Reply to "Update on Track Plan and Benchwork"

When you say 1X4 for the girders, are you going to add the top flange 1X2? If you are, spanning 8ft. is no problem. Without the flange, the span is shortened a lot. You can extend past about 1/3 the span or a little over 2 ft. It's also important to brace the legs deeply and cross-brace. The stiffer the leg, the bigger the cantilever can be. I'm spanning 4 feet between joists using 1x3's. I'm also extending out beyond the girders up to 8". I believe it will be quite stiff as long as the risers spread the load across the joists and don't concentrate it in the center.