Departments | Shop Talk

Tim Walton

Make A Stand

The crew at Oregon Carpenters, Inc., was pretty stoked about adding the new Ridgid 12-inch Dual Compound Miter Saw to our lineup of woodworking tools. Our old 12-incher was getting a bit long in the tooth and was heavier to pack than the newer, better-designed saw.

The first thing we do when we get a new miter saw is mount it on a stand. With apologies to the tool engineers who design a variety of stands for miter saws, our favorite saw table is made of a couple of 2x4s and a sheet of 3/4-inch CDX plywood. One table can accommodate several different miter saws, is easy to transport and supports even the smallest pieces of wood trim during the cutting process.

On the job site we set up our portable saw tables, which are more like work benches, on equally portable folding saw horses. Adding 2x6s to the tops of metal saw horses extends the load bearing surface and protects saw blades from contacting metal.

The Ridgid 12-Inch Dual Compound Miter Saw

Our testing proved this to be a well-designed professional grade trim saw, which offers extended dual bevel and extended miter range. The offset motor mount design accommodates up to 6-inch baseboards against the fence and 9 1/4-inch material laying flat. The unique thumb-wheel design for miter locks takes a little getting used to, but we’ve found it to be quick and easy to use.

We start by ripping the sheet of plywood length-wise to match the width of the saw base. We then cut the saw table surface to length. The length of the table is determined by the length of the pickup bed, which will be hauling the new saw table around. Make sure you get the measurement with the tailgate closed.

We then cut two of the 2x4s to the length of the table surface and chamfer off the bottom corner at each end. These chamfers make the table easier to slide in and out of truck beds and tool trailers.

Don’t Bench Your Miter Saw

I don’t recommend that you mount a saw like this in a fixed-location work bench. It’s designed to cut long stock, such as 16 ft. base and crown molding, which means you need about 35 feet of clear space to operate it.

Next we smear some wood glue on the non-chamfered edge of the 2x4s, slap the plywood on top and tack it down with a few finish nails to keep it lined with the edge. We used a handful of drywall screws and Ryobi’s 18-volt cordless drill to fasten the plywood to the 2x4s.

Then we measure between the 2x4s and rip some wing boards that fit between the 2x4s. After ripping, cut the wing boards to the same the length as the new table. This is so the wing boards can fit under the saw table and in the truck bed.

Make Your Own Miter Table With This Step-By-Step How-To

The new saw is placed on the table and we put one of the wing boards next to it so we can measure from the top of the wing board to the saw surface, which determines the height of the wing board support blocks. In this case, we ripped a 2x4 with a circular saw, but it’s easier to use a table saw if you have one handy.

Sources

Ryobi

Ridgid

Finally, we cut the blocks to the same length as the width of the wing boards and fasten them in place at each end and near the saw in the middle. The wing boards are attached to the support blocks with screws for each use and removed for transport and storage.

When broken down, the saw table, portable horses and saw all fit in a pickup with plenty of room for other tools.

—Larry Walton