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Folding Workstation for Crosscuts and Dadoes |
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Having a relatively small basement workshop means that I have
to concentrate on saving space. One way I do so is by creating
multi-task jigs and devices. Since crosscutting long boards
on the table saw is awkward and hazardous, I came up with this
crosscut and dado folding workstation. It's also perfect for
biscuit joining, thanks to the rear fence support and the toggle
clamp.
The workstation takes only a few hours to build and can be made
using less than a sheet of 3/4" plywood, pressboard or
MDF and a handful of hardware. The vise and toggle clamps are
optional, since you can use a 24" bar clamp or a C-clamp
to hold the stock. I mounted the workstation behind my mobile
sheet goods rack to maximize my workshop space. I also mounted
my stop guides on the side of the mobile rack. The workstation
could be mounted on a wall, to be folded or not, or even on
a wall workbench folded up to clear the work surface for other
tasks.
I
made my workstation 8' long to match the length of my mobile
sheet goods rack, thereby saving space. The rear fence is 4"
wide and the field is 20" wide. It has two guide fences
that I use with the circular saw for crosscutting and with the
router for making dados. I use the left side of each fence to
guide the circular saw and the right side of each to guide the
router (one with a 3/4" router bit and one with a 1/2"
router bit). The saw kerfs and the router-bit slots I made in
the rear fence provide the index I need to establish the positioning
of the board to be milled.
When the center is in the folded position (middle photo), I
store the three L-shaped legs on top of it. I bolted blocks
of wood to the ends of both guide fences so that they keep their
90° angle even if I inadvertently bang into them with the
vacuum, the shop cart, the ladder, etc. I remove the blocks
before using the workstation.
This end-view photo (bottom) shows part of the 20" wide
field, the 4" rear fence, the 3" backer, one hinge
and the 6" wide board screwed to the back of the mobile
sheet-goods rack to support the workstation. The two thumbscrews
and fender washers hold the external stop guide with the help
of T-nuts installed under the backer board. There is also a
row of T-nuts under the work top (approximately every 20")
to accept the infield stop guide along the rear fence. I chamfered
the front bottom edge of the rear fence to catch any sawdust
that might interfere. |
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Other Articles from this Issue |
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