Shopsmith Forums

I am upgrading one of my two SS band saws to the aluminum table, and I got to thinking that there must be some good use for the cast iron table I'm swapping out. It's a nice, heavy, flat surface with a hole in it. Would make the basis for a good, shop-made....[your idea here]

I'm not very creative when it comes to building tools. Any ideas on what to do with this thing? Fry eggs on it?

OR...you might want to talk to forum member putttn who is in need of a cast iron table.

Why don't you use the table for a small router table. You could make inserts for the bits and mount a router underneath it.

Or, like dusty says, find someone who could benefit from the table. I personally like the cast table for a number of reasons. If I have a chance to get an aluminum table BS someday I wouldn't turn it down

Anyway, a couple of ideas ... one new.

Not to be argumentative, I think it is too small for a router table. I have looked at many good bench type router tables, they are just too small, and they are bigger then the bs table in length. Finally got a top 24x32, pretty much the standard size bought and going to make my cabinet for it starting next month. I guess it is all in what you need. Plus putting in a router plate, and it is too thick to mount the router underneath and try and extend a bit above the table.

I think ERLover is right insofar as it is too thick to mount the router underneath--I don't know how feasible mounting a router would be, although that was my first thought in looking at it. If I used it as such, it would be a drop-in plate on a larger surface, as it is a bit small to function as the full table, I think.

I do like the cast iron, in some cases, Dick, which is why I'm glad my second BS still has one.

Helping out a fellow SSer might be the best course of action, long-term, anyway. I'll drop them a line.