Need Advise on a Lightweight BT48 8' PowerStick Table/Spoilboard

[gerryv]

Really need some advise on if this "lightweight" table/spoil-board could work and reduce/eliminate warping.

Background:
- For use with an 8' (10') powerstick
- I'm well into my 60's with angina so weight is VERY important because I'll be working on my own and can't leave the table mounted all the time.
- I've tried a number of table/spoilboard designs, material combinations, etc. and even on the smallest powerstick have always had warping issues. And they are all heavy for this geezer.
- I'd love to have a table like Andrew designed and built but at 8' it would be way too much for me to handle, take up too much space, and is really more than I need as well as quite costly.
- I'll be working almost exclusively with 8' x 6"-10" x 1.5"-2" lumber, both hardwood and western red cedar.
- I'd like to mount 2 or 3 boards at a time as I "assuming" that would be more efficient - would it really save significant time over one at a time? That suggests an 18"-24" wide table would be plenty wide enough. I need to remember that weight and warp are my top priorities.

Solution?
- Use appropriate fasteners and tee nuts to attach a number of aluminum extrusions at 90 degrees along the powerstick, perhaps ever foot or so. Need to figure out what fasteners would work or if I'd need to drill the extrusions.
- Use plastic bolts and tee nuts to attach an 8' x 18"-24" x 3/4" thick piece of exterior grade MDF to the extrusions.
- Use hot melt or non-metal cam clamps to start but perhaps make up a BradyVacII to mount on top IF I can get the lumber jointed flat enough and IF it's practical in my case.

I'm thinking that this way it I should be able to handle the weight getting the assembly on and off with the help of some adjustable roller stands.

Might this be workable?

[Brady Watson]

Gerry,
You want to make sure that the stick layup is able to hit the cylindrical rollers on the side...so it has to be wide enough to do this.

Rather than get too crazy with the layup and keeping weight down, it may be easier to just use a hydraulic table. Pull the stick out some, roll table under and pump it up. Pull it the rest of the way out & roll it to the storage location. A set of horses will let you pick and roll or roll and 'land' with little to no real effort.

Alternatively, a 1" thick piece of MDO plywood say 24-30 wide bolted to the power stick extrusion might be OK. I would then consider making vacuum pods (waffle grid) with gasketing on them - depending on the shape and material of the parts. Light, simple, effective.

-B

[Red F]

If warping is a big issue, with the dimensions you mentioned you could just mount your part directly on the powerstick. Of course I'd stick a sacrificial piece under it. That's also how to get a couple of extra inches of "Z" travel as well. It would be 1 at a time, but you save having to make,lift, store, and flatten the table.

[gerryv]

Thanks kindly Brady & Red.

Sorry it took a while to get back, I've been messing around with a lot of floor plans and what-if concepts.

Unfortunately, in my downsized shop there is no easy way or room to be taking the big powerstick off and on or convenient place to store it so I'm working at reconfiguring the layout for the 100th time (chuckle) to see if a compromise solution is possible where I just leave it on all the time. I'll just need to remember to pull whatever rolling equipment I have behind the operating zone when the Shopbot will be in use.

A part of that issue though is that I'm also dealing with the outrigger supports, not just the powerstick itself. Looks like some modifications to the outrigger support system is in order. Hmm, maybe a single support beam under the powerstick attached at the 'bot with L brackets and an inverted T leg at the other end... or a sky hook!