# Do I need a miter saw table?



## TCM

I'm buying a miter saw in the next few days (or maybe in the next 5 minutes, who knows)

Do I need to buy the table too? Sears has a craftsman going on sale for $50 for black friday, however, I can't bring myself to go to the mall on black friday. Then I can't bear the thought of paying $90 for the stand when I could be paying $50 for it -- but then I would have to go to the mall...on black friday. :thumbdown:

Do I really need that stand? Can I just put the saw on a sturdy table, or the floor? If I do need the stand, i'm going to have to make a decision on weither to overpay, or die at the mall. (going to the mall on black friday may kill me).

Thanks!


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## BassBlaster

Not sure what you mean by miter saw table. Are you talking about one of those stands that the saw mounts too and folds up for storage and has wheels on it to drag it around like a dolly? If so, then no, you dont need one of those. They are nice if your a contractor and move your saw from job to job but for a saw that will be in your shop all the time, mount it to a bench and build extensions for the sides.


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## Backyardhack

I don't know about the stand you are talking about, but I can tell you that my delta gravity lift stand was worth every bit of money. You can certainly setup a stand on saw horses or a table. When you buy one you get the advantage of portability and some other setup options that make it worth while. If you leave near a Menards they have a nice gravity lift stand too. If that is over kill for what you are needing then I would go with the sears model. I don't think you will regret it. 

DELTA 36-136 Universal Miter Saw Stand:Amazon:Home Improvement

Bill


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## jschaben

I just built my own mobile stand for mine. Picked up 5 drawers worth of storage in the process.:yes:


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## mengtian

I just got my first one and it only has to move around the garage. I did this with what I had in my house and it works fine...just got done starting on a greenhouse with it:


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## woodnthings

*Yes, you need one unless....*

If your piece are less than 24" long then no. If not, you will need some support for the longer pieces. This link has some great ideas:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f9/miter-saw-stand-plans-13551/


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## TCM

Eventually I plan on making a stand to fit in the area of my shed that I have available. I was hoping that I could actually use the saw without the stand. 

So, I guess my next question should be, if I mount it on to a few scrap pieces of 2x6's and set it on the table that I have, it will be fine to use until I get around to something more permanent?


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## Backyardhack

If that meets your needs than I would say go for it. No need to spend a lot of money if you don't think it will make the job any easier.

Bill


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## jschaben

TCM said:


> Eventually I plan on making a stand to fit in the area of my shed that I have available. I was hoping that I could actually use the saw without the stand.
> 
> So, I guess my next question should be, if I mount it on to a few scrap pieces of 2x6's and set it on the table that I have, it will be fine to use until I get around to something more permanent?


That should work fine for you. You can rig outboard support with scrap lumber or any laying around to hold the end of the board up. Where a long table really shines is when you need to rig stop blocks for repetitive work. Not having a way to block things sux.


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## ryan50hrl

You don't need one.....but after using miter saws on the ground, on small tables, on buckets, ect. for years......I can't believe I didn't just buy a good stand years before after finally buying one.


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## Backyardhack

I couldn't agree more! Ryan is dead on with his comment.

Bill


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## SeniorSitizen

I built this 8 footer with a 1/2 sheet of 3/4" cabinet grade plywood. It's portable to place across saw horses, work out of the pickup with one saw horse or put on a work bench. It provides a narrow shelf on the back side to put cut off pieces. I wouldn't be without it and I don't work on the floor anymore.


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## TCM

Just in case anyone is interested, this is probably going to be the plan that I go with. 

Miter Saw Stand


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## jharris2

Looks good. Maybe you could add a shelf or two underneath the saw for better storage.

Please keep us posted on your project.

Jeff


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## Howard Ferstler

TCM said:


> I'm buying a miter saw in the next few days (or maybe in the next 5 minutes, who knows)
> 
> Do I need to buy the table too? Sears has a craftsman going on sale for $50 for black friday, however, I can't bring myself to go to the mall on black friday. Then I can't bear the thought of paying $90 for the stand when I could be paying $50 for it -- but then I would have to go to the mall...on black friday. :thumbdown:
> 
> Do I really need that stand? Can I just put the saw on a sturdy table, or the floor? If I do need the stand, i'm going to have to make a decision on weither to overpay, or die at the mall. (going to the mall on black friday may kill me).
> 
> Thanks!


I do it both ways. I have a small Ryobi unit attached to a big piece of old mdf that I can carry to locations for standard chopping work. I generally just place it on a roll-out bench out on my workdeck, but I have also hauled it over to several neighbors or friends to do on-site cutting during charity jobs. 

On the other hand, I also have a larger Ridgid 12-inch slider that I have mounted on a roll-out stand. The actual top of the stand is a Wolfcraft clamp unit that once sat on flimsy legs. I got rid of those legs and incorporated the top section (with the outrigger supports) into a heavy wooden stand that makes use of its advantages, and overcomes its disadvantages. 

I am a sucker for wooden knobs on my tools, and I have replaced the plastic versions on both saws with versions I machined myself out of various woods.

Photos attached.

Howard Ferstler


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