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Ultimate Miter Saw Stand

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Copyright Woodworker’s Journal © 2011 woodworker.
WJ156 www.woodworkersjournal.com
 Track and Flip Stop Optional Scrap Bins Dual Dust Collection

Ultimate Miter Saw Stand

By Chris Marshall
F
or all sorts of cross- and angle-cutting tasks, a miter
saw is a woodworker’s friend. But, to really maximize
its potential, you need a good home base for your
Accuracy, tearout prevention, storage saw — and that’s what this project delivers. It addresses
what I feel are a miter saw’s biggest needs. The stand
and dust collection are key features is a full 8 ft. long, in order to provide generous support
tables on either side of the saw. They’ll help you cut down
of this hardworking shop fixture. long stock with ease. I’ve equipped the support table

40
 Moveable Saw Platform Tool-activated Switch Heavy-duty Casters

fences with Kreg’s aluminum track system and flip the saw as usual. No versatility lost here.
stop, for setting up precise cutoff lengths or carrying While a miter saw’s bag captures some sawdust, a shop vacu-
out repetitive cutting jobs. You’ll also notice that the saw um works much better, so I’ve sized the stand’s enclosed cabinet
is mounted on a center platform that slides back and to fit a vac with up to a 16-gallon capacity. The saw turns it on,
forth and locks in place. It enables you to mount a back- thanks to a tool-activated switch inside. And, although you can’t
up board directly to the saw’s metal fences for tearout- see it in this large opening photo, a trough behind the saw helps
free cutting, then align the saw flush with the project’s collect whatever the shop vac doesn’t. A chamber runs behind
fixed fences. When you need to tilt the machine for bevel the left support table, with openings on both ends, so you can
cuts, just pull the platform forward of the fences and tip hook up your dust collector and whisk the trough clean.

41
 Carcass
(Side and Front Views)
Shelf dadoes kick off 96"

the carcass machining

1
process. Bore a hole to
40" accomodate
Right Side power access
to the I-Socket
Switch (piece 35).
Six fixed shelves give you plenty of
room for cutoff storage; I’ve even added
two pull-out bins to mine that store those
shorter scraps I can’t bear to throw away. Face Frame
Plus, heavy-duty casters make the cart 6 (Front View)
10
easy to roll around when necessary. 3 12
6" 26"
Ready to build one of these souped-up 9
stations for your shop? Let’s get started! 15
101/2" 32"
Assembling the Carcass Note: The back panel
is flush to the lower 24 /2"
1

Follow the Material List dimensions on

13 10
the next page to make six panels for the
edge of the bottom
12 /2"
1 11
cleat. The skirts are
sides and dividers (pieces 1). I cut the applied after assembly. 9
two outer side panels to final size right
away, but notice that the dividers are
doubled up to form the walls of the inner Sides/Divider Panels Door Stiles and Rails
The dust chamber (Inside View) (Top and Front Views)
cabinet. So, I cut two dividers to dimen- wall (piece 8) is 3" 1
/4"
sion, glued them to slightly oversized located 5 1⁄2" from the
Dust channel on left
mates, and then used a flush-trim bit in back edge of the 63/4" dividers and side. 4" 4"
side panel. The 3 ⁄2" 3 43/4"
1
my handheld router to bring them to a /4"
holes for the dust /8"
31/2" Dia.
3
perfect matched fit. Take these four
channel are bored
components to your table saw to mill at both ends of 111/4" 1
3
/8"
dadoes for the four fixed shelves, the channel.
plus the center panel that supports Hinge cup 19
3
/4" locations
the saw platform. (right door).

20 4"
Mill dadoes in the sides and
divider panels to house the
cabinet’s fixed shelves.

Miter Saw Stand Hardware

The following supplies are available from
Woodworker’s Journal.
4" Caster (locking) #23030 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$37.99 pr
4" Caster (swivel) #22410 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$27.99 pr
1/2" Overlay Face Frame Hinges #55910 . . .$6.99 pr
4" Satin Nickel Wire Pulls #23074 . . . . . . . .$5.29 ea
Hanger Bolts (8 pack) #24430 . . . . . . . . . . . .$3.29 pk
Knobs #71514 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1.79 ea
i-Socket Switch #20890 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$36.99 ea
Kreg Top Trak (2 required) #26358 . . . . . . . .$34.99 ea
Kreg Flip Stop #21938 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29.99 ea
Self-Stick Rule (L to R) #69116 . . . . . . . . . . .$9.99 ea
Self-Stick Rule (R to L) #69124 . . . . . . . . . . .$9.99 ea
Dust Right Combo Port #28666 . . . . . . . . . . .$5.99 ea
To purchase any of these products online, please visit
www.woodworkersjournal.com and click on the
“WWJ Store” tab. Or, to order by phone, call
800-610-0883 and mention code WE061.

June 2010 Woodworker’s Journal

 31

28 25 26
4 34 27

36 24
32 4

2 8
3
4
33
5 32
10 1 7 4
30 2
5
9 12 1 4
29
5
17 1
12
11 1
10
5
23 21
9 18
13 22

19 10 6
13 17
20
Platform Base
(Top View) 11 Top Panel — Short
15 (Top View) 25/8"
21/4"
21/2" Dia.
16
3
/8" 5" 14 7
24 11/2"
4" 53/8"
Exploded View 14
2"
15

MATERIAL LIST
TxWxL TxWxL
1 Sides/Divider Panels (6) 3/4" x 233 ⁄ 4" x 323 ⁄ 4" 19 Door Stiles (4) 3/4" x 2" x 251 ⁄ 2"
2 Top Panels — Long (2) 3/4" x 233 ⁄ 4" x 331 ⁄ 2" 20 Door Rails (4) 3/4" x 2" x 101 ⁄ 4"
3 Back (1) 3/4" x 341 ⁄ 4" x 941 ⁄ 2" 21 Door Panels (2) 1/4" x 103 ⁄ 16" x 223 ⁄ 16"
4 Edging (1) 3/4" x 3/4" x 2601 ⁄ 2" 22 Hinges (4) 1/2” Overlay Euro-style
5 Fixed Shelves (4) 3/4" x 233 ⁄ 4" x 331 ⁄ 2" 23 Door Pulls (2) 4” Wire
6 Bottom (1) 3/4" x 233 ⁄ 4" x 96" 24 Platform Base (1) 3/4" x 171 ⁄ 4" x 26"
7 Top Panel — Short (1) 3/4" x 233 ⁄ 4" x 263 ⁄ 4" 25 Platform Top (1) 3/4" x 131 ⁄ 4" x 26"
8 Dust Chamber Wall (1) 3/4" x 63 ⁄ 4" x 323 ⁄ 4" 26 Platform Back (1) 3/4" x 21 ⁄ 2" x 241 ⁄ 2"
9 Face Frame Long Rails (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 93" 27 Platform Sides (2) 3/4" x 21 ⁄ 2" x 131 ⁄ 4"
10 Face Frame Short Rails (4) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 32" 28 Platform Edging (1) 1/4" x 3/4" x 57"
11 Face Frame End Stiles (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 35" 29 Hanger Bolt Backer (1) 3/4" x 6" x 26"
12 Face Frame Center Stiles — Short (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 71 ⁄ 2" 30 Hanger Bolts, Washers (2) 5/16" Dia. x 3"
13 Face Frame Center Stiles — Long (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 241 ⁄ 2" 31 Knobs (2) T-style
14 Long Bottom Cleats (2) 3/4" x 6" x 84" 32 Fences (2) 3/4" x 21 ⁄ 4" x 35"
15 Short Bottom Cleats (2) 3/4" x 6" x 233 ⁄ 4" 33 Fence Brackets (2) 3/4" Aluminum Angle
16 Casters (2 locking, 4 swivel) 4" Dia. 34 Tracks (2) and Flip Stop (1) Kreg Fence System
17 Side Skirt Boards (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 26" 35 i-Socket Switch (1) Electrical Outlet
18 Back Skirt Board (1) 3/4" x 11 ⁄ 2" x 96" 36 Dust Port (1) 4" Plastic

Woodworker’s Journal June 2010 43

 Screw- and brad-reinforced butt joints speed
the assembly process along.

Refer to the Drawings to cut two dadoes in the side panel, and set
large holes in the left divider and the divider into place. Drive screws
side panel for the dust chamber through the divider’s top dado to
openings. A 31⁄2"-diameter hole saw pin it to the top shelf, and lock the
in your drill press will do it nicely. shelves to the side panel with more
Ease the edges of these holes. brads. If you’re starting with the
Set these panels aside, and cut left bank of shelves, fit the dust
the long top panels and back panel chamber wall into position on the
to shape (pieces 2 and 3). Although top shelf; attach it to the divider
my buddy Bruce Kieffer favors and top shelf with screws and to
thinner edging for his plywood the side panel with brads. Now,
projects (see his article on page repeat this whole assembly process
24), I like the durability and look on the other end of the cabinet for
of thicker edging. So, I wrapped the side, shelves and divider.
the ends of the top panels, as well When all of these components are
as the top and ends of the back fastened, slide the short top panel
panel, with beefier strips (pieces into place between the dividers.
4). Attach them with glue and #20 Attach the dividers, short top panel
biscuits. and shelves to the bottom and/or
Attach thick edging strips to the long top and back panels
with #20 biscuits (top photo). The author constructed the While the glue dries, you can back panels with screws. Finally,
carcass as two subassemblies of shelf banks, building one proceed to cut the cabinet bottom, seal the joints of the dust chamber
side at a time (above). fixed shelves, short top panel and with a bead of caulk before cap-
dust chamber wall (pieces 5 ping off the shelf banks with the
through 8) to shape. Bore a hole for two top panels. Use countersunk
your shop vac hose in the short top screws driven down into the
panel near the back right corner. dividers, sides and dust chamber
As tempting as it may be to dive wall, as well as through the back,
into the big assembly, the smarter to secure these joints. Cover all of
approach is to sand all the inside the screw holes with wood plugs,
surfaces of the cabinet panels now and sand them flush when the glue
and finish them while the faces are dries. Your project is rolling along
still fully accessible. nicely now.
The carcass actually goes togeth-
er quickly; you can form the joints Adding the Face Frame &
with #8 countersunk wood screws Wheels
or 2" brad nails. No glue is really The face frame is a straightforward
necessary. Here’s the assembly. I built it entirely with
process I followed, build- pocket screws. But, before you rip
ing one end of the cabinet, and crosscut all of the face frame
then the other: Screw the components (pieces 9 through 13),
side panel to the bottom let me make a suggestion: while
panel, then fasten the the Material List specifies that all
back panel to these two of the face frame parts are 11⁄2"
with more screws. (Note: wide — which on a perfect carcass
The back panel extends will work just fine — make the
below the bottom panel by short top and long bottom rails
3/4" to allow room for the about 1/16" wider and the end
bottom cleats, later.) Slip stiles about this much wider and
the shelves into their 1/8" longer than listed. That way,

Fit the face frame parts directly on the cabinet

and mark their joints before assembling the
frame with pocket screws (third photo from top).
Clamp the face frame to the cabinet and attach it
with 2" brads (bottom photo).

44 June 2010 Woodworker’s Journal

you’ll build in some “fudge factor” grooves to fit the panels snugly.
to adjust the finished frame on the Make the stub tenon thickness on All of the door joinery can be tackled at the table saw with
carcass when it’s assembled. the ends of the rails match the a dado blade. Here, the author cuts stub tenons on the ends
of the rails after plowing the panel grooves.
Cabinetmakers do this all the time. groove width, and mill the tenons
Trim and fit your face frame parts 3/8" long. Sand the door parts thor-
right on the carcass, holding them oughly before gluing and clamping
in place with clamps as needed, so them together. Follow the instruc-
you’ll be assured of their exact tions that come with the 1/2" over-
placement. Once all of the parts lay Euro hinges (pieces 22) that
are created, label every joint care- will mount these doors to the face
fully to keep their orientation clear frame. You’ll need to bore pairs of
before removing the loose rails and 35mm hinge cup holes into the
stiles and boring your pocket door stiles, attach the hinge hard-
screw holes. Assemble the face ware and then mount the hinges
frame with screws on a large work- and doors to the cabinet. It’s easier
surface. Then set and clamp it into to do than you might think. Once
position on the cabinet, and nail it the doors are in position on the
home. Remove any overhang on project, adjust the hinges to align
the top and sides of the face frame the doors with one another. Go
with a trim router, block plane or ahead and install the door pulls,
belt sander. too (pieces 23).
At this point, you’re nearly ready
to tip the project upright — and Making the Saw Platform
you can leave it that way for the It’s time to outfit your saw for its
remainder of the construction new home, and that means building
process if you install the long and the moveable platform. Cut the A drill press is the best tool for boring 35mm stopped holes in
short bottom cleats (pieces 14 and platform base (piece 24) to size, the door stiles for hinge cup hardware. Use a clamped fence to
15) and the six casters (pieces 16) and mill two slots for hanger bolts secure this operation as well as to index the hole positions.
now. I glued and nailed the cleats with a 3/8"-diameter straight or
in place and mounted the casters spiral bit in your router table. Now,
with 1" lag screws and washers. glue strips of edging (pieces 28) to
Grab a buddy to help you right the the base as well as to blanks of
stand onto its wheels. Add the side plywood for the platform top and
and back skirt boards (pieces 17 sides (pieces 25 and 27). Trim the
and 18) to hide the ends and edges edging flush. Before you cut the
of the bottom panel and cleats; I sides and back (piece 26) to final
rounded the ends of the side skirt width, verify this measurement
boards first at my disc sander considering the exact height of
before gluing and nailing the skirt- your saw’s base; you want to make
ing in place. sure the saw will meet the support
tables flush when mounted on the
Building and Hanging the platform. Sand and finish the plat-
Doors form parts now before screwing or
After all this big-panel construc- nailing it together.
tion, the doors will probably come Drill holes in the platform to suit
as a pleasant reprieve. Cut the your saw’s mounting configuration,
stiles, rails and door panels (pieces and bolt the saw to the platform. I
19 through 21) to size, and head to used carriage bolts, washers and
your table saw to mill the panel
grooves and stub tenons that hold Install a pair of locking swivel
the doors together. If your door casters on the front corners of the
panel plywood is slightly thinner cabinet with short lag screws and
than 1/4" — and these days, it washers. The other four casters do
usually is — cut the rail and stile not need to be locking style.

Woodworker’s Journal June 2010 45

 The author mounted his saw to the
platform with carriage bolts and
locking nuts (left). Use the
platform’s slots to help determine
where to locate and install the
hanger bolts (inset). Wrench them
into place with a pair of nuts
tightened against one another.

nylon lock nuts. Now, set the platform into place on the cabinet, Wrapping Things Up
and use the slots to reference where to drill pilot holes for the Whether you build scrap bins for your project like I did is up to
hanger bolts (pieces 30). Locate the bolts 41⁄2" from the front of you; you might want to devote the entire shelf space to longer
the cabinet. Before drilling those holes, fasten a backer board cutoffs. If you do build bins, I sized mine to 153⁄4" x 18" and
(piece 29) up inside the cabinet to give the hanger bolts a used through dovetails for joinery. There are measured drawings
thicker mounting substrate. Install the hanger bolts. provided at the end of this plan.
As far as electricals go, I think Rockler’s i-Socket (piece 35)
Adding the Fences is a great add-on to this stand, because it activates the vacuum
The fences consist of three parts: a wooden body (piece 32), a every time you squeeze the saw’s trigger. But, you’ll need to
strip of aluminum angle (piece 33) that secures it to the cabinet install a receptacle and long cord inside the cabinet to plug in
and, of course, the Kreg aluminum flip-stop track on top (piece the i-Socket, or use a power strip. I chose the former option and
34). Cut and assemble these fence parts with #10-3/4" panhead wired my outlet with a length of 12-gauge extension cord and
sheet metal screws to create two long fence units. When mine male plug. It can handle the start-up amperage of both tools.
were ready, I mounted them 91⁄2" back from the front edge of the With all of the inside details now completed, give the outside
support tables with more panhead screws. That fence placement of your project a thorough sanding, and apply finish to whatever
enables my 12"-diameter miter saw to crosscut stock to its full surfaces are still bare. Install the dust port (piece 36) over the
capacity. It also allows enough room in the hanger bolt slots to dust chamber hole on the left side of the cabinet with a bead of
move the platform backward for attaching backup boards to the caulk to create an air seal, and attach it with four screws.
saw fence or forward for opening the saw’s fences to make bevel Whew, this was a big project, but one you won’t regret build-
cuts. You may need to adjust the location of these two fixed ing. Now you’ve got a full-duty miter saw station and a
fences to suit your saw’s styling and cutting range. handsome shop addition to boot. I hope you enjoy using it!

Chris Marshall is Woodworker’s Journal’s Field Editor.

Assemble the three components of each fence

unit with panhead screws (middle photo), then
install them on the support tables with more
screws. Align them carefully with one another
first using a long straightedge (left photo).

Install the dust port over the dust chamber

opening with a bead of caulk and four screws
(right photo).

46 June 2010 Woodworker’s Journal

Ultimate Miter Saw Station
Scrap Bins

Exploded View

Elevations

3 2

1 7/16" x 7° Pin Slots,

1 1/8" On Center

1/4" x 1/4" Bottom

MATERIAL LIST Panel Groove
TxWxL
1 Front, Back (4) 5/8" x 53 ⁄ 4" x 153⁄4"
2 Sides (4) 5/8" x 53 ⁄ 4" x 18"
3 Bottom (2) 1/4" x 15" x 171 ⁄ 4"
4 3/8
Construction Notes:
Bottom panel grooves in front and back panels (pieces 1) must
1 1/4

stop short of the ends of the pins. Start and stop these cuts on
the router table with a 1/4" straight or spiral bit. Rabbet, box or
half-blind joinery could be used as substitutes for through
dovetail joints shown here.
1/ 2

Woodworker’s Journal June 2010

 1 1
1 1

3
14 14
2 2
1 1

27
5 5 15 15

26

24
20 20
5

25

8
1 / 4 - i n . M ap l e
6 Pl yw o o d
5

Ultimate Miter Saw Station

P l yw o o d , S o l id Wo o d C u t t in g D ia g r a m s

Materials Needed:
• 4.5 to 5 sheets 3/4" Maple Plywood
• Q u ar t e r o r h al f s h e e t 1 / 4 " M a p l e P l y w o o d ( D o o r s )
• 3 2 B F S o l i d M ap l e