Table Saw Stand
A simple project, but perhaps the most active work site in my house; a cheap soft wood top, with a rubbed on poly coating, and semi-adjustable, pipe fitting legs. This table is my go to work bench for sanding, gluing, and portable power tools use.
Required Resources: 3 hours, $75 ($20 in wood, $55 in pipe fittings)
Size: 30" x 26" x 20" Tall
Materials: Softwood common board, pipe mounting flanges, pipe tees, steel pipe.
Finish: Limited sanding, Minwax rub on polyurethane.
Tools: Miter Saw, Circular Saw, Orbital Sander, Cordless Drill
New Techniques:
Multi Layer Glue Up: Nothing really fancy, but in order to get a little more strength out of what was to become a work table and tool stand, I doubled up the boards for the table top; taking care to align the primary grain direction, of the top and bottom layers, normal to each other. The glue up was a little trickier than a conventional side to side glue joint, but doable.
Lessons Learned:
Steel Rusts: Yes, you heard it here. Steel, when exposed to moisture, forms a layer of iron oxide; rust. I mention this because this table, which has seen some outdoor time, as well as being caked in moist saw dust from milling green lumber, has developed its own "red patina". It is not really a big deal, because the material attrition rate is orders of magnitude slower than that for which you'd be worried about a structural degradation (sorry, I just learned about corrosion rates for structural steel components at work), but it is unsightly. Also, if incidentally scratched by it, you better make sure your tetanus booster is up to date! The rust can be kept at bay with an occasional oiling, or a spray down with some WD40. Other purpose-formulated rust removers are also available.
