Elevate Miter Saw or Not

[Brian Dormer]

Hi -

This is my first post here (been lurking for a couple weeks).

I'm in the process of renovating my workshop - my question concerns a long (I have about 11 feet of counter space to work with) miter saw table. Up till now, I've had to live with the miter saw clamped to a workmate - so having a big flat counter with long fences is going to be a big step up.

I've seen some miter saw setps (New Yankee Workshop) where the miter saw is mounted on a continuious table top and the long guide fences are built up on long boxes. An alternate setup is to put the miter saw on a table that is set lower than the counter so that the bed of the miter saw is exactly level with the counter (then the fences sit directly on the counter). In my situation, the fences will be removable. When I need them, I'll take my long level and align the fences before I cut. The countertops will do double duty as horizontal workspace.

Does anyone have any idea as to which one of these methods is "best".

I was leaning towards the latter method - but just caught an episode of NYW and saw that "Norm doesn't do it that way". So it got me thinking (ALWAYS a dangerous thing) - what does he know that I don't. I realize that not having to build the counter(s) at different heights is "easier" - but I'm only plannig on building it once - so I want to do it right.

TIA-

bd

[Jim Becker]

IMHO, having the top of the CMS/SCMS table level with the workstation is the best...that's how I did my cantilevered miter station (http://sawsndust.com/a-miterstation.htm) and it works out very well.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Brian, I built this type:

"An alternate setup is to put the miter saw on a table that is set lower than the counter so that the bed of the miter saw is exactly level with the counter (then the fences sit directly on the counter)."

and really like the way it works. I bought a new CMS and wouldn't you know it doesn't fit. The tables are too low and the top is too high to fit under the dust hood I built. I'll be building another for sure.

[Marcus Ward]

I just did this and when it got down to it it was too much of a PITA to build a dropped section of counter perfectly aligned with the center of my cutoff saw so I built little boxes in between. Works great.

[Brian Jarnell]

I use two blocks of wood,the same height as the platten,roughly 4"by 4",one on either side.
Worked all right for the last 10 years.

[Brian Dormer]

Marcus,

Interesting picture with the Miter Saw -AND- Drill Press. I was working in the shop this afternoon and realized that the DP and MS could fit side by side like that.

Just looked again - I think its a mortise machine. But same idea should work with a drillpress.

bd

[Brian Dormer]

Dennis,

I've also had some thoughts about what happens when the MS gets replaced. I had two approaches in mind - one would be to set the saw on a shelf that sits on cleats bolted to the cabinets on either side. If the saw changes, just unscrew the cleats and re mount them at the proper height. Second (slightly more elaborate) approach is to mount the saw on a panel that "floats" over the actual counter. The floating part rides on four (one at each corner) vertical bolts that can be screwed in or out from underneath to raise/lower the saw bed. This second approach also has the advantage that it's really easy to adjust the saw into place. No fussy placement of cleats...

bd

[Spence DePauw]

Brian, I'm just finishing up a new miter saw station for my shop. It's built on some base cabinets I already had. I built up the work surface on each side of the saw so the work surface is level with the saw table. However, I pocket screwed the vertical supports to the original surface, and put new shallow drawers into the spaces (can't stand to see storage space wasted :) ). Also, I built the mortiser into the right side work surface, far enough away to clear the saw on max bevel. Just had to mill a spacer so the mortiser iron table was about .010 to .015 below the mdf work surface, so deflection will be minimal.

Also, off the left side, I put my small lathe (never used it yet) on some teflon tape runners so it slides back out of the way of long stock for the saw, but pulls out to the front of the work surface for access to the lathe for turning. I still need to put in a removable chip shield for the lathe so the chips don't inundate the whole thing.

Photo below.

Spence

[Brian Dormer]

Spence,

I like the lathe placement - mine needs a home and I hadn't found one yet - I may borrow that idea.

bd

[Kent Cori]

I built my SCMS work station so that the wings are level with the SCMS table. Too make this happen, I mounted the SCMS on a piece of 3/4" plywood that is grooved on the bottom to fit the work station perfectly. When the SCMS is sitting on this, it is still about 1/4" below the wing surfaces. I use some bolts and large fender washers to boost it up to the correct height. This gives me plenty of adjustability and will accept a future saw should I ever replace my Bosch 4410. Yeah, like that will ever happen. :)

[Wayne Ashing]

Brian just about finished my new station. Built along the lines of NORM'S with modifications for my personal needs. I chose to have it perminantly mounted because when I used the counter top for my fence mount I always seem to have to move all the junk off and out of the way to make a cut. Mine is in three pieces about 18' long x 3' wide. Instead of a solid fence, it is open with 40 small parts bins underneath and room for storing stuff behind and perminant dust piping and hood built in. leaves counter top open for other bench top tools ect. Also putting RAS on end of bench at counter level for support when it is in use with remove able fence. If you have the room and always seem to have stuff out on the bench like I do you will like it.

[Eric Shields]

Brian,

As of this moment, in my shop desiging stage (I have the CMS but no cabinets), I am leaning toward a Norm inspired miter station. I like the idea of having an area that I do not have to clear prior to making a cut. Though as my shop progresses and rearranges I'm sure the design will also.

Eric

[Andy London]

I am of the camp to have the station level with the counter, then again I have to have it this way as I make picture frames as a business.

http://www.picframer.ca/images/dcp_3198.jpg

[tod evans]

brian, welcome! i keep my miter saws on trojan stands.....02 tod

[Bob Huddleston]

I am also in the same boat. To elevate? or not to elevate? that is the question. Right now, I am leaning towards not. But I did like how this one looked and may make something similar.

http://www.shopnotes.com/main/sn82-toc.html

http://www.shopnotes.com/images/issues/082/miter-saw-workcenter-large.jpg

[Byron Trantham]

This what I did:

http://www.wooddreams.net/images/Big_Images/Shop/CSMS/saw_to_left.JPG

[Jim O'Dell]

I haven't built my SCMS station yet, but it will be along the lines of Andy's, except only ONE saw. :D I will be building my station along a 24' wall. I have a box bay window built in the middle for the slider to fit "into" so it doesn't protrude into the shop space. I will have dust collection built into this. The section of the box bay (36" wide) will not have cabinet across it. This will be a modular set up that I can pull the SCMS out, insert a downdraft section, hook to the collection hose, put my Kreg on a section that fits in so I have plenty of support on each side, possible future Mortiser, planer will drop in to have long infeed/outfeed table, a drop in table my router plate will fit into for making long mouldings easier with the long infeed/outfeed tables, and probably a few tools I can't think of right now. The heavier tools will hopefully be on mobile stands that will wheel into place, then set on cleats to be level with the side cabinets. I'd hate to have to lug the Delta 22-580 up and down each time I needed to change it out!! The lighter tables will pull out and slide into cleats in the cabinet sides underneath for storage.
Good luck with your design. Make it to fit how you will be using it, and the space you have available. Jim

[Bob Huddleston]

Yes...only one saw! Which, for me, is why I want to have an adjustable heighth bed for my miter saw. My current saw is an older 12" Sears. It has done a fine job and has seen me through many projects, but it is getting older and not as accurate (or is that me?). Either way, I am looking at getting a 12" DeWalt compund sliding miter saw...as long as the Boss gives me the OK. :p Maybe then I will have two saws, but the older one will be for rough cutoffs only.

[Brian Dormer]

Byron,

That's pretty much what I'm thinking of. (including all the crap laying on top :-)

How do you have the fences attached to the table tops? (pretty gold color, by the way - where'd you get 'em?)

I was thinking of using commercial countertops (since they are pretty cheap) and routing a couple grooves for T-Track. Then my fences will just have some T-bolts on them. Easy to setup and take down - will hold true without a lot of fuss and I can probably think up a half-dozen other things to use those T-tracks for.

bd

[Ken McColly]

Brian -

I don't have a CMS; however, I utilized the second method for my RAS. Placed a bench to the left of the saw at the same heighth. Made my fence removable by gluing dowels into the fence which can be inserted into the bench. Eliminates lineup problems when reinstalling it.

Ken

[Brian Dormer]

Ken,

I've read about the dowel in the tabletop method - but I must be missing something....

I can't for the life of me figure out how the heck to drill the holes for the dowels (in the fence and table) to the kind of tolerance I would want for a CMS. Even a 1/16 error means every board you cut would be exactly wrong.

What's the secret?

bd