This is an incredibly clever setup, a wheeled hydraulic lift table with the push bar removed and the release valve controlled by a home-made foot pedal. The inventor, Malcolm McGrath, begins by using the pump pedal to bring the top of the lift cart to saw height—so that the first ripped piece lands on top. If that’s all he did, the second piece ripped would knock the first one off the cart and onto the floor. The usual way to deal with this is to lean over the saw and grab the ripped piece (dangerous), walk to the back of the saw and move the piece elsewhere (time-consuming), or pay a helper to stand behind the saw and stack pieces as they come off (expensive). McGrath came up with a better way: He took a bicycle brake cable and connected one end to a home-made foot pedal and the other to the release valve on the cart’s hydraulic piston. By stepping on the pedal he is able to lower the table—which he does after each rip so each piece that comes off the saw lands on the one that was cut before. The pieces stack themselves. When McGrath finishes cutting he can roll the cart of ripped material to wherever it needs to go (see video below).
For more on McGrath’s inventions and work setup see the following stories:
A Super Organized Rolling Work Station
An Organized Vehicle Makes for an Organized Jobsite
Declutter Your Work Area with a Hinged Overhead Boom
The Super-Organized Shop Comes to the Jobsite
