I recently upgraded my miter saw and miter saw stand. I had built the miter stand detailed in Fine Homebuilding issue 218, but even with wheels mounted on one end it was very unwieldy and heavy. And once built, it was not really adjustable for a new miter saw. I built the miter stand shown below on the same idea, but made changes for adjustability and cutting weight.
Some of the key features I wanted were:
- continuous fence and wings
- extensions long enough to support 16' molding for end cuts
- adjustability in getting the fence parallel to the saw's fence
- lighter than version 1.0
I like a continuous fence and wings better than outfeed roller style stands because it fully supports any piece under about 5' (the last foot or so will overhang the end, but that's inconsequential), and more importantly it allows me to easily measure from the short point of a miter. By aligning the short point of the miter with the end of the table, I can hook my tape measure on the table and *BAM*, I'm measuring from the short point.
I lightened the support structure from version 1.0 in a couple of ways. I used 1/2" plywood for the front and back, and cut some hand holds in (the oblong cutouts you see). To provide rigidity and strength, I used aluminum t-slot profiles from 8020.net to connect the 1/2" plywood front and back, as well as to support the linear bearings for the extension wings (you can see some of that in the pic below). The brake on the linear bearing (seen in pic below) locks the extension wing in place, enabling it to also act like a stop for long pieces if necessary.
For the extension wings, I lightened the weight by using a 1"x2" aluminum t-slot profile, rather than the previous 2"x2" profile. Still stiff enough to support molding, but 1/2 the weight. Here is a picture of one of the extension wings fully extended:
The adjustable fence added a bit of weight to the stand (pic below). Fortunately, the fences are easy to remove if I felt like it or if I had to maneuver it through tight door ways. For what it's worth, I have never used a miter saw inside someone's house; I typically do remodel work rather than new construction, and I do all my cutting outside or in the garage. I try to keep my customers' houses neat and clean.
