Old timer Frank was right about my miter saw setup

Frank from the lumber yard told me to stop using that cheap stand and just build a dedicated bench for my saw. I kept using the flimsy one for like 8 months because I thought it was fine, but after I finally built a 4x8 bench with some 2x4s and plywood, my cuts got way more accurate. I'm kicking myself for not listening sooner because now I'm saving like 20 minutes per job just from not fighting the wobble. Has anyone else had an old pro give them advice that took forever to actually try?

3 comments

3 Comments

john_cooper8d ago

I built mine 6 feet wide thinking I was being clever, and now I can't reach the middle of the saw without climbing onto the bench like a toddler. I think Frank might have also mentioned something about measuring twice and cutting once, but I was too busy trying to get a discount on my 2x4s to hear him. Did you at least leave yourself room to store a couple of coffee mugs and a tape measure up there or is it just a giant plywood table now?

ray_miller418d ago

Gotta watch the length on that bench too. I built one exactly 4x8 a few years back and found out the hard way that 4 feet isn't deep enough if you're cutting long stock like baseboards or crown molding. You want at least 6 feet on each side of the blade for long stuff, not counting the saw itself. I ended up adding extensions on both ends because I was tripping over boards hanging off the back of my bench. That old timer Frank probably meant 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, not a perfect square.

patriciareed8d ago

Tripping over boards hanging off the back of my bench" lol I felt that in my soul. I built my first one 4 feet deep too and spent more time playing bumper cars with my workpieces than actually cutting them. The real kicker was when I tried to rip a full sheet of plywood and the front edge hit the floor while the back edge was still on the bench. I just stood there staring at it like "well that's not ideal." Frank's original measurements probably worked great back when everyone was just cutting broom handles and picture frames. Now I keep a tape measure taped to the corner of my bench so I remember next time.