Back in the days before sliding miter saws, I build a clunky divided-box stand with outrigger fences that I set up on sawhorses. It worked well until I bought a new sliding double-bevel saw. The new saw is just too big for my old setup, so I bought a universal saw stand. I missed the storage function of my old rig, though.
As shown in the drawing, I made a simple modification that is a throwback to my old workstation: a storage shelf. It attaches to the new stand with four short panhead screws, which makes for a quick on/off operation. The screws run through the bracket at the top of each leg and into plastic inserts that are let into the 3/4-in. plywood sides. The sides have 20° rakes matching the angle of the workstation’s legs and hang down 12 in., which gives the shelf ample room to store at the ready the next round of tools I’ll need after I’m done with the saw. On one side is a power strip for the tools used at the station. For extra credit, I added a pencil sharpener to the other side.
I am still creating more options as I use it, but these personal preferences can be tweaked to match the task at hand. The best thing is that it saves trips and cuts down on clutter.
Macgill Adams, Anchorage, AK
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #208
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