Miter Saw workstation...kind of

[Bill Huber]

As most of you know I have a very small shop, 12x16. With the table saw, band saw, router table, drill press, planner, little jointer and a 12'x30" bench I just don't have a lot of room.

I have a good Hitachi C10FCH miter saw but it has been somewhat of a pain to use. I do like using it for cutting down longer boards that are just really hard to do on the table saw. Set it on the floor and then find something to hold up the end of the board, its just a PIA, or was.

I had a 4 foot length of T-Track so I routed a dado in the front of the bench, not a nice woodworking bench, just a bench. Made a little thing that fits on the bench and T-Track and it really worked out very well.

I can use the moveable stop as a stop to make multiple cuts the same or just as a holder for the board. The moveable stop will move a full 48" and can be locked at any point. Yes the T bolt in the stop has a pin so I don't have to mess with getting it in the T-Track.

I do have to clamp the saw to the bench but it can be moved to the far end of the bench and this way I can handle a 8' board with no problem.

It is not like Norm's miter workstation but it sure works nice for my little shop.

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[David Hostetler]

Now THAT is a great idea! Mind if I borrow parts of it? I have a workbench build coming up and this would make a GREAT addition to it! (and help control space usage!)

[James Baker SD]

I like it. Clever use of space. Gets the job done.

James

[Bill Huber]

Now THAT is a great idea! Mind if I borrow parts of it? I have a workbench build coming up and this would make a GREAT addition to it! (and help control space usage!)

That's what its there for, so others can maybe take the idea and use it and improve it.

[Brian Kincaid]

Bill, you found a clever solution to some of the biggest problems I always have with miter saw stations on long workbenches:
1) Saw on top? How do you support and use stops? Need to build up another shelf and lose the nice workspace.
2) Saw 'built in'? The stop system will be right in the middle of your long and otherwise useful workspace...
3) Removable/Changed my mind? None that I had seen up to this point!

-Brian

[Jim Summers]

Very nice Bill.

[scott vroom]

Bill, very creative solution.....thanks for sharing!

[Paul McGaha]

Like it Bill. Good use of space.

Great looking shop by the way. Very clean and organized.

PHM

[Bill Huber]

Like it Bill. Good use of space.

Great looking shop by the way. Very clean and organized.

PHM

The one good thing about a small shop is you have to keep it organized and clean if you want to do anything, you just don't have to room to do it any other way.

[Andrew Howe]

How does your planer work there under the bench ? Lifting mechanism?

[Bill Huber]

How does your planer work there under the bench ? Lifting mechanism?

It just swings up and then I lock it in the up position to use it. It is on one of those mobile bases that I got at Lowes, the pivot is a length of 3/4 black pipe. The planner is held on with 4 lag bolts. If I didn't have it on that type of a stand I am not sure how I could have it in my small shop.

All the joints are don with dowels, no screws, just dowels and glue.

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[Joseph Tarantino]

really great idea for maximizing space. and that shop is WAY too neat!

[Alan Lightstone]

Very clever solution, Bill. Gotta figure out a way to use it with my pullout setup. I will, though.

[Bill Huber]

really great idea for maximizing space. and that shop is WAY too neat!

You know there is always things you can't see with a camera shot.....and that is what's behind the camera..:D:D

[Bill Huber]

Very clever solution, Bill. Gotta figure out a way to use it with my pullout setup. I will, though.

What is your pull out setup, I like to see it, if you have some shots of it.

[Andrew Howe]

Thanks Bill,
Looks like you used a pipe as the pivot mechanism. I want to do something like that for my shop. Right now have to finish rebuilding my bandsaw and matching base and then the planer base will be next.

[Bill Huber]

Thanks Bill,
Looks like you used a pipe as the pivot mechanism. I want to do something like that for my shop. Right now have to finish rebuilding my bandsaw and matching base and then the planer base will be next.

Some guys put one tool on one side and then something else on the other. I just needed the space so I just put one tool on one side.

Good luck...

[Matt Winterowd]

Man, Bill, you are a great problem solver. Much respect here.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Another great solution Bill!

[Michael Weber]

My thanks also for posting that.

[Tom Willoughby]

Very slick set up. It sure beats the pants off my block of wood that is cut to the same height as the miter saw that I simply move on the workbench to support stock. The planer that flips is also pretty cool.

Thank you for sharing.

Tom

[Bobby O'Neal]

Those are some smart setups, Bill. I like your space usage. Inspirational for another small space user like myself.

[Ronald Blue]

Congratulations Bill!!! I opened my ShopNotes that came today and right there was a small space miter saw work station by our own Bill Huber. I saw the photos and instantly knew it looked like one I saw here. So I looked and sure enough. I can now say I know of someone famous. Let us know how that Bosch cordless impact driver works. I presume that was your reward anyway. It's great to see one of our many unique and valuable members receive something useful for being creative. Again congratulations on a job well done.

[Carl Beckett]

Very nice Bill! On a creative solution, and on being famous! ;)

[Ronald Blue]

And thank you for donating it to the Creek to be given away.

[Stan Krupowies]

Just saw this in the latest issue of ShopNotes as the winning submission. Congrats Bill

[David Nelson1]

Very cool Bill your shop and making Shop Notes!!!

[Randy Dutkiewicz]

Congrats on the win Bill! I just got my ShopNotes yesterday and saw your miter station. Very cool!

[Erik Stol]

Hi Bill, glad to read that I am not the only one with a postersize shop. I just redesigned my interiour of the shop and was struggling with the question: shall I buy a MS or not? This due to this space problem. I love your solution, for the reason that I also have this long workbench.

Underneath my workbench I have all my storage of andtools and other stuff so the storage of the MS has to be sorted out, if I opt for your solution.

[Joseph Tarantino]

congratulations to bill huber on his excellent tip. mutlitasking solutions for small shops (mine is 12x20) are almost as much fun to think up as they useful to maximize the utilty of that precioius real estate. your tip selection also confirms something i've wondered about for some time. and that is whether the pictures shown in the mags are the actual pics form the tip submitter or from recreated setups prepared by the publication. as neat as your shop is, it's obvious from the pic in shopnotes that they recreated the tip in a studio. no harm here, just a fun thing to know. congrats again on a well thought out solution to a work related issue.

[George Farra]

Bill,

Congrats!! That was a very creative idea and awesome use of space. I have a small shop as well and have been struggling with a decent set u pfor my mitersaw. I love it!! Like you I also have single tools on flip stands that tuck under workbenches to save/provide space. I'm in the process of redoing my bench space on my free wall. I have about 10-11 feet of wall space. Your idea has given me another idea......would it be possible to create multiple recesses along the workbench where those fliptop tools get stored. But instead of tucking under the workbench, the underside of the toolstand is the work surface. Flip a tool up when ya need it, flip it under when ya need work surface? You could still utilize the edge of the fliptop stands for the miter track and use the stop design you came up with.

Does that sound doable????

Great idea Bill, thank you so much for sharing

George