
Plans for a Mobile Miter Saw Station
Today I’m going to show you how to build a mobile miter saw station. I’ll give you a full walk-through and I also have the miter saw stand plans for you too. This project is going to give your shop workhorse tons of flexibility, plenty of work support, mobility, and a ton of upgrades. This miter saw table is a great addition to any garage or workshop short on space. The plan will fit most miter saws, but the measurements could be modified to fit other tools or saws as needed.
***Update, I’ve now added a YouTube video on this build and added a few small tweaks, make sure you check it out below! ***
The Mobile Miter Saw Station is made from 2 sheets of ¾” plywood. It is 39” tall on 3” casters and with side wings extended it’s 93” wide. When stored it’s only 38” wide and 24-½” deep, because the folding wings give it a small footprint.
I made several upgrades to the DIY miter saw stand plan to give it added performance and usability. A basic version built out of common plywood can be made for right around $100. But upgrades such as better plywood, larger casters, dust collection, an automated vacuum switch, and an aftermarket fence and stop system can make this build a workshop masterpiece.
Materials/Supplies
- (2) 4’x8′ 3/4″ Plywood
- 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws
- 1-1/4″ wood screws
- 5/8″ wood screws
- 72″ long 1-1/2″ piano hinge
- (2) 1/4″-20 20mm threaded inserts
- (10) 2-1/2″ 1/4″-20 bolts
- (8) fender washers
- (8) 1/4″ flat washers
- (2) 1/4″ wingnuts
- (8) 1/4″ lock washers
- (8) 1/4″-20 threaded knobs
- See upgrade list
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And if you want to get a great deal on two spacing-saving shop plans, check out the Flip Top Tool Stand and Miter Saw Station Combo Plan pack and save 33%!
How to Build a Mobile Miter Saw Stand: Part 1
- Assemble the Base
- Make the Side Wings Supports
- Mount the Side Wings Supports
Assembling the Miter Saw Stand Base
Start by drilling pocket holes on the underside of the left and right edges of the shelves. Secure the top shelf 1-¾” down from the top of one side using 1-¼” pocket hole screws, while using a right angle to hold it square.
After that secure the other side to the top shelf using the same method.
Attach the middle shelf to each side 5-¾” down from the top shelf. Using a bar clamp while you work to hold the sides together is useful here.
After that screw the bottom shelf in place flush with the bottom of the sides.
Check the miter saw cabinet for square by measuring from corner to corner, first from the bottom right to top left and then from the top right to bottom left. The cabinet is square when the measurements are equal.
Cut a back piece to overlap the sides, top shelf and bottom shelf which will also square the case. Tack the back in place at two corners with a 18ga Brad Nailer and then secure with 1-¼” screws around the edges.
If you’ll be adding dust collection to your DIY miter saw stand, then drill holes for the vacuum hose and the power cord in the back. I drilled a 2-½” hole for the vacuum hose and a 1-½” hole for the power cords in the back because it’ll be a cleaner install this way.
Flip the cabinet upside down and mount the casters on the bottom corners. After that use 1-¼” screws into the sides and back and ⅝” screws when attaching only to the bottom shelf.
Making the Miter Saw Station Side Wing Supports
Next you’ll make and attach the side wing supports for the DIY miter saw stand. Make a diagonal cut from the top to the bottom as seen in the picture. I used a 5” spacer (the width of my circular saw base plate to the blade) to position a straight edge for the cut. While out in the driveway I also cut off the bottom to remove the pointed end.
Next I cut two support riser pieces. These will hold 2-½” hex head bolts and wing nuts used to level the side wings when the miter stand is done.
Using a hex wrench, screw in a ¼”-20 x 20mm insert nut into the ⅜” hole. And finally install the hex bolts and wing nuts to finish the assembly.
Next attach the support risers to the side wing supports with glue and 1-¼” screws. The risers should stick up 1” past the side wing supports and be flush with the outside edge of the side wing support when installed.
Cut two 25” pieces from a 72” long 1-½” piano hinge using a hacksaw or a reciprocating saw with a metal blade.
Center the hinges on the long edge of the side support wings and attach them with ⅝” screws. To make mounting easier, lay the hinge over the edge and hold it tight against the corner while attaching the screws. Make sure you’re attaching it on the opposite side of the support riser.
Mount the Miter Stand Side Wing Supports
Mount the side wing supports to the miter saw stand base 2-¾” down from the top with ⅝” screws. The supports should be flush with the front of the base when fully open at 90 degrees. Use pieces of wood clamped to the supports which help position it flush with the front of the base as seen in the picture. Have a helper hold the wing while you secure it.
On the next post we’ll make the fence, mount the saw and install all the upgrades when we finish the Mobile Miter Saw Station.
Mobile Miter Saw Station Part 2: Side wings, fences, and upgrades
RIDGID provided me with tools and/or monetary compensation as a sponsor of this build. All opinions are my own and are not filtered by the sponsor.
Wondering what everyone is doing for surface finishing. Paint? Stain? Poly? Bare wood?
water based poly for me
Do you use freedom units or metric in your plans?
Freedom units (aka imperial)
Brad,
When adding the shims, do you make sure that each wing is level and then put the 4ft level across to figure out what size shims you need? Does it matter when you put the 4ft level on that it’s not level?
Has anyone built this for a Dewalt DWS780. It’s a sliding compound miter saw. The base is 26″ wide. Curious to know what kind of adjustments you made.
same question here. I have the DWS779 which is nearly the same saw and it’s a beast. Takes up a ton of real estate to be able to get full extension in all directions. I think I’m going to use the wings idea but build it onto a dedicated cabinet/workbench with more traditional 2×4 frame…maybe.
Yes I widened the top and lowered the base. I also added all thread with nuts and washers to exactly raises the Saw surface to match the wings. ( my math was off by 1/16” )
You can also buy a cabinet at your hardware store then just add wings
It seems as though using the shims and 4 foot level across the chop saw deck is a whole lot easier and safer than trying to get the levelness precise during the placement of the top shelf. Is that why shims are used to set the deck level?
Anyone ever try to get the height correct without using shims…
thanks
Bradley
Yes, that’s exactly why I did it that way. Too difficult to nail it exact!
Great detail on your Miter Saw Station plans and video – thank you.
I have a new issue – the steel pins are falling out of the hinges – any suggestions?
Thanks again, I plan on making “Fred” next 🙂
Bradley
Never mind I ticked the bottom end slightly with side cutters…easy.
Nice fix! Have fun making your own Fred 🙂
At one point you say to check the cabinet for square by measuring from corner to corner. If it isn’t should we try to “tweak” it back in…I tried and it is pretty tough to do. Afraid I would break something. Suggestion???
Brad, where did you get the cyclone and did it work for you? Was the small vac strong enough? Getting ready to build this – just gathering all the pieces. Thanks buddy!
Bob