New Shop Build: Part 7 - How to build a movable miter station fence
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- Опубліковано 8 січ 2017
- In this video I build a movable miter station fence for my radial arm saw using Kreg’s Precision Trak and Stop System. I also demonstrate how the fence can be used to rip a 4x8 sheet of plywood on the radial arm saw.
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The first half of the ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx3ICSK6nSknaL_45CU2NmFSoXjarGMDiJ book is everything about wood: types, tools, finishes, setting up shop etc. The second half is all about doing projects for inside and outside of the home. The color pictures are helpful. After reading a dozen of these types of books, this is probably the best overall (layout, color photos, plans). Only detraction is that many of the projects use a table saw/router/planer, which are usually expensive and take up space, so the plans are less friendly to newcomers and the budget conscious. But I know I can use a drill, circular saw or a jigsaw to make the projects.
Great tool which will not disappoint. A little on the pricey side but the convenience factor is really nice.Update: 11/3/18 - Still works great ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxPeGkHOMe05FySypTOvYumxMn-xi39oRe and not disappointed at with the purchase. Wish I could have bought this at the lower price but ah well. This miter saw is truly awesome after two years of use. Makes cutting quick without messing around. I leant this tool to a friend for trim work at his home. He returned after using my saw and bought one for himself. I guess his demo with my saw was the deciding factor
I have to say this is a work of genius. It's inspiring and makes me want redo my whole miter station and work bench. This would save me tones of space. I love, love, love your set up. The storage that rolls under your miter station is brilliant. AND how easily you can open the top to grab your power tools. Its so refreshing how you intentionally thought of everything to have an adaptable environment in your workshop. Thanks for creating this video.
Thanks for the kind words! I'm happy to see that you like the setup!
Can't wait to do this myself on my new station. Thanks for the video. Mine will include matching the position of the Radial Arm saw standard fence location with the fence of the Miter saw down the bench a bit. Might be asking a lot to have the best of both worlds but this is a lot easier than my first idea of making the RAS movable to match the fixed fence! 😂😂😂
Not that I need a station that lengthy but the beauty of yours makes me want to build one. Nice job.
Tommy, you're inspirational! I just picked up an 1956 MDF, am building the Mr Sawdust table, as well as outtables. Thanks for these awesome videos.
Awesome! The MBF is a nice saw. I'm glad you're enjoying the videos and happy to see that you're building the tables.
I made a similar design to yours but mine also functions as storage (2 levels below the saw and 1 level above the saw). I didn't set the fence to be moveable or to make rip cuts of plywood though. For rip and cross cuts I just kneel on the floor and use a circular saw with a piece of foamboard and an accucut XL. If I'm making very fine precise cuts I will use the radial arm saw to finish cut small pieces of plywood or mdf though. Mostly I just use it for cross cuts of 2x lumber.
I set up the same trak and stop system as you did and absolutely love it! I also use t trak clamps and trigger clamps. So nice to just jam a board against the stop block, clamp it, cut, unclamp, repeat. It's super accurate. Way more than the accucut.
I love the way one table goes under another. Great on saving space in a small shop. I will be building one just like yours soon.
It helps so much and I still love those benches. If you want to save some time with your build, check out my plans here: tommytompkins.com/product/tompkins-miter-saw-station-with-rolling-workbench/
@@TommyTompkins 30.00 for plans wow
Genius! I love the idea of being able to move the fences. Glad I seen this before I built my radial arm saw Station
Awesome video - looking to build a setup exactly like this. Beautiful saw too!
Nice Job Tommy! Really enjoying your shop video series. It's obviously well thought out and designed.
Glad you're enjoying this series. I'm having a lot of fun with it and I'm very excited about my new setup!
Radial arm saw are the most under rated tool. I bought the very last ridged in my city when they discontinued them. Took a while but I found it better than using my table saw.
This is great. I'm in the process of building my shop and debating how I was incorporate my radial arm saw into the operation. This looks like what I want to a T. Now to go back and view the rest of the videos. Thank you Tommy!
If you want some great woodworking plans then visit this website here: HootWood. com
Brian O Rourke Aa
If you're interested here are some great woodworking plans you could use: HootWood.com
Awesome work TT. I might pinch some of your ideas mate. The T-track sliding fence and hold down provisions... genius! 🔱🔱🔱🔱
Thank you. Please feel free to pinch some of my ideas!
Very nice build. I love the space utilization of storing the rolling tables under the stationary miter station.
Thanks! I really do enjoy this setup.
Love this setup, I need the same thing for my RAS.
Man, you're really good!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the inspiration Tommy. Found your channel about 2 weeks ago and ended up picking up a Dewalt 7749 RAS on Craigslist :). Using your idea for the tables already. Thanks for sharing!
That's great! Hopefully you'll enjoy that setup as much as I have.
Wow, love the music and complete video, very inspiring
Very thoughtful design! I will be using your ideas for my new shop bench(es). Thank you!
Great! I'm sure you'll love them like I do :)
just what I need for my saw great work awesome t track idea
Nice work looks great and smooth to change
Really enjoyed this entire project. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed the videos thus far. There's more to come! Thanks for watching.
I have a craftsmen RAS maybe 25yrs or so i was planning on extending the length of the table 3ft on each side with drop downs down sides that would give me 10ft length total and could fold them down when not needed because i have a bandsaw and sanding station on either side of the saw the saw is mobile so i can just pull it out to put the extensions up but also clear the other tools.
Loving the content of these video's and full of envy at the size of shop/garage space you guys seem to have in the USA, I aspire to such a set up one day...My only gripe is I'm forever adjusting the volume as when the music kicks in it's too loud, haha, (and I'm not too old...) Keep up the great work...
Thanks for the feedback! It must be louder on some machines than others. It doesn't seem overly loud on my laptop, or monitor speakers, or headphones on this end.
Another fantastic video! The t track system is great and looks extremely versatile. This summer I will be building a similar long bench that will house 2 possibly 3 radial arm saws and this gives me a lotnof ideas.
Wow that's a lot of saws! Glad these videos are giving you some ideas. I'm really enjoying this new setup.
I had sub'd to your channel some time ago, but ended up forgetting to check on it. Man do I regret that now. You have some great ideas, definitely time savers... that's a must in my book. Keep it up!
Thanks Brian!
That's a really nice setup you built, by far the best I've ever seen
Thank you!
Great videos, you've given me some good ideas for my garage rebuild! Thanks!
Thanks Tony!
This is a beautiful setup. I have thought of doing something like this, but your idea is better... I think I will incorporate some of this in my own shop.
Go for it!
I have the same exact saw and built a long table in my garage around it. Yes the saw is an antique but it still runs and looks great. It was my dad's and has been in the family for over 40 years and I love it.
Your video solved a problem that I deal with every time I need to make a rip cut. The problem being how to easily set up an extended fence to support long cuts. Your solution is BRILLIANT and will make life so much simpler for me.
Thanks Tommy!
Glad you liked this solution. Enjoy that old saw!
One of the best builds I've seen so far.
Glad you enjoyed it
Nice job , love the saw
love this whole set up!!! 😎
That's impressive, thanks for sharing
Just found this little build series and really enjoyed them! Cheers!
Glad you're enjoying the videos Chuck!
I have a very similar 220v DeWalt saw, mine has black crank knobs and original base with castors. It came with jig saw & sanding drum attachments and was $60 on Craigslist. It's a great saw
They are great saws and lots of deals can be found on Craigslist. It's a shame that many people view them as obsolete arm eating machines. I haven't used my table saw since I setup my radial arm saw and calibrated all the adjustments.
Ok, I've watched about ten of your videos now (excellent work sir!) and I'm now convinced I need a RAS!
Ha! I really do enjoy my RAS setup. I sold my table saw because I haven't used it in about 3 years. I don't miss it at all to be quite honest!
@@TommyTompkins I'm only a hobbyist and simply haven't got room for a table saw in my typical UK garage (8' x 20') but these seem to do it all.
Dude, very nice job!!!
Thanks for sharing, great design!
A lot of great ideas, nice work !
Daniel Greg thanks!
awesome set up
Great series, Tommy. Love the way you've made such efficient and flexible use of your space! Just subscribed!
Thanks Michael, glad you're enjoying it!
That is a great system!!Very creative-- I have 2 tilt up benches in my garage and wanted to mount a miter saw between that will raise and lower on linear motion rails when not in use-- for the life of me, i could not figure out how to mount a removeable fence... Your idea has inspired me--
Glad I could offer a bit of inspiration :)
Nice job. Enjoyed watching and loved the ideas. May take a few of them for my shop! Definitely will Subscribe! Can't wait to see what comes next!
Please do! More to come :)
Nice setup looks great also.
love this idea thanks so much!!!!
What great ideas... outstanding ... thanks...
rockler definitely the best for t-track and accessories good video sir
very nice! thank you for sharing...
nice system and design
Thank you! You have a new subscriber, sir!
Your filming making skills are on point!
Thank you Patrick!
I have that same saw that was just given to me. Wish I knew more about it.
A friend and I are working on building a multipurpose table to house/ use a circular saw, jigsaw, and router. Those T Tracks are something we'd been talking about doing. Glad to see how they were to install. That is the next part of our project.
The t-tracks are pretty easy to install if you have a router and a straight edge. Glad the video helped!
We sure do keep on making great videos. It really helps me pass the time over the winter cooped up in a house and can't ride as much as I would like to.
Nice setup!
Thank you!
Hey Tommy , that is a really nice setup looks great for saving space. And even more so seeing what you did with the lathe now I can tuck that away also. I just purchased your plans to redo my whole setup , great videos and awesome work. Ill let ya know how it works out for me. Thank you
Brad Hoffman thanks for purchasing my plans!
Excellent work. This makes me want to beg my dad for his old Dewalt Power Shop.
You should! :)
What great build!! you have a new subscriber. Just awesome job! Have a great day!
Thanks Jason!
Like the movable extended fences for the RAS.
It works very well!
Brilliant!
Well done, thank you.
Cool setup ..
Very nice
Great tips. The gangsta bass bad boy was a bit much, so we let go a lack of music taste in trade for good stuff. Well done sir.
Thanks. But in regards to the music...it's not my taste. I thought it was so ridiculous that it was hilarious so I kept it in. Not everybody has my sense of humor.
Amazing attention to dust collection, likely driven by wife when she demands you dust the house. Worked my uncles small town lumber yard during summers he had a radial arm saw as our only means for cutting "anything". Sure worked perfect and now rarely seen anywhere. BTW, all power tools are dangerous.
great video
I've gotten pretty far with using cheap tools on the floor or whatever counter surface I could find. I've finally invested in better tools and I've been looking for a modular workbench solution.
After getting my certificate of completion from Google for having watched every single video on UA-cam, I'm going with your setup. Thanks for the help.
the work table is not a little high?
handy set up. no infeed and outfeed supports, nice long work bench and I think if you thought about it you could add your miter saw to and make a cover plate if you have to remove it for some reason,
Not sure what you mean? The long tables on the left and right of the saw serve as my infeed and outfeed tables and they work well with the drop leaf on the saw.
Very nice 👍
Thanks Don!
Something interesting. Being on construction sites, I notice that dust seems to be the primary goal. Making fine silica dust from concrete grinding, drywall sanding, and cutting plywood with a worm drive saw that blasts sawdust into a big cloud around the person cutting the wood, seems to be critically important, and any means of dust collection or even a meager reduction in dust is outright forbidden, maybe even illegal.
Why people are obsessed with worm drive, left blade saws for cutting 3/4" plywood all day long with their unmasked face next to the blade, is beyond comprehension, considering that a left blade saw throws all the sawdust directly at the user. A right blade saw emits a nice blast of sawdust cleanly away from your body. And not one construction person wears a dust mask (literally not one) when sweeping or cutting plywood.
Particle board is cut frequently, and routers are used, and there is never a vacuum attached to them, and nobody ever considers warning people about the cloud of lethal dust coming. It is assumed that anyone dumb enough to work construction is immune to particulates of wood and concrete and fiberglass and vaporized metal. The idea of "sawdust reduction" doesn't exist on construction sites.
So it's unusual to see these woodworking videos where dust collection is more important than the actual project. I feel insecure seeing these "pro" videos on UA-cam, because my method of dust collection is to wear a dust mask.
I've found that a year's worth of sawdust from cutting without a vacuum on my table saw, spread around the garage in a thick layer, actually prevents rust and lowers the humidity. Literally, when you get enough sawdust laying around, it begins to reduce the condensation on tools and metal objects, by absorbing the moisture on the surface of those items.
good vid bro
Nice Tommy...I had just finished my chop saw station but this video makes me wish that I would of went with the Radial arm saw option. If I would of found a nice old dewalt like the on you have, this is the route that I would of went.
Many of these old DeWalts can be found on Craigslist from FREE to less than $100. I'm convinced that most people that are selling them just don't really understand the versatility and precision they can offer with a proper calibration and tune up. If you ever decide to pick up one of these old gems, try to grab a round arm version from the 50s. Those are supposed to be really nice. The Walley Kunkel book, How to Master the Radial Arm Saw, goes into some very interesting history about these saws: www.mrsawdust.com.
I think that the radial arm saw in general just got a bad rap because of the injures. That and the fact that they just started building them with MUCH less quality as the DIY craze started in the mid 70's There are a lot of craftsman RAS that are just plain old JUNK. So beware when searching craigslist for that gem because OLDER is usually BETTER after a little TLC
That's very true. Most of the injuries were due to improper usage and technique because people weren't really taught anymore "how" to use a radial arm saw properly. Back in the 50's they used to have in store demonstrations where they would teach you how to properly use the saw before you purchased one. Long story short, they stopped doing that, many people never really understood, and people started getting hurt. There's a story in that book that talks about a lumber yard owner that was closing up shop at the end of the day and went to rip a board quick before heading home. His kid was running around the shop, got hit with a flying board, and it killed him. The next day all the headlines were "Machine Kills Kid" or something along those lines and became a huge black eye for the RAS. What the headlines didn't mention is the shop owner was in too much of a hurry to put the anti-kickback fingers down and he paid the ultimate price.
About to build my RAS fence so glad I saw this video.
Will this setup also allow for joiner work? Thanks for the video.
IDEAZIONE, PROGETTAZIONE ED ESECUZIONE. GLI INGREDIENTI IDEALI PER REALIZZARE OTTIME COSE FUNZIONALI ED INTELLIGENTI. COMPLIMENTI TOMMY MERITI TUTTA LA MIA STIMA. saluti gianfranco
Awesome design. Very well thought out. I just build my workshop but now I am thinking about making some changes.....my wife wont like you!! LOL
Ha! Tell her I'm sorry.
Great video and idea on the T track. I have a question though. How did you set up the RAS fence so that it is a perfect 90 degrees from the blade? Thanks!
Thanks! The key is that you adjust the blade to the fence as opposed to the fence to the blade. The RAS has many adjustments to achieve a perfect 90 degrees to the fence as well as a perfectly perpendicular to the table. The exact procedure is slightly different depending on the make / model saw that you have. The best advice I can give is to get the Mr Sawdust book where he runs through the entire procedure.
Great video Tommy. I am getting ready to set up my radial arm saw. This looks exactly what I want. What do you do at the center point if you want to switch back and forth with a dado blade and a regular blade?
Hi Michael - I'm assuming that you're referring to the kerf line on the fence? When you swap out the regular blade with dado blade, you can simply insert a new sacrificial fence. That's what I do. Super easy.
Thx
What size router bit are you using when you cut the groove for the T track?
Hi Noah - I used a 3/4 inch straight bit to route the groves for the t-track.
Could you do away with the RAS fence entirely, and extend the two feed table fences over the RAS table so that they meet in the middle?
You could but it wouldn’t be a good idea because the RAS arm and blade are meticulously calibrated so that the arm and blade are perfectly perpendicular to the fence as well as perfectly parallel to the fence when put in RIP mode. If you were to use the slidable fence for the calibration, you’d have to recalibrate the saw every time you move the fence.
Hi Tommy
Awesome video. I have a dewalt 925e that I plan on dedicating to a dado blade set up. How different is my 925e compared to yours?
Thanks Dave! The 925E was the economy version of the 925 and it was cheaper than the 925H. It didn't have a drop leaf extension on the front like the 925H did, and I think the motor was slightly less powerful too. There might be other differences that I'm not aware of.
Great set-up and video, I did much the same years ago but without the t-track...and since I have some extra track...
What year is your DeWalt RAS? Mine is a 1956 that still purrs. I liked the video and your clear presentation so you have a new subscriber.
Thanks Mike! My DeWalt is a 925H from 1960. I love those old saws!
Since my radial saw is a Craftman I have it on the metal base it came with. The saw comes out from the wall quite a bit because of the rear legs. My side tables are only 25" wide. Doesn't give me much support for ripping. So I was thinking of having my side tables on 3" casters. I can pull them forward & lock them in place when ripping. What do you think ?
That might work but if your ground surface is uneven it might cause your table height to be high or low in some spots and might be kind of annoying. My tables don't move once they're leveled out and adjusted and I think it makes working with the RAS a dream. If you can find a way to have fixed tables, I'd recommend that.
With your moveable fence you create a guide for ripping also might to add it would act like a feather board. Just an idea
It works very well for ripping and I use it this way quite a bit. A feature board would be a good add.
I've got to know..why did you stop making videos?? Your channel is incredibly addicting and inspiring.
Sadly, my software business of over 15 years needed a lot more attention and was dealt a death blow after covid hit in 2020. UA-cam was always fun and more of a hobby, but I haven't been able to focus on any hobbies for the last few years. Once we're able to get back on our feet with a solid financial footing, I'll likely be jumping back in the shop and making more videos.
@@TommyTompkins thanks for taking the time to respond. I’m in software myself and you inspired me to up my home shop standards. Hope you can get your feet on the ground again and looking forward to seeing more content in the future.
I have the exact model saw.
Any chance you'll make your plans available? All of this is such great work! The pull-out workbenches with shelving are such a space saver.
I'm working on the plans as we speak. I'll be posting them this weekend :)
That would be awesome! I have the same Dewalt arm saw (Bad Ass Saw) and would love to built a table and work benches like yours for it. Also i'm going to be building a roll around table for my router table to sit into. Also If you don't mind me asking, what size of garage are you working out of? (length and width)
Hi Miguel! The plans are now available at tommytompkins.com/product/tompkins-miter-saw-station-with-rolling-workbench/
Oh sorry, I forgot to answer your question - I have a 3 car garage and my entire miter station setup is 16 feet long. My 3rd stall is probably longer than most and has a garage door in the rear as well. I'm not sure exactly how big it is..I'd have to measure.
Thanks for replying, I was just curious. I'm working out of a two car garage that's about 18' by 18'. I'm thinking of adding casters to the bottom to the saw stand and benches so that I can move everything over when I need the space to work on my truck. (Or various other projects, its always something)
very cool build series.... I really like the movable fence... I do have a question:
what was the thought process in the t-track placement (the distance between the two)
I drew it all up in Sketchup before I built it and I put the t-track directly over the studs that are under the table top thinking that they would hold better there since I could screw into the studs. Other than that, there wasn't much more thought process that went into it.
thank you for the reply and the videos...
Hi. Nice Video. Could you please tell me what kind of router system is that? I like the fact that you can move the router up/down with the twist. I cant see to find that type of system anywhere. Thanks.
That's an older Craftsman router which can be found on Craigslist fairly easily.
@@TommyTompkins Thanks.I cant believe it, I was able to find the same one. Old but good I guess. I just like the idea of being able to rotate it while you are within the cut, very good idea. I dont get why the new routers wouldnt have that option. Thanks for the info.
Hello, Sir! Love the video and the radial station - I had a quick question about sealing your mdf with shellac. Did you sand between coats as recommended ? I ask because I know sanding mdf is generally not a good idea, but your tops look great! I am adding about 40ft total of work top space to my shop and am also using mdf, and would like the best finish! Thank you
ThoseGuysVP I sanded in between coats but only very lightly by hand, just to knock off any rough texture. The MDF itself doesn't really get sanded...just the shellac
Tommy Tompkins thank you! And thank you for the quick response !
Real quick question on laying the measuring tape. Because the lens on the stop have 3/8 off set do you put the tape closer to the blade so the lines on the lenses are accurate. Thanks
Exactly! The tape should be 3/8" closer to the blade and then you can fine tune the lens with the set screw.
I skimmed the previous comments but didn't see my main question asked. Do the T-Track connections have any lateral play in them that translates into the fence-top measuring tape needing to be "calibrated" after the fence is moved forward/back on the table? Please forgive the question if it's understood that is the case, I've never worked with T-Track before and I'm thinking about a similar setup in my shop.
Great question. I haven't noticed any lateral play in my t-track setup after moving the fence. However, I have noticed some drift as my tables have settled or if a table gets bumped so I took some steel brackets and bolted the bottom legs of my radial arm saw table to the bottom legs of the extension tables. Ever since I did that, I haven't had to adjust or recalibrate the dial on the measuring tape as much.
alright! good to know, my RAS base will be integral with the left side of my bench and to the right of it, I'll have a Table Saw station that will dock at bench height to provide the full length cutting surface to both sides of the RAS.
please let me say this nw because i did not care to mention this before where i should have. this is the most comprehensive complete shop work that needs to be copied by many. this is awsome. let me ask you this: isn't the radio saw station a little high for most people or is it only my imagination? i can see you are tall but it isn't an ordinary hight. is it? awsome job
Hey thanks! I'm glad you like it. You're correct that the tables are a bit higher than standard but I actually prefer it that way. It's easier for me to be closer to my work without bending over and with a radial arm saw I'm always eyeballing the blade with the cut so it helps to be closer to it. If I was using hand tools then I'd use my rolling workbench instead which isn't as tall. But in my opinion, it's absolutely perfect at bar height (42 inches tall) for a radial arm saw station.
Why not also add the t-trac into the RAS table to move the rear rail in and out along with the two outer tables?
The radial arm saw table and fence needs to be completely independent from the side tables so that it can be calibrated for perfect alignment with the saw. After the RAS table is calibrated properly, only then should the side tables be leveled out with the RAS table.
where did you get your laser light on your radial arm saw? I can't imagine it came on an older saw like that.
I picked it up off Ebay for about $20 or so. It's just a battery powered collar that fits on the motor shaft along side the blade.
thanks Tommy, I found one
Hello tommy, what is the height of your radial arm saw bench?
T track part number or link? Thanks!
Tommy, did you connect the radial arm saw bench to the adjacent work benches. Just wondering how you stop the bench from moving and maintaining the correct alignment and distance/measuement for the Kreg’s Precision Trak and Stop System. I have just completed fitting my Kreg’s Precision Trak and Stop System to my benches and noticed some slight movement so I temporally clamped the legs together to see if this helped. Cheers
Great question. I didn't show this in the video, but I used some lag screws and straight brackets from the hardware store to bolt the adjacent legs to the radial arm saw stand. This works really well for me and I haven't experienced any drift after securing them together. And it's really easy to take them apart if it ever needs to be relocated.
Here's an image of how I did mine: postimg.org/image/sbygvlv5j/
Thanks for the info and image, I used a long bolt through the legs and it seems to work. My legs are constructed in an "L" shape so it was very easy and quick. I slotted holes so if I need to adjust the height I did not need to drill more holes. This is an image taken about 2 weeks ago, haven't taken one with the Kreg’s Precision Trak and Stop System. Still working on my dust collection. postimg.org/image/9p8tmh6bt/ Cheers Robert
Looks very nice!