Outfeed Roller
From CoMakingSpace Wiki
| ToolInfoBox Outfeed Roller | |
|---|---|
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| Synonyms: | roller stand, outfeed (or infeed) support roller; DE: Rollenbock, Rollenauflageständer, Materialständer |
| Type: | workholding |
| Used with: | table saw, jointer-planer |
| Location: | wood workshop |
| Similar (More or Less): | sawhorses |
Our new outfeed roller is a great help with long workpieces that you can not easily cut or plane by yourself. While a table or sawhorse at the proper height may be okay sometimes, this tool is made especially for the task!
Modes
There is a single roller drum as well as a row of free-spinning balls. You can switch between them without tools because the side screws were kept loose enough. Caution: the two roller modes do not result in the same height!
Both have their pro's and con's:
- single drum
- pro: any workpiece width
- con: may pull or push workpiece out of its path - make sure to set it up straight!
- row of balls
- pro: workpiece can freely roll sideways
- con: narrow pieces may fall between balls - minimum width: enough to lie on two balls
Adjustments
Using an outfeed roller is simple, but you'll have to adjust it for every operation (at least on floors as uneven as ours)...
- find the distance where the outgoing workpiece is nicely supported without tipping
- set the height so it is in the same plane as the machine table
- not necessarily the same height as the table's edge! Best measured by a straightedge (or simply the workpiece), not spirit level
- if in doubt: better too low than too high, there should be no added resistance!
- "dry-test" sliding the workpiece over the machine table and roller (e.g. next to the blade of the table saw or over the completely lowered blade of the jointer-planer
