframe:
- How much space do you need for your fence?
- What’s the best working height for your table saw?
- Which parts of your table will get the most stress?
- Which area of the table will be the most weight-bearing?
Step 2: Choose the Right Surfaces
Selecting the appropriate surface is crucial as it needs to support the weight of your saw, absorb vibrations during operation, and withstand the materials and tasks you’ll be working on. Therefore, our team strongly advises against opting for cheap or subpar materials.
Cheap materials mean compromising on strength and durability.
The best plywood material to go for is Exterior 1 rated plywood with an exterior plywood grade of B or C. Birch, oak, and maple are good hardwood material types.
Other options include:
- Shop-grade Birch: Good strength & reasonably priced
- Baltic Birch: Better strength but more costly than shop-grade birch
- Grade A plywood: Great durability but pricey
- Melamine: Affordable, but not recommended to be used for the whole table
Step 3: Construct a Biesemeyer Fence Structure Layout
Having a proper fence system helps keep all your materials secure. More importantly, going with a Biesemeyer fence is easy to keep square.
For beginners, the fence that comes with your saw can be fairly decent, but it gets difficult once you start making micro-adjustments. The great advantage of a Biesemeyer fence is they’ve been around for a long time so your local metal supplier should be able to provide the appropriate length and weight of metal needed.
You should go for measurements no thinner than 2/16th of an inch and no thicker than 3/16th. It’s not recommended to go past 3/16th since this makes the metal heavier and harder to adjust. Furthermore, aluminum extrusions are a better option than steel, but take longer to procure.
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Step 4: Build Supporting Brackets and Positioning Your Fence
Once you’ve built your subframe and constructed your fence, you still need to ensure your sliding fence stays in position by building supporting brackets. For this step, we encourage you to have a table square before attaching the rails in place and you’ll need clamps to help hold it in line.
There are 2 ways you can support and build your fence rail: Use nylon tipped bolts [1] or use a couple of metal brackets to hold the fence as it runs along the rails.
Step 5: Cutting
There’s just one more step to seal your DIY table saw station, and that is to cut a strip of wood to run along the side of your fence. The primary purpose of this is to help pieces slide smoothly through the saw, thereby creating less friction than metal. This will also protect your fence and saw in case you move the fence too close to the blade.
(For reliable table saw, we have reviewed the top Delta table saws here)
Conclusion
We hope this tutorial was able to help you make your table saw bigger! Having a larger table saw can give you more depth and larger cuts, but it also makes the saw stabler. A larger blade will help keep the balance and gives you more accuracy and precision when handing more cuts.
If you don’t want to splurge on a larger saw, we hope a few of our options helped you save some money and successfully create a larger one.
For a list of reliable table saws, you can check these pages, too!
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