Show me your miter saw bench

[dale rex]

Gonna build a miter saw bench soon along a wall. It will probably be 12 to 15 ft long. Cant decide on the design I want to use. I dont know if i want to recess the miter saw so the top of the saw is flush with entire bench or set the miter saw on top of the bench and build outfeed tables to the left and right. Also i want to make it so I can interchange my Makita SCMS and DeWalt CMS. Any ideas? Pictures would help too.........:D

[Jim Callaghan]

If I did it over I would not center it, I would off set it right for a longer bed.
Jim
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z16/jlckmj/SawstandSmall.jpg

[Jim Becker]

There is a complete pictorial of mine on my web site (click on my name at the top of this post) and it's based on Chris Gotchenour's cantilever design that was published in Fine Woodworking a number of years ago. Here's a very, very old picture...

http://sawsndust.com/images/miter/miter-final.jpg

[gary Zimmel]

Dale

Here is a pic of mine. Nice and simple but does the trick. It's built out of MDF and maple trim with a length of just under 12 ft.
It was made a few years ago and if I do it again it will have cabints under it.

[Keith Starosta]

If I did it over I would not center it, I would off set it right for a longer bed.
Jim
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z16/jlckmj/SawstandSmall.jpg


Jim, what are the dimensions of your MS bench? I really like that...

- Keith

[Ben Grunow]

Fully supported for 8' on either side and I love it. Really wastes space but I cant take it apart after using it for the siding/trim outside my house.

here 75505

and here
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=58034

[J D Thomas]

I based this one on Norm's design, with some mods on drawer layout, height, depth, and I used laminate on the top instead of hardboard. All that storage is utopia.

[Rod Torgeson]

Here is my miter saw bench. The area is a little messy when this picture was taken. Must have been working on something. The radial arm saw is to the right of the miter saw bench so it can be used to hold the cutoff piece if it is long. The miter saw bench can also support something being cut on the radial arm saw. The bed of the miter saw is even with the bench top. The slot that the miter saw fits into can be interchaged with another miter saw. I have three of them.

Rod<---in Appleton, WA

[Steve Leverich]

Rod, I'm curious - are your three MS's same or different brands, and are they all the same height from the surface they rest on to the table? I'm trying to figure out whether it's necessary to make that dimension adjustable for future saw swaps, or if it's a "standard".

My DeWalt SCMS looks to be close to a 2x4 height (roughly 3.5" - haven't measured it exactly yet) and I'm already thinking about a Bosch if I experience the problems others have mentioned. Thanks... Steve

[Rod Torgeson]

Steve....They are three different brands, the Dewalt which you see, a Delta and a Craftsman. I have made a sort of platform that each one is attached to. The platform and the miter saw attached to it can just slip out and another slipped in. And each miter saw is a different height so each platform is a different height. The drop in the bench is almost 7 inches where the saws fit. The base or platform for the Delta is 3 1/2 inches high. The Base or platform for the Craftsman is 4 inches high. Hope this helps.

Rod<---in Appleton, WA

[Steve Leverich]

Rod, thanks for the quick reply - guess it would be too much to ask for such a simple thing to be "standard" :eek: Steve

[frank shic]

JD, that's an EXCELLENT utilization of what would otherwise be wasted space under the miter saw extension tables.

[Greg Cole]

What Frank said.... neat idea. Never can have too much storage!

Greg

[Dan Barr]

Jim,

that's a mighty fine miter station you go there. Very nice!

V/R

dan

[Daniel Simon]

Here's my skethup model.

[Stan Welborn]

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/10/DSC04842-a.jpg

[Daniel Simon]

This is the actual. It has drawers on both sides, since it is so deep.

[Steven Wilson]

This is the chopsaw station I built a few years go. Fairly portable and works well when I need it
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=1984&d=1061662635http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=1985&d=1061662691

[Dan Barr]

Now thats what im talking about!

portable and recessed! ingenious!!!

VERY NICE!

v/r

dan

[Cary Swoveland]

I described mine in the following earlier thread:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=563544#poststop

Cary

[Jude Tuliszewski]

I was contemplating how I would put one together when I redo the shop. Thanks for a lot of great ideas, but now my brain hurts from such a wide variety to consider :p.

[J D Thomas]

Thanks Frank. It has worked out pretty well, but I tend to really spread out when working on a project, and many times I have to move a ton of crap out of the way in order to access those small drawers. But I'd rather have it that way than not utilize the wasted space.

[Jim Callaghan]

Keith,
The basic dimensions of the box are 6ft. wide, 24in. high, 30in. deep, then it sits on 4x4 with casters, It's about 35in. high to the level that the saw sits on. The wings are about 14-16 inches and they bolt on. Hope that helps. Like I said, I wish I had off set the saw to the right for more bed, but it does work pretty well. I keep forgetting to get you exact measurements, sorry.
Jim

[Todd Jensen]

Nice stations guys, with a particular shout-out to J D - your station is gorgeous and inspirational. I never would have thought of elevating the legs rather than lowering the saw, nor to use the elevated leg space for drawers/storage. I currently have mine dropped like most the others but its my basic 10" chopsaw, while I use my Hitachi dual slide in the field. I've always wondered how I could set the station up to swap out between the 2 as I have limited back space for the slider, but you've just solved my problem. Thanks, I'll be sure to post pics once I've flattered you with imitation.:D

[frank shic]

Thanks Frank. It has worked out pretty well, but I tend to really spread out when working on a project, and many times I have to move a ton of crap out of the way in order to access those small drawers. But I'd rather have it that way than not utilize the wasted space.

JD, i'm just as guilty of leaning junk up against my shop cabinets and then wondering why it takes so much effort just to get a screwdriver out!

[J D Thomas]

Thanks for the comments Todd. Actually I think there might be an advantage to lowering the saw: a potentially flat work surface to either side of the mitersaw. That might be better for some; depends on one's own preference. If I were doing it all over again, I would seriously consider designing the workstation that way. But as it is, I am happy with the way this turned out. Now to get going on the upper cabinets.