WHat are these holes for?

**bruce.desertrat** · Oct 3, 2021, 06:58 PM

I found a discarded Ryobi cheap tablesaw on the side of the road the other day, grabbed it for parts (the fence on my noname import broke and this one had a good fence)

And the table has holes in the same place as on mine (and most every other cheap import tablesaw like it I've ever seen, kinda guess they're all made in the same factory) I've looked around and haven't found any explanation for them. IS there actually a purpose for them?

(You couldn't easily use them to mount a router, for example, because there's nothing on the underside to support a use like that.

**clavius** · Oct 4, 2021, 08:00 PM

I don't specifically know about those Ryobi saws, my old Makita portable did have threaded holes on the underside that you could use to mount a router to the bottom of the table. . I had to adapt my Craftsman router to fit by drilling a couple of holes in the base, but it worked ok for the limited need I had. I had to make a couple of small raised panel style doors and they did not come out too badly for a hack woodworker like myself.

**bruce.desertrat** · Oct 5, 2021, 04:19 PM

Well, there are a couple of bosses molded into the table in approximately the right position for this but they're quite small, only about 5/16" in diameter, and not evenly spaced from the hole.

I asked on a woodworking site and the consensus so far has been 'No Idea' and that later versions of this table saw did not have them.

**fool injector** · Oct 5, 2021, 06:18 PM

I use my saw only occasionally. If the cord is doubled a couple of times, the loops can be shoved as a bunch into a round hole. Keeps the cord out of the way when breaking out/ stowing the saw.

**Fast.Eddie** · Oct 5, 2021, 07:00 PM

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that they re-purposed an existing mold rather than designing a new mold from the ground up...cheaper, easier, faster for a saw with a low price point.

**clavius** · Oct 5, 2021, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by Fast.Eddie

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that they re-purposed an existing mold rather than designing a new mold from the ground up...cheaper, easier, faster for a saw with a low price point.

I'd guess that's as likely as anything and it sort of makes sense. Leftovers from some other model of saw or whatever.

**paulzephyr** · Oct 5, 2021, 11:04 PM

Ideal for when working outside. Hole for the umbrella pole to sit in. Lots of shade for hot sunny days

**thevillageinn** · Oct 5, 2021, 11:21 PM

I feel like those holes began as router mounting points but as was suggested an old mold or salvaged saw table was used to create these and because the manufacturer didn’t really understand the purpose of the holes they didn’t make them useable. If all you do is copy...You’re at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to understanding designs and features.

**rarmintrout** · Oct 6, 2021, 08:11 AM

Well, as I recall, some of the earlier saw manufacturers had accessory kits for their saws. There was one that you could mount a sabre saw under the table and another was for a rotary hole saw when they first showed up on the scene. There may have been a router kit too, but that doesn't seem like a particularly great solution, but we all know that solutions aren't always that great anyway. Hope that helps a little with the mystery!

**silverback prime** · Oct 6, 2021, 08:43 AM

I think the idea that the holes are old mold left overs is right. I had the same type of table that I wanted to use as a router table, and I used putty to dam off an area around the hole large enough to suport the router base, than filled with epoxy to to the top of the ribs. drilled the holes to match the base. good to go.