Any ideas on how to best locate a sliding mitre saw in a small (18’x28′) shop that is already crowded… the problem is with all the room that the saw requires behind it which really can’t be utilized for anything else, I think.
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My mitersaw, not a slider, sits against a wall with a lumber rack behind it. It's the most efficient space usage that I could come up with.
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
and now www.flairwoodworks.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
RJT -
I too have a small shop about the size of yours. I had a saw like this (not sliding)and it ate up a sizable portion of my shop with the extensions and all. Not to mention the dust collection problem these saws present. I used the saw for mostly cross cutting raw material down to size. I got rid of the saw and replaced it with a hand saw and a saw bench.
I don't know what you use your saw for currently. Just giving a different perspective.
Josh
RJT,
With space being tight, you probably need to consider something on wheels. One of the first things I built was a cart to support both the miter and planner with flip up sides giving me about an 8' infeed/outfeed surface. It would be nicer to have each of these tool set up in their own space but its not going to happen unless I can figure a way to put the furnace and oil tank on wheels :)
As another already mentioned, you also need to think about the sawdust that will be thrown by the miter saw.
For my small shop (16X24) I solve both questions by using a portable mitersaw stand, set up in the driveway. It solves the space problem nicely, and a leaf blower works wonders with the sawdust.
There are other tools, stationary in larger shops, that I have on mobile bases (bandsaw, jointer, dust collector) and one that I will soon be building a mobile cart for ("portable" planer).
IMO, The mitersaw does not lend itself well to being on wheels -- hence my decision to keep it as a portable tool.
I put mine on the floor under my workbench. I don't make that many cross-cuts, so when I do, I pull it out so it has room to slide, and use a couple of 4x4 blocks on either side to act as supports. I stick the shop vac on the dust port, and it catches 90% of the dust once the blade is in the wood.
I basically rough out lengths on the miter saw, then trim them on the table saw.
When finished, I shove it back under the bench.
My co-op is building a woodshop and this problem recently came up for us too. With space for the sliding action and the miter adjustment handle in front the thing will stick out 42 inches from the wall at a minimum (in a shop about the same size as yours). Yikes! This just came up the other day so we haven't solved it, either.
While reading you post, I recalled a fixture mentioned in the 07/08 Tools & Shops issue (FWW 195): Matthew Teague built a cart to hold his planer with a rotating top. The planer hangs upside-down like a bat most of the time, inside the cabinet, and he spins it upright to use it.
I was just thinking maybe for the saw a rotating platform that spins the saw 90 degrees toward the wall might get the handle up out of the way and save a foot or so. Or maybe a combination of rotating and sliding? But I haven't measured anything or thought this through, so it could be a totally stupid idea, too.
The only other things we've thought of so far are just trying to be efficient about locating other equipment so the saw can share supporting surfaces and/or fences. I'll post again if we come up with anything brilliant. Good luck!
Ted
Thanks all, it is a problem that needs some tinkering with. I've even thought of having an outdoor bench and carrying the saw out when needed, ugh! And then there is such a thing as winter.
RJ, have you already picked out the saw? There is at least one model out there that doesn't stick so far out in the back, but has the same capacity as it's competitors. Memory is vague, I saw it 2 or 3 years ago, but it might have been Hitachi.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Does it look like this?Just the latest addition to my shop.
Edited 6/3/2009 12:23 am ET by Originalbart
Hi, Bart, yeah I think it was the Hitachi. Didn't they make a design that takes up less front-to-back room? The tool guys in the next time were real big on it when it came out. I have the Makita 12" slider, pretty happy with that.
You might want to pull those last two attachments -- is it not copyrighted material that's not from Taunton?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Yes under the cover with (Hitachi) on it on the right side are 2 bars that can roll like your Makita saw or be locked in the forward position so they don't move & the saw rolls back & forth on them.Oh by the way I got the saw for $399.00.
Edited 6/3/2009 8:17 pm ET by Originalbart
Cool idea, Bart. Good price too. I never thought I'd be able to afford a slider, but when the Kapex saw came out, a whole bunch of good sliders came on the used market, and I snapped the Makita up right here on the Island!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I do have a Hitachi, it is the 8-1/2" but from front to rear it is 38". Everything in front of the fence can be shared with other fence equipment, but from behind the fence to the wall is unusable. Anyway, a 38" deep cabinet/saw stand is simply impractical in my shop. I'm probably going to settle for a stand on casters. I think manufacturers could come up with a design where the saw swings on a carriage from above that wouldn't require so much backyard.
I think manufacturers could come up with a design where the saw swings on a carriage from above that wouldn't require so much backyard.
I think that's called an RAStrimjim
Another idea for using a sliding miter saw in a cramped shop space is to create a space between exterior wall studs for the end of the slider to slide into. You'd make a small "pocket" by removing the drywall or whatever is on the wall, any insulation between studs, and the saw's carriage would retreat into this space when fully extended.
The pocket would yield another four inches. And although that doesn't sound like much it can make a difference in a small shop. I've done this with refrigerators in kitchens and it was amazing how it seemed to relieve the space of obstructions..
Also, another little trick I use in my own shop is, when I'm finished using the saw, I rotate it around to the 45 degree angle cutting position, for "storage." That moves the saw's handle out of the line of traffic. Before this became a habit, I used to poke myself on that handle on a regular basis.
Zolton If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Poking a hole in the wall is the best idea yet for my situation as it could go into the lean-to. It also could accommodate dust collection.
Did I just re-invent that?
Bosch has a gravity-rise stand for miter saws now. I had one for my Bosch table saw years ago and liked the way it folded up and stored vertically. The price may be a drawback at almost $300.
My sliding mitresaw is a Ridgid 12". I built a shop that is 18'x37'. I built a counter/mitresawtable/assemblytable ect. on the northwall. Its about 17' long. The mitresaw sits in the midle of the counter and is set about three inches down in so each side of the counter is the sides of the sliding mitresaw. Even though I only use it a small amount the fact that it's available with level sides any time I need it is worth alot. I also can use the two sides of the counter for shop space. I also made the counter high enough so that I can use a stool to sit at the counter, put my small wood scrap bins under the counter, a big trash can , and also I ran my vac system lines under the counter against the wall. I hope this helps, I enjoyed all the other great ideas. clark
you don't have to take up more real-estate with an SCM,
I dunno how much floor space yer TS occupies, but I had a welder fabricate a kind of cntalevered shelf that sits about 6" above my table saw outfeed table, thus letting my TS fence slide beneath it. TO do it over agin, I'd change the design a tad, to be sure-I'd add stabilty to the side supports, following the advice of my wife who says "never keep the first one"
The "SCM" is a little higher than a reasonable person might like it, bit it sure does save floor space. However, on the positive side-I don't need reading glasses to see the laser!!
I can post pics if anyone is interested.
Eric in Calgary
I can post pics if anyone is interested.Eric in CalgaryI'm always interested, besides that what you contribute may be used by someone in another application. Spinning off of someones idea to make it work for another application an improving on it is how we all learn.Thanks in advance, Bart
Ill get pix tomorrow if I can liberate SWMBO's digitial camera ..
Sorry, but my shop ain't gonna look like the stuff in the mags!
Eric
as requested by that original bart fella, some pix of the of the scms cantalevered over the ts bed are attached.
In one of em you'll see a stick between TS fence and blade- it is 4' long
The wings on this iteration (the first idea) are just baltic birch...Next iteration is gonna have longer supports, maybe even square channel that telescopes.
You don't see the supports that I have to put under the wings (cause I took em out for the photos....)
The 4th photo shows a 16-32 performax dubble decked with a Makita 2040, and an additional shelf on top. The whole thing is on HD casters, and yes, the floor in the shop is tilted that much. The whole stand looks out of square, but it ain't. The plywood box on the side holds various belt sander belts on dowels.
As I said, it ain't a magazine shop. I keep hoping the shop elves or fairies will come and clean it for me, but it ain't happened yet.
Eric in Calgary
That's a pretty good way of making a compact shop how does the jointer fit into this arraignment? Is that a Craftsman or Ridgid table-saw?
Edited 6/7/2009 11:16 pm ET by Originalbart
The jointer is down at the far end of the table saw outfeed table- you cannot see it in the photos.
The TS is actually a craftex- a taiwanese knock off of the craftsman, only the motor has a folded pully system, so It's inside the box.
Another thing you cannot see is that under that outfeed table is my original craftsman on a trolly and a lowered base. It is fitted with a dado blade so that when I'm cutting cabinet pieces, I don't have to keep switching. The arbour was getting a tad worn down-no longer 5/8, so it got relegated to peripheral tasks.
Can you see what I mean about re-inforcing the side tables on the SCM?
Do you have a laser on yours? I retro-fitted one on mine, and it is a time saver.
Eric
Mine is a Hitachi with a built in laser. I tried to put one of those laser disks on my Craftsman 12" CMS but wouldn't work on that saw.Here is a shot of my set up with the old CMS. On the left on a 100# set of drawer glides is my portable planer on the right is my spindle sander, with the mechanic tools in the drawers in between. The spindle sander sets on a false bottomed box with a wheelbarrow tire inner-tube laying on its side this lets me lower it to fit in the cabinet & then inflate it to bring the top up to 32" I like to set on a stool to use this machine. The new SCMS sets on the same bench along with the Shopfox mortiser & an old Duro bench top drill-press that was my Dad's first drill press.
Didn't it feel good when ya built that stand. Them thar accuride slides do do a good job too.
The only place that I've not used em is in the storage rack for the sandpaper. I think it's 12 drawers behind the squares and verniers just to the right of the chop saw in the chopsaw3 image. Given that they are up high, the cheapo roller slides alow me to pull them out, tilt them down, or remove them easily. I never realized how much s/p I had lying around until it got organized. Equally I never realized how much $$ was tied up in sandpaper until then.
Me? I'm just a tool junkie. Them pictures is of the daytime work shop-the work-a-day stuff. I keep a variety of tool boxes loaded with tools for specific tasks-that way I can throw em in the truck as needed.
Meanwhile at home is the antique tool collection, the mechanics tools, the machinists tools, the more esoteric reference books, the FHB/FWW mags of course, etc. They go to the shop as needed
Organization is an evolutionary process to me. Since I've discovered youtube, a whole new perspective of ideas has opened up via the workshop videos.
Thanks for sharing
Eric
Here is another shot with the spindle sander raised up. The entire bench is built on a torsion box base & on heavy duty casters.
Great looking shop, very well thought out.
My 12 inch SMS is mounted on the delta mitre saw/planner stand,which can be stored standing like a hand truck. very handy plus with its rollers out it can handle vary long boards very well. and it has to height settings
Dan
Hitachi either slide the rails or slide on the rails.
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