STM 1800 alternatives? Anyone tried Bora Centipede? Just sawhorses?

[GregorHochschild]

Hi,

I am looking for an easy to setup cutting station for a full sheet of plywood. Of course, STM 1800 would be great but I am not planing to spent 1k. Would be great to see other people's setups!

Has anyone tried the Bora Centipede (see screenshot)? Looks like it might be a nice option either with a sacrificial sheet or 2x4s. Or just saw horses?

Thanks!

 

[squall_line]

Pretty good discussion in this thread:
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/...ol-stm-1800-mobile-sawing-table-alternatives/

I've been down the road and landed on an STM 1800 (probably out of a sense of vanity more than anything else).  I appreciate the tip-to-load aspect as well as the height compatibility with the rest of the Festool system, personally.

Plenty of guys get by just fine with a centipede or sawhorses and insulation board.  Or a Paulk-style bench if you don't need portability/storability (though those can also be stored on a wall).  Or a sliding cabinet saw.

Tons of options out there, for sure.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I have a Walko workbench and a set of sawhorses. Sadly, the Walko is no longer available in North America.

Without the Walko, I have used 1" or 1-1/2" rigid foam across the horses. Since the Walko is only 3-1/2 x 6, I sometimes use the foam on top of the Walko, if my cut-off is going to be near the end of the support.

I've worked on the Centipede, too. If you take the time to make a set of 2x4s to fit the pockets in the corners, it's pretty darn stable. Then throw your foam on top of that and have at it.

 

[dashboardpws]

We offer a little something for working with plywood.

www.dashboardpws.com

 

[huntdupl]

I do own a pair of Tracktubes and made some sacrificial cross members with t-nuts/knobs (as depicted in link above). Good for the shop and maybe a day of repetitive cutting on a flat surface, but honestly I've only put it together a handful of times. More often than not its a quick thing - throwing foam board on sawhorses outside. [member=65062]DynaGlide[/member] solution on Reply #37 would've been more efficient.

I was surprised at the stability of the centipede, albeit 2'x4'.

*For the foamboard, mating two(2) 2'x4' pieces with tape on one side allows for folding and easier storage.

 

[squall_line]

We offer a little something for working with plywood.

www.dashboardpws.com

I'm still mulling a Dashboard myself, but this is from the OP:

I am not planing to spent 1k.

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.

Has anyone tried the Bora Centipede (see screenshot)? Looks like it might be a nice option either with a sacrificial sheet or 2x4s. Or just saw horses?

Thanks!

I still have two of the centipede units. Their main pros are small footprint when folded, light weight, strong (forgot the exact loading, but they can handle any typical woodworking stuff), quick to set up and affordable. Hard to find a cheaper and equally convenient alternative except...

the Krenov-style sawhorses which are:
- dirt cheap (pre-pandemic) to make out of 1 by material
- light weight
- setup free
- sturdy
- stackable.

I have made 4 of them, 2 by hand (wedged M&T), 2 by machine (dominoes).

If I had a big shop, I'd prefer a cutting table that can be used without any setting up. May be in my next life. [big grin]

 

[Grev]

Hi,

I am looking for an easy to setup cutting station for a full sheet of plywood. Of course, STM 1800 would be great but I am not planing to spent 1k. Would be great to see other people's setups!

Has anyone tried the Bora Centipede (see screenshot)? Looks like it might be a nice option either with a sacrificial sheet or 2x4s. Or just saw horses?

Thanks!

Exactly what the TrackTubes were designed for.  There's now a knob kit to quickly attach the extrusion to the Centipede if that's what you're thinking of using. Makes it much more stable.  Full disclosure .. I'm the original designer of the tubes and still consult with the business (Bristol Artisan Co.) that sells the tubes online, although, I have no financial interest in them any longer.  More like a senior volunteer  [big grin] Here's some photos of one customer's DIY solution .. but there are many more out there.

 

[jarbroen]

How about some of those 'speed' saw horses that have a slot for a 2x4? 
Set of sawhorses,  couple of 2x4's and a sheet of 3/4" or 1" MDF.

I will say that one of the big benefits of the STM is that you can wheel it around - something the other solutions mentioned don't offer.
The STM in my shop is a cutting table, assembly station, paint/finish cart, panel lifter/mover, etc.
I can work on something in one area and move it to the next.
Not saying that there aren't other good options for specific functions.  However, the STM is hard to replicate in all the features that it offers.

 

[rst]

I did the saw horse and 8' 8020 1530 extrusions and MDF top for quite a few years.  I debated a long time but finally ordered the STM...It is fabulous for in the shop and on site.  At 68 I'm not trilled about hoisting 4x8 sheets of MDF or ply anymore.  The added plus is that when done and folded it only takes a little more space than my sawhorses.

 

[squall_line]

The STM in my shop is a cutting table, assembly station, paint/finish cart, panel lifter/mover, etc.
I can work on something in one area and move it to the next.
Not saying that there aren't other good options for specific functions.  However, the STM is hard to replicate in all the features that it offers.

I recently used mine with a half sheet of ply as a place to unload the garage shelves before moving the shelves to our new shed.  If the backyard wasn't so uneven, I may have attempted to roll the whole pile to the back but I used a wheelbarrow instead.  It held a lot of stuff and just moved around the garage like a dream.

In a pinch, with a 4x4 sheet of 1/4" material and an old sheet, it makes a pretty decent (albeit expensive) makeshift folding table for guests to eat.  Since it can expand and contract in different directions, you can make many different sizes depending on what ply you have laying around.  Use a white sheet for that "authentic white tablecloth" experience.

 

[Packard]

I have two Bora Portamates.  They have provisions for 2 x 4s on both sides.  To those 2" x 4" I have added cross pieces that drop into joist hangers.  It does a good job of supporting a sheet of plywood.  It sets up easily.  But the Bora saw horses weigh about 20 pounds each. 

I also have two roller infeed/outfeed stands.

And a Chrysler Pacifica mini van. 

I load the panels in the van (flat). 

I pull each sheet out onto the rollerstands and then onto the Bora saw horse assembly.  Then cut to size. 

All of this is done on my driveway, so a rainy weekend puts the kabosh on this.  Also snow.  Though I can set it up to cut in the 2 car garage.

Handy, and easy.  I spent $160.00 for the two saw horses.  I already had the roller stands.  And about $20.00 for lumber.  And another $10.00 for the joist hangers.

 

[jeh]

The STM is priced fairly given its functionality. Of course anyone can cobble something together that has some of the features for less money, but you can't match the functionality without spending significantly more money than what an STM costs and/or settling for close enough, about the same, works except for this, and other things that make the cobbled together solution a lot less than an STM. That said it is tough to justify the price. For me the deciding factor was the ease of loading plywood onto it and then moving it to where I want it. I'm old enough to be able to easily identify areas where attempting to replicate something has to make financial and time sense versus just buying and being ready to go. I can recover the money over several jobs, but time is not recoverable.

 

[rst]

Hear, hear... Jimh2.  I gave up thinking I was superman after I had my hip replaced 14 years ago.

 

[Chainring]

I barely need the STM right now, but went ahead and bought one simply for the fact I'm getting older and ain't nothing stopping that. My back will thank me later. Plus, being it's a limited type item there's no guarantee it'll be around after this second round. Even if it does come back, it'll go up in price.

I have a 4' x 4' Bora Centipede. It's neat. It seems fairly solid given it folds up so small. However, no matter what I do it will have to be broken down to move it anywhere else. I still have to lift large sheet goods onto it; that's more chances to tweak my back and more chances to damage the goods.

When it came down to it, after all the searching around for alternatives, the STM hit everything I wanted in a panel processing table.

Limited space: Yes, it folds
Need to move while loaded: On casters
Height adjustable: Yes, and to MFT height
Sacrificial support: Yes, built-in and replaceable
Sturdy: All metal and solid
Cost effective: Debatable, when looking at cost alone. Try to put together something comparable and I bet the DIY version costs would approach the STM.

 

[Bertotti]

2'X4' Bora here and it works fine. I wish I had two. It is not the same height as an mft3 but you can rip some boards for the top to level them.

 

[imanunpro]

Hi,

I am looking for an easy to setup cutting station for a full sheet of plywood. Of course, STM 1800 would be great but I am not planing to spent 1k. Would be great to see other people's setups!

Has anyone tried the Bora Centipede (see screenshot)? Looks like it might be a nice option either with a sacrificial sheet or 2x4s. Or just saw horses?

Thanks!

I have the 2x4 with a 3/4-inch MFT Bora top. I wish I bought the 20mm version and wish I could easily add some aluminum extrusions to the sides (so I could attach a track for my track saw square to one position), but it works to break down plywood. I add a foam board under to protect the table or do rips off the side of the table. I'm currently brainstorming some hacks to make square, repeatable cuts quickly and easily. I do like how I break it down every time and move it out of the way. It takes up almost no space. 

 

[jcook]

I have the 4x4 Bora Centipede with the 2x4 top with dog holes.  It works very well for breaking down sheet goods, especially when on-site at the lumber yard and have to break it down before you can transport home.

 

[SilviaS7]

I want the STM so bad.  Fiance promised me one once we finish all the work in the house (minor remodel to get him moved in).  In the mean time, I have two Kreg mobile project centers and they are fantastic.  I can use 2 by 4s to connect the two together and make a giant work surface for cutting down sheet goods.  Not super cheap to get two of them, but still far less than the STM.

 

[fshanno]

The folded Centipede takes up about as much room as two folded saw horses and does a better job than horses for breaking down sheet goods on site or in the driveway.