How many of you don't have a permanent Miter Saw station?

[Peter Aeschliman]

I'm hard at work getting my unfinished basement ready for my wood shop. Although it will be bigger than my current shop, the floor plan is L-shaped, so it limits my layout a bit.

In my current shop, I have a permanent station for my miter saw with a big dust shroud behind and below it and tables to each side for work piece support. I do use it fairly frequently, but I also have an excalibur sliding table on my cabinet saw that I could use for most of my cuts.

So I'm thinking about just keeping the miter saw on a shelf, as a portable tool. I will keep it for household projects like trim work or general construction... But the space it takes and the dust it generates (despite considerable effort) make me question its value.

I'm curious how many of you have taken a similar path and whether you regret it.

Maybe it would be safer if I just don't set up the miter saw at first and try to do without it for a few projects. Then I can assess.

What say you?

[Mike Konobeck]

Sometimes it would be nice to have a dedicated miter saw setup but the space is definitely not worth it to me in a 2 car garage shop. Some of the workstations that allow you to change out the tools on a bench then that may be ok but having a sliding table saw and plenty of other ways to make big pieces of wood smaller, my miter saw is likely the last resort.

[Steve Peterson]

My miter saw is currently sitting on top of my tablesaw. I am working on a station. It's nothing fancy, just a 6' wide workbench along one wall. The miter saw drops down so the cutting surface sits flush with the table. My bandsaw is to the left and a router table to the right. If needed, I can line up the bandsaw and router table fences to get a 6' wide nearly continuous fence.

Steve

[Bruce Page]

I wish I had the wall space for one.

[Susumu Mori]

It was a luxury but it turns into necessity when I started to make chairs (compound miter cuts).

It is luxury because you can cross cut by a table saw or a track saw, but it is really nice to have one, especially for long boards. After I got it, almost all cross cut of solid woods go to the miter saw.
Always ready, just turn on and cut it. So nice,,,,, except for the dust collection (ouch).

[John Donofrio]

I've set one up and do use it quite frequently but mostly for rough cuts to length. I will say it is nice to be able to quickly make a cross cut and especially angled cuts. As for the space it requires, that was my dilemma also and even though the shop is space challenged I plan to keep it for now. The future may change that though depending on how the hobby progresses.

If I had the sliding table as you do, I'm not sure I'd feel the same way.

[Mike Schuch]

I have a 16" Radial arm saw in my shop with a decent sized table and flip up wings for longer work. Miter saws are for work sites. A good portable miter saw stand is great to have!

[Mike Ontko]

My saw currently sits on a temporary folding table with a plywood and 2x4 support on the left side. But I have plans (undocumented ones...which kind of make it more of a dream I guess) for building my shop cabinets as two sets of 36" base cabs with a short gap (around 24") between them that has a below counter support for my DW compound miter saw. A removable fence will set up on both the left and right counter using dowel pegs, and the center section can be covered with a short cover piece with matching countertop material when the miter saw isn't needed. The only potential problem with this layout is that I don't really have anywhere else to put the miter saw, so I expect that it'll stay there all the time unless I need the counter for workspace.

[Jay Aubuchon]

My miter saw is on a flip-top cart. My spindle sander is on the other side. I don't have space for dedicated stations.

[Marion Smith]

Never had one so far, but I'm thinking of trying to incorporate a spot for it to stay on the outfeed side of the RAS. Still making sketches.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Thanks all. Looks like a slight majority likes the idea of having a permanent station. In other words, you guys have not helped make this decision easier. haha ;-)

[Jesse Busenitz]

I currently have a semi permanent station, that came from my trim carpentry days, but I'm going to build a big one in my new shop when the snow flies this winter. I'd say if you have the room go for it! I have a Kreg flip stop/track and that is the next best thing to a PBJ I'd love to get one of the tiger stops.

[Buck Williams]

I work in a cramped basement shop, a mitersaw cart/cabinet on casters with fold down wings is the answer for me. The foot print is relatively small, the wings are set up with T-tracks and stop blocks for repeatable cuts, next best thing to a permanent station. Plus drawers and shelves in the cabinet give you extra storage. Can't remember whose plans and ideas I borrowed when building it, lots of ideas of you do a search. My bandsaw, jointer, and planer are all on casters, pulled out for usage and then stored along the walls. (still haven't solved the mitersaw dust problem yet, someday)

[John Gustafson]

I've got mine on a folding portable stand. One of the old style heavy Rigid ones. It sits unfolded in the shop and gets rolled out the garage door for any extended use. Right now I can afford the floor space it occupies so it stays erected and it's where I go for the cross cuts that fit. If I get into cabinets I need the assembly room and it gets folded up and set out of the way. Not much use for it with flat stock.

[Larry Frank]

Mine is on a portable stand with locking wheels and drawers. I also have portable stands for support. I just do not have room for a permanent setup.