DIY: A Table Saw Cabinet

Cut the two pieces of plywood into pieces measuring 36 inches by 72 inches, using a table saw. One piece will form the bottom of the saw cabinet, while the other will form the top.

Measure the size of the tabletop of your saw, using a tape measure. Make a mark 12 inches in from the left edge along the long side on the plywood that will become the top of the saw cabinet. From this point, measure the width of the saw table along the long edge of the plywood, and make another pencil mark. These two pencil marks denote the width of the area you'll cut out to accommodate your saw table.

Measure back --- away from the front edge --- from the front edge of the plywood the depth of your saw table front to back, and make another mark. This mark is the back edge of the area to be cut out for the saw table. Mark the outline of the saw table between all of these pencil marks, using a framing square. Cut out the marked area, using a jigsaw.

Measure the height of the table saw from the bottom of the saw's motor housing up to the top of the table, and subtract 3/4 inch from this width. Next, cut four sections of plywood at this measurement by 36 inches in length.

Cut the four 1-inch by 2-inch boards into eight pieces at 36 inches in length.

Place two sawhorses on level ground. Position the large sheet of plywood for the base of the cabinet on the sawhorses.

Measure along the front, or long, edge of the plywood base, and make pencil marks at 3/4 inches, 9-3/4 inches and 69-3/4 inches from the left side. Also, add 12-3/4 inches to the width of the saw table, and make a mark at this distance on the plywood base. Next, make the same marks along the back edge of the plywood.

Position the plywood top on the base, with the cut-out opening to the front, and the left edge of the cutout 12 inches in from the left side. Next, flip this top piece of plywood over so the cut-out opening is facing the rear. Transcribe the marks from the previous step onto the top piece of plywood, on both the front and rear edges, so the marks on the two pieces of plywood will be aligned.

Align a piece of 1-inch by 2-inch lumber to the right side of the first set of marks, and tack the board to the plywood top, using a pneumatic nailer with some 1-1/4-inch nails. Place a nail every 6 inches along the board to secure it to the plywood. Repeat the step by tacking a 1-inch by 2-inch board to the plywood on the right side of each of the three remaining sets of marks. Next, lift the plywood top off the bottom piece of plywood, and tack a 1-inch by 2-inch board to the right of each of the sets of marks on the plywood bottom.

Place a thin bead of glue along one of the 36-inch-long edges of one of the four strips of plywood you cut earlier. Position this plywood on edge, glue edge down, on the left side of the first 1-inch by 2-inch strip on the left. The plywood should be aligned with the left edge of the cabinet base. Tack the plywood strip to the 1-inch by 2-inch board with a finish nail every 6 inches.

Place a bead of glue along one long edge of a second plywood strip, and position it to the right of the second 1-inch by 2-inch board on the base. Tack this strip in place, using finish nails. Repeat with the third plywood strip, this one to the left of the third 1-inch by 2-inch board, and finally the last plywood strip aligned with the right side of the last 1-inch by 2-inch board, also aligned with the right side edge of the cabinet base.

Place a bead of glue along the top edges of the four plywood strips. Next, place the cabinet top on the top of the four strips, aligning the 1-inch by 2-inch boards on the underside of the cabinet top along the edges of the strips. The opening for the table saw should be facing forward, and each of the four strips should be square to the top and bottom pieces of plywood of the cabinet. Tack the tabletop in place along each of the four joints, using the pneumatic nailer.

Position the table saw in the opening of the top of the cabinet. Pull the power cable through the back opening in the saw cabinet before plugging it into the power outlet. The top of the cabinet should be perfectly aligned with the top of the saw table.