The first project - Workbench, Rolling Cart, and DeWalt table saw outfeed

 

 

I have described the process of searching for the perfect small-shop workbench in the Second Project entry, so I won't cover influencing factors here. When I first started using SketchUp, I had a DeWalt table saw. And I really saw the opportunity to combine storage, workbench, and outfeed functions.

The DeWalt 7491RS table saw and stand came in at 36 1/2" in height. So I started designing a workbench for that height. I wanted to keep the workbench length at 47 3/4" in length (so I could efficiently use the width of an MDF sheet) so the workbox size came out of these initial reference measurements.

I've mentioned that I don't have any Systainer toolboxes. And so I wanted to make tool storage drawers with the material I had available: plywood. And I wanted to keep the drawer mechanisms simple and cheap. Drawer slides are 1/2" thick - that's interior space that I could use if I simply went with basic sliders. I ended up measuring 1/16" larger than the plywood, and then doing a bunch of 'divide by' math until I had a regular stack of drawer slides and spacers that would efficiently fill the interior walls.

Finally, I wanted to give the wheel axles a solid foundation to minimize flex and leverage. Running a thinnish brace across the interior seemed like a good option, and it left room for one more drawer at the bottom of the workbox chassis. No reason to get fancy with the axle, a half-inch lag bolt with a good shoulder for smooth rolling would to the job fine.

With this initial version, I ran into some workflow issues that I have since corrected in the Plans/Instructions. I waited too long to put the Hinge Braces on until after the workbox was constructed - best to do it right before the sides are placed on the top/bottom/back unit. And the wheel bumpers should be put in place before the shoulder dog hole mounts are attached to the sides. These little fine points are what went into the thinking for the Packout WRoC.

After finishing the Packout WRoC, I spent time refining the SketchUp model and Plans/Instructions, so that it could be available as a workable plan. And it was comparatively easy to make the same modifications to this DeWalt Outfeed WRoC.

The plans are now live on the Dog Island Offcuts Etsy store! If you have the DeWalt 7491 table saw and are looking for a compact workbench that can act as table saw outfeed and store tools, this is a great plan for you.

It would also be comparatively easy to modify this design to fit other table saws. We are always looking for cool ideas, and if you want to see a design implemented for a specific scenario, let us know and we'll see if the plan works and can be placed on our Etsy store for the world to see.