Back in the early 2000s when my shop was relatively new and a bit smaller than it is now, I built a nice cantilevered miter saw station based on a similar setup that was published in Fine Woodworking a long time ago. It was a good design in that the space under it remained usable and flexible. The downside was it's general mass and the fact that "back then", I made the mistake of measuring up from the floor rather than setting the surface height with a level. Wouldn't you know it, but my shop floor is sloped because the building was originally built as multi-vehicle garage by the previous owners. Not level wasn't a problem for some things but it was for others in recent times. I also don't use the integral lumber rack for that purpose since all my stock moved upstairs a few years ago. The only thing "up top" of any consequence is my air cleaner and that can certainly be mounted differently.
This is more or less how it's been for awhile now:
MiterBench.jpg
It's served me well, but for a number of years now, the saw only saw use for breaking down boards and quick utility cuts and the surface was used mostly as an auxiliary work surface or to hold stuff that was lying about and waiting for something else to happen. And, of course, collecting dust and debris as awkward surfaces in a shop often do. I've debated for awhile now about how that space could be better utilized and today I "grew some brass ones" and decided to relocate the miter saw to a portable stand that's compact and easy to move around and reclaim the space for my shop. I may even replace the big 12" CMS with a smaller sliding miter saw that can actually cut wider. Things have been a lot tighter since I put in the CNC and making this change gets me more options including a place to park a smaller, dedicated bench for guitar making.
So...today I got moving with "the deed" (since my shop is clear of that big table top project) and started breaking things down this afternoon. At 6pm when I stopped to get cleaned up for dinner, this is where things stood...
IMG_5607.jpg
My further plan for this area is to potentially remove that huge window, replacing it with much needed wall space with a narrow window across the top keep the natural light coming in. Without the miter bench in place, this will kick security up a bit, too. I do not plan to put any "permanent" structures in the reclaimed space. Rather, I'll continue to embrace mobility for work surfaces as I have been doing for some time now. The projects I do are so incredibly variable in size and nature, going from small stuff off the CNC all the way to large pieces of furniture. And my little hobby of building guitars needs a dedicated fit-for-purpose bench so I can stop moving work in progress around and around and around in the shop as I work on client project. I will, of course, update this thread as I continue to dismantle the old and bring in the new.