Elevate Miter Saw or Not

[Byron Trantham]

This what I did:

http://www.wooddreams.net/images/Big...aw_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. 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. 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