Bench Dog Tools 40-102 ProMax Cast Iron Router Table Extension

Truth be told, I agonized over this purchase since I already own the excellent Bench Dog Pro Contractor Bench Top Router Table. I originally purchased the contractor version because of my small shop but if I'm going to be honest, it takes up valuable bench space and it's a pain to constantly shuffle around the shop to get it set up for a project. So I bit the bullet and purchased the Bench Dog ProMax Cast Iron Router TableExtension for my Ridgid R4512 cast iron table saw. I read all of the reviews and most were very positive.The instructions say this table cannot be mounted on the left side of a left tilting table saw (or on the right side of a right tilting table saw) because of the motor housing that extends from either side. I had full intentions of mounting this extension on the right side of my saw but upon receipt I decided the layout of my shop lent itself to having it on the left in spite of the fact that I have a left tilting saw.The most challenging part was getting the bolt threaded and locked down in the middle hole that attaches the extension wing to the cast iron table saw top. You need skinny fingers to get the bolt into the threaded hole (I used the bolt that came with my table saw rather than the one that came with the extension). Once I got it threaded I work at it with a bunch of different tools until I was able to snug it up pretty good. The other two bolts went in without a hitch (three bolts in all to attach the extension to the cast iron saw top). Now to attached the sides of the extension to the rails on the saw. The holes in the sides of the cast iron extension towards the front of the saw lined up fine but were too small. I ended up drilling them out to fit the bolts that came with the table saw. The side of the extension that faces the back rail was a piece of cake. Once I got the three bolts together between the extension and the saw table and the two front rail bolts locked down, I simply drilled a single hole in the other saw table rail and threw a bolt to keep it secure. There are actually two locations for bolts on the front rail and the back rail. I was able to get the two in the front but one of the holes in the rail on the back side of the saw lines up with a casting part of the extension that can't be drilled through. So I only put one bolt on that side. It certainly seems sturdy enough.Flattening the top took a bit of finessing. I also notice what a number of other posters noticed: There is a bit of a curve to the top. It's not out by more and a couple thousandths of an inch and I think it's within a level of tolerance that won't interfere with cutting wood on the table saw but it is there. You can feel the difference in the middle ever so slightly. Again I don't think this is a deal breaker. Time will tell.I installed an Incra Lift Master II which is an amazing piece of equipment - and a Dewalt 618 2-1/4 HP router. It fit just fine I have a Porter Cable 3HP router on order which I will install permanently in this extension. The whole lift, plate and router dropped right in place. I can so no interference with the motor shroud on the left tilting table saw.The extension is beefy, heavy, good casting and the fence is awesome. This will should actually translate into more shop space as now I can retire the Bench Top Router Table and clear up some much needed bench space. This extension doesn't take up any more room in my shop that the table saw does. It simply replaced the steel panel top on the left side (I moved the extra steel top extension to the right of the saw which increased the table area by 10")I haven't yet put the extension to good use but in due time. I'm confident it will make a huge difference in my shop workflow and the Incra Router Lift is so sweet I cannot imagine how I survived without it. It's a true blessing. The ability to make micro-adjustments quickly is a dream and changing the bits above the table doesn't get any easier. Outstanding piece of engineering and worth every penny.So yes, this does fit the left side of a Ridgid R4512 cast iron table saw albeit with a few minor modifications. Anyone who makes a big deal out of drilling a couple of extra holes is either lazy or overly anal about putting a hole in this fine slab of cast iron. It's not a big deal.One star off for the slight deflection in the casting but I really don't see it being an issue. If it does become an issue, I will post an update to my review.Update 6/22/15: So I've used the router table extension now for the past few months and I cannot imagine going back to the bench top model I used before I splurged on this beast. Sure the bench top has it's place in the field (which is exactly what it is designed for) but man oh man the cast iron top attached to my rolling Ridgid R4512 table saw is the cat's pajamas. The slight deflection (if that's the correct term" is certainly within a tolerance that doesn't alter my cuts on either the router or the table saw so I really think it's a non-issue.I did read in one review that the top is too low but I don't find that to be the case at all for me. I'm only 5'-8" and I find it is the perfect height. It does add some weight to the left side of my saw which forces me to be more careful when rolling the table but it hasn't dropped yet.Highly recommended for the small shop. If I had a larger shop I would definitely go with a separate router table but for my space, this is the nuts (meaning I really, really like it).Hope this helps other woodworkers who are considering such a purchase.

I attached this to and old-style, left-tilt Unisaw. Attached very easily, and levelling was also easy. Needed some slight shimming to get it precisely flat with the saw, but only took about 15 minutes total to install. Bolt holes lined up perfectly.I was a bit concerned that 16 inches of additional table might flex just a bit (with double the width of the original cast iron wing), but it has been very rigid. They include bolts made of extra-strong steel and warn you not to use the original bolts included with the saw, so they take this extra leverage seriously. I use the table with the Bench Dog lift and the big PC router, and everything is rock solid. Saves a great deal of space compared to a stand alone table, and is in a convenient position to use. I was also concerned that the installed router might block access to the saw tilt wheel, but this is not a problem on the Unisaw.While the included fence is adequate, I made one that simply attaches to my table saw fence (I have a Unifence), which glides easily and locks in place with one push of the fence handle. The other advantage of this is that I now have an easy measurement guage for cutting dados (using the tape built into the fence guide). I also built my fence to take a full 4" dust fitting, which pulls up significantly more chips than the 2.5" port built into the Bench Dog fence.Overall, this table has more than met my hopes and expectations.

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