DON’T Build a Miter Station - Do THIS Instead
Build this quick and easy Miter Saw Auxiliary Fence! A great alternative for those who lack the money, time, or space for a full miter station.
* Fully adjustable
* Lots of configurations
* Easy to set up and remove
* Uses 1’ x 4’ material and a few pieces of easily obtainable hardware
* Takes less than an hour to build!
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Parts used in the video: (NOT affiliate links)
* Universal T-Track: www.rockler.com/universal-t-t...
* #6 x 3/8” Flat Head Phillips Screws a.co/d/iX3LcdD
* 1/4''-20 T-Bolts: www.rockler.com/t-slot-bolts-...
* Easy-to-Grip 1'' Round Knobs, Female Thread: www.rockler.com/rockler-easy-...
* Inline Stop for T-Track System: www.rockler.com/rockler-inlin...
As usual, no sponsorship, endorsement, merchandise, or compensation was offered or accepted for the making of this video.
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#woodworking #mitersaw #diy #chopsaw #mitresaw #tools #mitersawstation #miterstation #mitersawfence #mitersawstand #mobilemitersaw #dewalt #dws779 #dws780
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An alter to the saw 😂😂😂😅😊 Dang. That is too true!!
I know right?! I feel like I should be kneeling when using one!
That was a good one he made me laugh 😅
Ha!!!
@@j.r7872 What do you call it when you alter the altar? An Altaration? ;-)
"or a darn cathedral..." 😂😅 I am laughing so much. I couldn't pin point what was about those builds that I didn't like. This just about describes it. Brilliant!
Duuuude. What a great idea. I'm in the middle of setting up my brand new shop and was just about to begin the work on the "alter". This allows me to reconsider where I put the saw and will give more room in my little shop. I LOVE YOU MAN
Awww 😊 thanks, so glad this helped you!
Love it. It's not an idea I've seen done, redone, resold, repackaged, or copy/pasted from every other wood tuber. Thanks!
Yeah, that “copy/paste” thing is getting out of hand on KZhead. We are talking about that on our next podcast, you should check that out 😁👍
When I saw your cover picture, a light bulb went on. I don’t have this saw, but i have other uses. You’ve made a portable t-track! I can attach this to my work table, my table saw, etc and put clamps and stop blocks wherever I need them! Good job.
Definitely, it all works on the same principle
Fabulous video! I just put my saw on a new rolling table and I need a take down fence cause I’m not building a shrine for it either. This is a great help for the saw and will also help in my ongoing ( and largely unsuccessful ) attempt to reduce profanity.
I started a whole podcast just so I’d be able to cuss on KZhead 😂 🤬
I am so happy KZhead suggested your channel! I’m in stitches! 😂😂 learning a lot just from the one and a half videos I’ve watched! Thank you!
Thanks Heather! Really appreciate that 🙂
SAME HERE! This guy needs to do a class!
@@BFGraebner101I’ve thought about it 😉
Good lad! Best and most practical set-up for a mobile mitre-saw on KZhead. I’ll make mine tomorrow. Thank you, my Dewalt will love me.🏴
After you make this, check out the Part 2 video I just released for this 😊
@@BustedKnuckleWoodworks Lovely……I’ll check it out.👍
Great idea! When I bought my Dewalt Miter saw, it was the holiday season and the miter saw stand was included. The stand works great, but this will be a great addition.
Same here, stand was included, love this setup 💪
Excellent narration and video, love the way it is so easy to build and a plus for my Dewalt miter saw. Thank you for sharing.
Get busy and start building this first, then build a whole bunch of other stuff! 👍
Back when I worked in a lumber mill, the chop saw stations would have metal rails extended out up to 20 feet that were designed with slots cut into them every other inch (each stopper had a spot the screw in a spacer to reach the in-between inch) that you'd slide stoppers into. They were designed to be easily pushed out of the way (the slot was on the left corner and went about halfway through the rail) so you could reach the longer cuts, and could effectively have multiple cut stops setup on one rail. This let us pump out bulk cuts of graded lumber quickly and meet order quotas. Not really a concept I've seen anyone adapt to a miter station, yet.
Interesting 🤔 I can kinda picture it working on a smaller scale like this.
@@BustedKnuckleWoodworks Yeah, the stoppers were weighted at the bottom too, that way they could be pushed aside and the board could sit fully flush along the rail up to it's cut point. The rail itself had a slotted side and a smooth side, we would run the board down the smooth side then shift it over to the left and seating the end of the board against the desired stopper and all the other stoppers along the way get tilted over out of the way until the board is dropped after the cut, then they just swing back into place.
@@bunnyultima1875 I need pictures and video
@@ohiowalnut … or, at least drawings 🤔
I, too, have my miter saw on a mobile cart and this is just the solution I need and will definitely be building. Thank you for doing the thinking for me.
My pleasure! My wife does all my thinking for me 😂
Brilliant! Been putting off building a miter saw station for ages. Now I can put it off indefinitely. Thanks 🙏
😂 you bet! No more altars!
@@BustedKnuckleWoodworks I’m getting that on a shirt!
Good build and entertaining video. On my miter station/altar 🤣 I put t-track in the table surface for a stop block. With a long fence like this, if you have a warped board to cut, the fence can push it away from the middle leading to kickback. The fence in the saw is sufficient for that and a stop block on the table surface gives that option for repeated cuts. Just something to consider. Keep up the great videos!
Thanks, that’s definitely something to consider…
THANKS SO MUCH! I just made this exactly according to the video, and it is awesome! I've always hated my miter saw, but didn't have the room/patience/need to build a shrine, this is the exact happy medium I've been looking for to actually enjoy using the stupid thing. Some outfeed supports might be in my future, but so far so good! Simple idea, but I never wouldn't have thought of it myself. You rock man.
Oh man that is awesome 👏 so glad it’s working for you! Happy miter-ing! 😃
Thank you! I'm new to woodworking and I don't have the space to build the "Cathedral" for my Miter saw or any of my other tools. So I've settled for trying to build sturdy mobile carts. You idea has definitely solved my miter saw problem. Thank you..
My pleasure! Glad it was helpful. I’ll keep bringing the tips 👍
This is an AMAZING idea that I can't believe I haven't seen sooner! I know I'll be implementing this right away for my Bosch!
Works awesome on a Bosch, especially if you have the stand 👍😊
Lee, I just came across your channel with this video and love your vibe -- so funny, practical, and self-deprecating (busted knuckles indeed). The part in this video where you talked about the "giant altar to a saw ... I just want to cut with it, not pray to it" -- that earned you a new subscriber right there. And the black-and-white Frankenstein sequence was great too. I'm going to my shop to build this fence for my Bosch 12" glider right now. Thanks for the wonderful content and keep going!
Lol can you believe, over 70,000 views and you are the FIRST person to comment on the Young Frankenstein reference! 😂 (Geez 🙄 I even used the exact lines from the movie). That deserves some kind of prize! 🏆
P.S. I posted this comment to my FB story, too good 👍
@@BustedKnuckleWoodworks ❤ ... thanks for the trophy :) I hope you keep making this great content, Lee, it's very creative and fun!
Hey, ya beat me to it - was just coming to the comments to say the same thing to Lee! Hilarious, practical, simple.
@@pamcadd8658 I will take a kind compliment like that anytime. Thank you 🙏
You saved me from building a whole goddamn cathedral. I was about to start this project tomorrow.
The more people I can save from these monstrosities, the better! 👏
Love your sense of humor, your "altar for the saw" comment is a classic! I too am space challenged after 20 yrs still can't convince my wife that her car needs to live outdoors. 😂. Your fence idea will guide me when I reconfigure my miter saw stand.
Tell your wife cars don’t rust like they used to! 😁
This is fantastic! I recently gave away my skill saw for this reason. Time to get another. Bravo!!!
Go for it!
This was enjoyable beyond words. And a GREAT idea! Thoroughly entertaining, informative, and practical. We need more people with a brilliant sense of humor like this. Thank you!
Wow, thank you! It’s comments like this that motivate small channels like mine to keep grinding it out 💪
Great idea, one useful add-on would be using the t track on the backside to hold some custom piece of material perpendicular to the fence and create an adjustable support for long pieces
Watch part 2 of this video, where I do exactly that! 😁 kzhead.info/sun/lL6Qk6qZmYqkeqM/bejne.html
Well I'm gonna be building this this weekend! I've been meaning to make a fence for my miter saw, and this looks practical and simple.
It definitely is! Make sure to watch the follow up to this video, lots more good ideas to add to this
Genius, i'm glad i stumbled across this video, was planing for a major setup, but this release so much space. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome! Thanks for the visit! I hope this works well for you, it does great for me 👍
Having an extra fence helps when you are cutting to a depth rather than all the way through the wood. Otherwise you don’t get the same depth across the wood. Don’t make the fence too tall. It can reduce the plunge depth. Exellent video.
Yeah, no need for any taller than 3.5" for sure
I love this. A mod I can think of right away that I would make is to put a couple of pieces of ¼" hardboard perpendicular to the fence away from the saw to help support long pieces. I can't tell you how many times I've needed support on long pieces...
This stand has extensions for support so I didn’t need that, but definitely could do that if there was a need 👍. Thanks for the idea 💡!
That IS a good idea. I almost bought a stand with my saw, but my shop is so small I want to build a table with storage beneath. This fence system with longer piece support would work great! Thanks for the ideas, both of you!
@@wooddogg8 you’re welcome!
Haha, I love it! I've been struggling with how to set up and place my unwieldy miter saw in my shop, because it eats up so much space, front to back and side to side. And I really don't want to build a shrine/alter for it either. So you gave me a great idea! Thumbs up!
I give this comment a thumbs up 👍 also! 😁
Great idea. Love the simplicity. I'll definatly use this.
🙌 yeah, go for it! 👍
Great video. I make picture frames and this jig solved the problem of making all my cuts the same length. Thank you for making awesome content that is easy to follow. Best regards.
I’m so glad 😃 this helped you out!
Isn't a table saw more accurate for picture frame work?
@@rdot980 I think that depends on the size of the frame, the size of your saw, and how accurate your miter gauge is. I’ve made a lot of nice frames with both tools.
I would make an L bracket that attaches to the t-track at the far end of the fence running on the back and under the fence giving you some support for long pieces at the far end. As it would ride on the track, it could be moved to whatever position that is the end of your piece.
That’s a really good idea. I can’t think of anything already existing that would work like that but you could certainly make something suitable I would assume.
I *just* posted a comment saying the exact same thing. Great minds...
I was just thinking of how to support long pieces. This is a great idea. I could also think of building the fence in an L configuration with a bottom that lines up with the bed of the miter saw. I think that would work because it seems that you would mount the fence pretty much in the same place each time you use them.
@@jeffranck6080 another excellent mod. Be sure to account for the gap you need for miter cuts though
Great idea. I’ve started building my shop cabinets. It started as a miter station. But I hated the idea of building the cabinets around a tool that I actually don’t use as much as my other tools. I actually started back in June by dismantling my old miter station. I had to quit with the build after a back injury. Just started up again by starting with the uppers. But one thing I noticed was that…. I haven’t even used my miter saw since June. So I actually sold my old miter saw and plan to buy a new one. One that is much smaller and light weight. I’m still going to put the miter saw on my shop cabinets. But… not building an “altar” to it. Love your video. This was entertaining but also provided a great alternative. I have my brothers miter saw upstairs above my shop where I store lumber. I may have to build this for that saw.
Definitely you should give this build a try and see if it works for you. I don’t use mine all that much either, which makes this a great alternative to an “altar.” Keeps the saw portable too, which is another great advantage.
Thank you. I have the same saw and not ready to build a saw station. This will work perfectly, and I can even add most parts to my saw station when I build it.
For sure, this will get you by for quite a while, so you can take your time when you build your station.
Just getting started on my Miter saw station. It'll have cabinets beneath so moving into the alter range. But I'm definatelty incorporating your t-track stop Idea, but maybe on the bench (cabinet tops) instead of a long fence.. fantastic for repeatable cuts. I may actually try using bench dogs, the adjustable kind, so My benchtop doesn't have a long fence running through it. Just running through ideas. Time to start building!!
I think the “altar” route is fine if you have the time, the space, and the money to build one. The thing about it his fence is that it can work for anyone, regardless of those considerations. And as you point out, you can certainly adapt the concept within a larger build as well.
Great idea, I was actually on here researching table setups for miter saws. I think I'll do this instead! Thanks :)
Definitely worth a try, if you decide to go with the station later you aren't out anything except the materials, which are pretty cheap.
i have a station in my barn but i really like this. it is a lot more convenient to be able to have the saw close to where i am building and this way the saw will be portable. i am definitely going to have to make one of these thanks for a great idea and short to the point vid 🙂
You’re welcome my friend, you will find it handy I’m sure!
Such a great setup for small work areas!!! Love these simple genius ideas
It really is! Glad you enjoyed!
Brilliant idea! I have a very small shop so this is going to help me tremendously!! Thanks so much for this video. Time to hit the subscribe button. 😁
Thanks so much for subbing 😊. Us small shop guys need to stick together!
You just made my miter saw a lot more friendly. Thank you for the great idea!
You’re very welcome 😊
Thanks for this ingenious but simple solution to an age old problem ! Will make this system for my miter saw asap!
Awesome! You’ll use it a lot, trust me 👍
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. I have my miter saw on a folding stand, so I can easily move it out of the way. I have no room for an altar to it. But ... I needed a longer fence ... and this is perfect. Thanks for the great video.
Thanks for watching Laura, glad it helped!
The commentary while trying to attach a board to the fence is all of us.
And here I was thinking it was just me 😉
"I want to use my mitre saw, not pray to it!" Love it!
Am I right? 🙏
That is pretty slick snd useful yet simple!
Glad you liked it! Very useful for sure
I like it Lee. Easy and quick. Thank you
No problem 👍
Excellent idea Lee. I need something like this as I have no desire for a workstation for my saw. Just a miter saw stand like yours. I’m going to build this. Also I lucked out on another miter saw video that I’m going to use by Inspire Woodworking that has a great idea for dust collection that is a simple modification. You might want to check it out also.
Thanks for the heads up, I will check that out ✅
Great idea! ... I decided to just build it with dovetail grooves and use MicroJig Matchfit style hardware (3D printed) to both save money on buying T-track and not have to worry about ever cutting through the track. Works great! Thanks!
Love it! Quite a few others here in the comments have mentioned doing the same. I think it’s a great idea!
Great video. Short, to the point, and great enthusiasm. I probably differ from you.. I LOVE having a built in tape measure on my Miter saw's stop side. For as seldom as I need to shift it, it saves me minutes that I can really use at other points in the job. I do like your idea of T-track stop positioning on the outfeed side.. very ingenious. The only thing I would caution.. is that MDF tends to bend more easily.. necessitating careful feeding to avoid tolerance issues ( yes, this really did happen to me - once..), so, a bottom or back stiffening rib board is in order.. you could make your T-track match up with that nicely.. and help prevent the board from sagging or changing over time. LOVE the "altar", haha.. I REFUSE to waste my shop time (and funds) on a project like that that just ends up becoming a place for junk to stack up on.. The router table and table saw get enough junk as it is..
I’ve used this setup for a long time and find having the two t-tracks keeps the fence pretty stable. Totally agree on the “altar” thing though 😁
Love it! Added this to my miter saw about a week ago and absolutely love it Thanks!
That is awesome! Thanks for sharing that, l love knowing that this was useful
Check out our new podcast! www.youtube.com/@TheNewCrankyWorkshop
Wear a mask with that M y D ead F riend
Catch Part 2 of this video, with lots of updates and improvements suggested by our viewers! kzhead.info/sun/lL6Qk6qZmYqkeqM/bejne.html
I like the simplicity!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
That's awesome, I have the same issue, I will be using this on my saw. Well done!
Thanks! I just did a follow up vid with lots of improvements, be sure to check that one too :)
This is great. I hope you had as much fun making it, as I did watching it. Greetings from Australia.
I sure did! That Young Frankenstein shot was tricky though! 😅
Excellent! Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Simple, excellent ideas are almost always the best solutions. Great job!!!
I try not to overthink things. In fact, I usually underthink most things 😆
This is great. As someone who puts his miter saw away everyday this is a pretty helpful solution. Subscribed.
As a guy who loves ugly sweaters, I approve this message 👍
Love the idea. Have the T-track laying around and def will be building this. Would also work well with a slotted cut in the event someone doesn't have t-track laying around.
For sure, if you have the right bit a slotted cut would work. Not sure how well MDF would hold up, but hardwood would be fine
Great idea. I have a sacrificial fence of MDF on my miter saw that's handy for short repeatable cuts. This is a better solution for longer pieces. Thanks!
Yes definitely, plus you can slide the stop for shorter cuts too 😊
Good video. I do like having my miter saw flush with my bench - not an alter, but practical. I am going to be adding an extended fence such as you describe in your video. Thanks!
Right on! You will find it a practical modification
Fantastic video. Love all the extra effort you put into it. The humor really makes it stand out.
Aw thanks man, so happy you appreciated that. Definitely worked hard on this one!
Thanks Lee, outstanding and I’m going to build one. Great production.
Awesome, you’ll like it, trust me 👍
Great idea! I was planning to build a miter saw station but I'll try this first. Thanks for the great idea.
Yeah no harm in giving it a shot, lots of people here telling me it’s exactly what they needed
I enjoy practical problem solving like this. Thanks for the video. I hope to make it some day.
Super easy to do, trust me. Thanks for the watch!
Dude, I just discovered your videos and I really like them! I like this fence idea. I wanted to build one of those cool miter saw stations but I don't build much or very often so having a removable and easily storable fence will work out so much better for me. thanks!
Spectacular! It will definitely be worth your time
Yes! I like it. my setup is close to yours so I can see this working well for me. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, thanks 🙏 for watching!
I had no interest in anything miter saw (I don't own one anymore) but I'm so glad I clicked on the video. Super fun and entertaining video Lee. And a super simple and effective build. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Jason! Looking forward to your next one as always 👍
Thank you. I am making the Miter Rails today. I am a disabled vet in Killeen and working slowly but this is a wonderful idea and just what I needed. I will be watching you for more wonderful ideas. I think you are hilarious also. God Bless
I was just at the Home Depot in Killeen last weekend 😁 Thanks for tuning in, and thank you for your service 🫡
The enthusiasm alone is great! great idear!
If you’re not having fun, why do it? 😁
I bought everything on the list and then some using your links. Thank you in advance!
Those weren’t affiliate links. I probably should start doing that though.
Excellent production quality. Great sense of humor!
More to come!
That's ingenious! That and some in and outfeed supports is all you need. I love the altar.
I love altars too, as long as they remain in church and not in my shop haha 😆
This is a neat and dead simple solution to a problem that I'm pondering. Thanks. And BTW great performance over all. I like the presentation's lack of formality.
I was planning to go more formal but my tux was at the cleaners
Love it!! I’m a new woodworker loving it and this awesome. I’m just in a small garage so it great.
Awesome! So happy to have you here in the community! You will love woodworking (when you're not actually hating it LOL)
Just awesome. I will certainly be building this fence. Thank you!
You’re welcome, thanks for watching! 😊
I like your format. Great sense of humor Lee and nice idea for a guide.
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed!
Hello from the UK, great idea, I'll be having a go this weekend!
Greetings from Austin Texas! 🤠
I have no intention of building an alter to my job site/shop chopper… So this is a fantastic and portable! Thanks
Then how will you pray to it? 🙏 Haha just kidding 😁
best woodworking youtube channel out there, very entertaining and informative!
Wow, thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate it. 🤗 Don’t forget to check out Part 2 of this video if you haven’t already! kzhead.info/sun/lL6Qk6qZmYqkeqM/bejne.html
Wow this is like a big tv show production. Very entertaining and well put together.
Hollywood here we come! 😁🎬
Awesome Sauce! I've been looking for a solution like this! Thanks for the vid!
It really works! Check out the part 2 video I just released also
Brilliant 😂. I have seen these "shrines" to chop saws too and it doesn't really make sense in my garage shop with limited space... I might do something similar. Thanks for the idea!
Exactly! This is for all of us small guys 👍
@@BustedKnuckleWoodworks As a woodworking newb, I need all the help I can get, man. Practical, inexpensive solutions that make sense and just work.
If I had to use a saw stand, I think I would build something like this. Thanks for this video, it is helpful to see what other makers are doing. Cheers
Yep, I move that saw around a lot so this is handier than a big altar!
This is awesome. One thing that could make it even faster and easier depending on the saw, is having an extra set of upper fences.
Good suggestion 👍🙂
Just stumbled across this video whilst looking for ideas as I am in the process of re-arranging my shop. And boy - this idea is so simple and yet: A GAME CHANGER FOR ME!
Huge space and money saver for sure. Glad you enjoyed the video!
"I didn't want to set up an alter" - EXACTLY! Great video, thanks.
Right?! Who needs that? 🙃
This is amazing! Exactly what I was looking for. I have the same saw and issues as you so this is perfect.
Glad you found the video!
Thanks for this video. I like the idea. When I build it I will make extra sacrificial boards for standard miter cuts, say 45 left/right and 45 at an angle. Another idea is to keep the T-track back from the blade side just a bit to avoid nicking it when trying to get a close zero-clearance clean cut.
I keep a fine-tooth blade on there and rarely have a need to use these as a zero-clearance. If I wanted to do zero clearance I would probably forego the t-track altogether and use Matchfit dovetail grooves and hardware instead.
Also… these tracks are aluminum, your blade would just cut through these like butter anyway 🙂
@@BustedKnuckleWoodworks I like the Matchfit idea. Then the MDF could be truly sacrificial as needed for a true zero-clearance.
Great idea BN... I used micro gig match fit parts with the dove tail groove. Nice set up and allows you to recut the fence square edge after making angle curs... this video lead me to figuring out how I could use my micro jig parts. Thanks for the video
Check out part 2 of the video, it’s the most recent one on my channel. I make another one with Matchfit parts in that video! 👍 It’s a great idea 💡
Nice, simple, cheap, straightforward. Thanks...
Thank you! The best ideas always are!
Nicely done!
Thanks for the visit 🥂
Fantastic job Lee!
Thank you 😊 I appreciate that!
Most entertaining video I’ve seen in a while. Great idea too. My miter saw has been lonely for some time now, but this fence might do the trick!
Time to show that miter saw some ❤️🙂
Absolutely love this. You saved me time and money and frustration and I'm sure a lot of curse words trying to build an integrated miter saw temple....lol. Really appreciate your humor and your instruction. You made this old guy laugh throughout the video. Thanks much!
Thanks 🙏 needed this today! 😊
I love it. Just what I need. I too don’t want a massive mitre saw set up. Down to the workshop I think. 👍🏼
Yes sir!
This is an awesome idea man, GREAT alternative to a miter station. Functional and a heck of a lot cheaper to build.👍
And it keeps your saw mobile, which is important to many of us
Very useful upgrade thank you for sharing. Everyone stay safe, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia
You’re welcome ☺️ you stay safe as well!
"an altar for a saw" -- that metaphor is absolutely spot on!
It definitely is!
Very Practical, good tutorial.
Glad it was helpful!
Love it, good approach.
Much appreciated!