Compound MS Cabinet Build Thoughts

[Mark W Pugh]

OK, planning on building some cabinets for my work shop. Basically using them as the "proving ground" for a kitchen cabinet build in the future. Really just need different views so the better half can point and say, "that one".

Anyway, the CMS will be sitting lower than the counter top (centered in the cabinet array). Currently, I have a set up like this. The problem arises when I try to select cuts greater than 45 deg, the back of the saw hits the adjoining counter top. As I sit here and think, I can't really call a case that I've needed to go above 45 deg, for what I am doing. I can make the cabinet, it sits on, wider, but I don't know if I need to.

Question - anyone make a lot of cuts greater than 45 deg and for what application? I don't want to build these things then go, "I should have......".

Question 2 - How do you handle dust collection on one of these things? I've been just using the leaf blower at the end of the day, but I would really like to cut down on the mess.

I have a Dewalt 12" CSMS, so it does take up a lot of room.

Thanks for any inputs.

[Jamie Buxton]

My miter saw goes only a little above 45 degrees -- maybe 50 degrees. It should be easy to make your stand to allow this -- make the table a half inch wider or so.

Dust collection is difficult on these things. Search this forum for many threads on the topic. My saw was helped quite a bit by the substitution of the shop vac hose for the dust collection bag. It also helped to add a sheet behind the saw, draped so that dust hitting it fell to one spot where I could later pick it up with a dustpan. Fastcap has introduced a commercial version of the draped sheet: http://www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/ChopShop-Saw-Hood-p113.htm

[Roy Harding]

I built a box behind my SCMS. The box is wide enough to cover the extent of travel of the back of the saw. The bottom of the box has a "Big Gulp (http://woodworking.rockler.com/hardware/Big-Gulp-Dust-Collector)" incorporated into it, and is hooked into my dust collection system. I attached a small (maybe 2') length of appropriately sized flexible hose (1" in my case, I think) to the saws dust collection port (the one that the dust collection bag is supposed to fit on), and ran it towards the bottom of the box.

I did something similar for my 12" CMS.

It isn't a PERFECT set up, but it is pretty good.

[Steve Peterson]

For dust collection, I built a box about 27" wide by 24" tall by 10" deep behind my miter saw. The bottom has a 6" blast gate and a small 2.5" gate on flex duct connects to the saw. Most of the dust gets thrown towards the box and the 6" duct catches at least 95% of it. The small amount that gets stuck in the corners of the box are easy to brush into the duct to be carried away.

My saw is a Bosch glide which makes it much easier since there are no rails in the back. I have it placed as far back as possible so it fits on my 27" wide bench without sticking into the walkway. The only problem occurs when I do a compound bevel cut because it would hit the back wall. I mounted the saw on a sliding shelf to pull it away from the wall in the rare cases where I need to cut a compound bevel.

Steve

[Brian Tymchak]

I built a box behind my SCMS. The box is wide enough to cover the extent of travel of the back of the saw. The bottom of the box has a "Big Gulp (http://woodworking.rockler.com/hardware/Big-Gulp-Dust-Collector)" incorporated into it, and is hooked into my dust collection system. I attached a small (maybe 2') length of appropriately sized flexible hose (1" in my case, I think) to the saws dust collection port (the one that the dust collection bag is supposed to fit on), and ran it towards the bottom of the box.

I did something similar for my 12" CMS.

It isn't a PERFECT set up, but it is pretty good.

I haven't built my MS station yet. But when I do get to it (hopefully this winter) this is pretty much the same direction I'm going to go in. I'm thinking of building the box with some angles/corners/sides that help direct dust to the center bottom along with the hose off the saw dc port, but I've not drawn up any plans yet. I was also kicking around the idea of some sort of a downdraft table directly under the saw to collect even more dust but I'm thinking that's going to be overly complicated and also too much open area for my DC to effectively pull.