| A miter saw is a whole lot more useful if it is | | | | fence on the miter saw. These slots should be |
| incorporated into a miter saw table. The problem | | | | slightly wider than the shaft diameter of the lag |
| with a miter saw sitting alone on top of a bench is | | | | screws you plan on using to screw down the |
| that you can't cut long boards: Gravity is always | | | | fence to the table. Cut a few equally spaced slots |
| tipping them over the edge of the narrow metal | | | | in the back-up board perpendicular (at right angle) |
| table that is part of the saw. Also, it is hard to | | | | to the fence. A 2 x 4 joist should be located |
| get accurate cuts on a long board without a | | | | under the table top, centered underneath the |
| fence that extends quite a bit beyond the one | | | | slots in the back-up board. This will give the lag |
| that comes with the saw. Here's how to make | | | | screws something solid to screw into. |
| one for your shop and a portable one for the | | | | Before mounting the fence or fences to the |
| jobsite, as well. | | | | miter saw table top, draw a pencil or chalk line |
| Miter saws can be utilized in a workshop as a | | | | where the front of the fence is to be moved. |
| permanently affixed tool or on the jobsite as a | | | | Take a long straightedge, lay it flat on the miter |
| portable or semi-portable unit. I will take a look at | | | | saw’s metal table and push one edge of it |
| the construction of miter saw tables careful to | | | | along the miter saw’s metal fence. Keeping |
| both types of installations. | | | | it in this spot, draw a pencil line along the table |
| | | | | top, out as far as possible. Duplicate this on the |
| The objective of a miter saw table is two-fold: (1) | | | | opposite side of the saw if you have tables on |
| to lift up the saw to a comfortable working height | | | | both sides of the saw. Extend this pencil line as |
| for the operator and (2) to provide a surface to | | | | far as possible. |
| the left and/or right of the saw for the expansion | | | | Place the fence along the pencil line with the end |
| of the fence and to provide support for long | | | | of the wooden fence almost contacting the end |
| materials while being cut. If you have ever sought | | | | of miter saw’s metal fence. (Leave a 1 |
| to cut a 45-degree miter at one end of a 2 x 6 x | | | | 16 gap between the wooden fence and the |
| 12, you identify why a miter saw table or roller | | | | metal fence.) Drill correctly sized holes for the lag |
| stand is always necessary. | | | | screws through the table top and into the 2x4 |
| Time and again, miter saws are utilized to make | | | | joist underneath the table top (one for each slot). |
| duplicate cuts of the same measurement. Some | | | | Screw the fence to the table loosely so that it |
| sort of saw block comes in handy and greatly | | | | can be adjusted. Use the long straight edge on |
| saves production time for this sort of process. A | | | | the miter saw’s table and on the front of |
| saw block must mount to something to hold it in | | | | the fence to align the fence perfectly and screw |
| place, usually a fence. You can fabricate your own | | | | down tightly. Do this again for the other side of |
| fence out of a very straight piece of wood or | | | | the table if there is one. |
| metal or you can do as I did and acquire a | | | | For the left fence, place a "right to left" reading |
| commercially available moveable stop that slides | | | | stick-on measuring tape along the top of the |
| along an aluminum track that features a stick-on | | | | fence. For the right fence, place a "left to right" |
| measuring tape. | | | | reading stick-on measuring tape along the top of |
| | | | | that fence. Before sticking down, the tapes must |
| PERMANENT SAW TABLE FOR SHOP USE | | | | be aligned perfectly. The left tape is measuring |
| Since I buy lumber in lengths up to 14 feet long, I | | | | the distance from the left side of the saw blade |
| decided to make a very long miter saw table in | | | | teeth and the right tape is measuring the distance |
| my workshop. You may not have the physical | | | | from the right side of the saw blade teeth. With a |
| room for this in your workshop so you may have | | | | simple wooden fence like this, you can use |
| to modify my dimensions accordingly. The longer | | | | wooden stop blocks clamped to the fence with |
| you can build it, the more useful but any length of | | | | C-clamps for duplicate cuts. |
| saw table is better than no table at all. My miter | | | | A slightly more expensive and far better |
| saw table measures 8 feet to the left of the saw | | | | alternative is to use a metal track or tracks with |
| blade and another 8 feet to the right of the saw | | | | a flip-up stop and measuring tape built in. Such a |
| blade. This way, I can support the full length of a | | | | device is manufactured by Kreg Tools and is |
| sheet of plywood on either side. | | | | available in 4-foot track lengths that can be |
| The saw table is made over 2 x 4 framing and | | | | pushed together to achieve longer lengths. My |
| has multiple storage drawers below the table | | | | miter saw table uses four 4-foot tracks, two for |
| which I use to stock small tools and supplies. If | | | | each side of the saw. The track is mounted to |
| you need, the space below the saw table can be | | | | the top of the wooden fence you just made. You |
| left open for shelves or wood. I suggest that the | | | | will have to adjust the height of the wooden |
| top surface be 3/4" Melamine or Formica over 3 | | | | fence (2 1/4"+ 1/16" = 2 5/16" above the table |
| 4" particle board. If you can use the entire 4-foot | | | | top) so that the bottom of the flip-up stop clears |
| width of the Melamine or particle board, by all | | | | the table by about 1/16" in the down position. |
| means do so, especially if your miter saw is of | | | | The great thing about the flip-up stop is that it |
| the sliding compound miter style. As for | | | | can be flipped up out of the way without loosing |
| overall table height, I would suggest that you | | | | its position along the measuring tape. If you were |
| make the miter saw table so that the top of the | | | | making duplicate cuts and you desired to stop to |
| table comes to your belt line when standing. This | | | | use the saw momentarily for a different kind of |
| will give you a comfortable working height and still | | | | cut, you could resume your repetitive cutting right |
| permit you to bend over the table. | | | | away without losing any accuracy. |
| | | | | |
| There should be a gap cut into the saw table top | | | | PORTABLE MITER SAW TABLE FOR JOBSITE |
| in the area where the tool is to be mounted. This | | | | USE |
| gap must be exactly as wide as the top of your | | | | A jobsite miter saw table is ordinarily made with |
| miter saw and must be open to the front of the | | | | the saw attached to the extreme right end of |
| table. The gap should close behind the top of the | | | | the table. I have found that most miter saw |
| miter saw. The saw must be mounted in this gap | | | | manufacturers construct their metal table |
| so that the top of the miter saw table is flush | | | | surfaces so that they are 3 1/2" above the table |
| with the top of the saw table. The miter handle | | | | on which the saw is resting. A very straight, milled |
| must be free to move its full travel in both | | | | 4 x 4 (3 1/2" x 3 1/2") can be mounted onto the |
| directions, left to right. | | | | table top, almost abutting the left side of the |
| Foresee the need for this gap as you are framing | | | | metal table of the saw. The 4 x 4 should extend |
| the underside of your miter saw table because | | | | out the full length of the supporting table to the |
| you will want to fabricate a shelf underneath to | | | | left and be mounted to the supporting table. |
| support the weight of the miter saw. You might | | | | A fence can be attached to the back side of the |
| want to make this shelf adjustable in micro | | | | 4 x 4. Use a 1 x 6 or 1 x 8 clear fir board for |
| increments so that you can get the top of the | | | | this purpose. As in the permanent table above, |
| saw platform exactly level with the top of the | | | | the front of the fence must align perfectly with |
| saw table. You can accomplish this with lag | | | | the miter saw’s metal fence. If a wider |
| screws with washers in sliding slots through the | | | | support surface is needed, a second 4 x 4 can be |
| shelf sub-structure and into the table framing. | | | | mounted directly in front of the one with the |
| Slightly loosen the lags and nudge the table up or | | | | fence attached to it. |
| down with a rubber hammer before tightening the | | | | |
| lags fully. Use a long straightedge in all directions to | | | | A Kreg Trak system with a flip-up stop can also |
| make sure that the miter saw and the miter saw | | | | be used on this portable miter saw table. Just |
| table are flush with each other. Mount the saw | | | | make sure the wooden fence is ripped to the |
| securely to the shelf using lag screws. | | | | proper height to allow the flip-up stop to clear the |
| Once the miter saw is secured, you can begin to | | | | table by 1/16". (Fence is 2 1/4" + 1/16" = 2 5 |
| fabricate the fence or fences. A simple, | | | | 16" above the top of the 4 x 4.) |
| inexpensive fence can be made using 1 x 4 or 1 | | | | |
| x 6 clear fir boards. These wood should be hand | | | | As for the support table, I have used a plastic |
| selected for straightness and jointed on one edge. | | | | fold-up table from Costco. They come in various |
| One board will be the actual fence and the other | | | | sizes to suit your particular need. Or, you can |
| will keep it straight from behind. The fence sits | | | | make your own table out of 2 x 4's and 3/4" |
| with its jointed edge on the saw table top while | | | | plywood. Design it so that the legs can fold up for |
| the back-up board lies flat on the table, in back of | | | | transportation and storage. |
| the fence, with its jointed edge joined to the base | | | | |
| of the fence. | | | | Bob Gillespie |
| Before joining the two boards together, slotted | | | | Woodworker |
| holes should be cut into the back-up board for the | | | | WOODWORKING ARTICLES: |
| purpose of mounting and adjusting the fence | | | | WOODWORKING TOOL REVIEWS: |
| position on the table top with reference to the | | | | © 2010 Robert M. Gillespie, Jr. |