One-Minute Setup Powerstick Out-feed Supports

[gerryv]

I'm going to have my 8' power stick setup pretty much all the time. It turns out I could have minimal interference by "parking" it at full extension but for the outside support system getting in the way of accessing machines and rolling tables on the other side.

In my case, I'll be running lumber most of the time using a very narrow (16") table so it made more sense to support the power stick than the small material overhang. That said, a set of four of this workaround should work fine for sheet goods.

Using two hacked adjustable roller stands, four inline wheels from Lee Valley, about 1/2 hour and under $50 I now have a system that works like a charm and can be setup or removed in less than a minute.

The key is to set the height so that the leading edge of the powerstick (or table/material if using 4) passes slightly above the wheels and contact only occurs once the powerestick begins to dip as it moves further out. This way there is no initial bump and the stands don't get pushed. If need be I'll add cables with clips between the Shopbot and the stand but it seems unnecessary so far.

The pic's should be self explanatory. Other Buddy users, especially those with smaller shops might find this useful.

[mtylerfl]

Pretty cool idea. Thanks for sharing that with us!

[dmidkiff]

Gerry, that looks like a good solution. I have used rollers as out feed tables before. I found that if they were not square with the board, the roller would pull the board away from or into the rip fence. You probably have thought of this but just in case I thought would share.

[gerryv]

Thanks much for the feedback. I'd considered running two cables diagonally from the top of the roller stand to each corner of the 'bot, this to prevent it being pushed back and to reduce the potential for being pushed sideways. However, I'd not considered it being turned sideways and thus out of alignment with the power stick so thanks for that important observation.

My knee-jerk thought is if stabilizing does indeed prove to be necessary, then attaching one cable perpendicular from the centre of the 'bot to up near the wheels on the stand and two diagonal ones, now low, from the outer ends of the stand's feet, that would now keep it properly aligned as well as more stable.

So far so good with my narrow table using the roller stands under the power stick itself. However, I will now pay attention to making sure the stands/wheels are aligned parallel with the power stick. Because my Shopbot is fixed right now, I'll begin by marking location/alignment lines on the floor for the stands to see how that goes.

Thanks again for the improvement. It only adds a few seconds to the process and enhances alignment as well as stability for those applications like wide tables that might more likely need it.

- Gerry

[pyrodenis]

Gerry,
Thanks for sharing. I saw this last year, but have just now gotten an 8' Powerstick. I too will be running narrow, and have made in/outfeed supports like yours. Quesitons:
1. Did you find the cables to be necessary?
2. It sounds like you don't rely on the table rollers for support. Does the stick provide good level in Y?
3. How heavy/long are is your material? (I will occasionally be tiling long boards.)
4. How far from spindle center do you place your support? (I was thinking 5', as that is where end of a 4' stick is, unsupported.)
Thanks for you time in developing and sharing.
Denis