Dusty, the extension tables, and floating tables are fine. It's a little tricky to line them up to get an extended flat surface, but often I just need some workspace and perfect alignment is not necessary. When I didn't have extension legs I would rarely do anything but set up a floating table on both sides of an extension table. With the 27" tubes that was solid and stable. Now I have more tables, with the 27" tubes I can connect 2 floating tables to the far side of an extension table with a 27" tube but they won't be very stable without extension legs. And I'd like to connect even more tables for larger work space. This would be fine with some longer tubes, however the extension legs remain a problem, they aren't very strong and they are a pain to adjust.
RFGuy wrote:
Rather than a single, flimsy leg, what is realled needed is a small rolling platform that forms a solid base with a riser that has adjustable height to raise up and support the extension table from underneath.
Now RF Guy has given me a scathingly brilliant idea. Or maybe a stupid idea, I'm not sure yet. On the shelves are an abundance of 500 extension tables and extension table legs, and a couple of extra base castings. In addition there are extra 500 main tables and carriages.
So, 500 and 510 extension table legs are the same, and a 510 extension table is the same as a floating table with legs attached. I can make additional 510 extension tables, mount a base casting on some kind of rolling pedestal and then mount extension tables into the using the SPT holes and the end lock. It doesn't have precision height adjustment but it would be fairly easy to line it up with other tables using a level. And additional floating tables can be attached to it with connecting tubes.
Even better would be using the 500 carriages and main table legs to attach to a floating 510 table somehow and do the same kind of thing. This would have a better height adjustment with a crank than the simple SPT lock, and an adjustable stop collar could be used for precision height control if you really wanted it.
If I run across a simple enough way to do the rolling base I'd try this out, but probably won't go anything further on it for now though. Just too many other things to do with limited time and energy resources.