Miter Station
The first large build I made for my shop was a miter station, a project I've been wanting to tackle for a while. Having a dedicated miter station significantly increases efficiency compared to using a table saw for crosscutting.
Lower Cabinets:
The base consists of three cabinets: two 30" cabinets on the left, a 24" cabinet on the right, and a 32" open shelf for the miter saw in between.
Each 30" cabinet features three drawers: two 9.5" deep drawers for storing large tools, and one 3" deep drawer at the top for smaller items.
The 24" cabinet has two doors and a shelf for additional storage.
All cabinets were constructed using Baltic birch plywood and assembled with pocket hole joinery.
Countertop and Upper Cabinet:
The countertop is made from 3/4" plywood with a 1" hardwood edge, providing a durable work surface 35" high.
The upper cabinet is 60" wide, 14" deep, and 32" high, maximizing storage space without obstructing the windows behind.
Inside, I created a dedicated storage area for portable hardware parts boxes, with space for three stacks of thin and thick boxes.
The bottom of the upper cabinet is elevated to accommodate a T-track with a ruler and stop block for repeatable cuts. I opted to place the track here instead of the countertop to minimize dust accumulation.
Dust Collection:
To control dust, I built a box around the saw with a 4" dust collection port at the bottom connected to my dust collection system. While not perfect, it effectively captures a majority of the dust. At the time of the build, ShopNation dust collection options for miter saw were not available.
To accommodate angled cuts, the two front panels of the dust collection box are easily removable with clips.
Functionality:
The station has a total length of 117". The ruler extends to 75" on the left and 41" on the right.
The left side is unobstructed, allowing me to cut lumber up to 12 feet long.
What I love: I can not think about a woodworking project where you don't need to use a miter station or need to do some cross cut, so it's a must have in a shop if you can. The upper cabinet with the hardware boxes is very convenient and I can pull out the box and use the countertop to it and take what I need. Overall, I'm very happy with how my miter station turned out. It's a functional and efficient addition to my shop!
Some regrets: None so far!
Assembly Table
My assembly table was one of the last large built that I did and I was in real need of it. Before that I was using a Bora Centipede 4ft x 8ft with a 1/2 inch sheet of plywood on it and it worked well as a temporary solution but I welcomed a lot the upgrade. To have a better idea of what I wanted to create, I sketched the frame with Fusion 360. That gave me the detailed dimensions of the parts to build. The concept was to have a working surface of 4ft x 8ft and use as much as possible all the space under the top for storage and other functions. One concept I used is to have the bottom as close to the floor as possible to maximized the inside useable space. When the frame was build, I create different sections in the available space;
a storage booth on one end with a middle shelve for large tools storage
an enclose compartment with a vacuum cleaner and a dust separator
an open compartment with on one side a set of 3 drawer and on the other side fully open to have a comfortable spot to sit and plan projects
a storage space opened on both sides with too shelves for storing long objects
finally on the other end of the table I created a flat surface with T track to hold pieces of wood vertically with T-track clamps
For the top, I installed a 5/8in. sheet of construction plywood to support the T-tracks and the top surface. For those T-tracks I went with the Armor Tool Double Quick Track that I like a lot. It's like a double T-track with a track on both sides and it's exactly 3/4 high, and so, matches the plywood thickness. The bottom track can be used to secure the track to the surface and you do so with bolts and not screws like regular T-track This give a stronger anchor of the track. So I bolted them through the 5/8 plywood and they can also be removed if one day I want to change the pattern or one has to be replaced. The top track as an opening on both sides and every 12in. to make using T-track blocks, clamps or other accessories easy to set and remove. Once the wanted pattern was installed and bolted, I inserted 3/4 birch plywood in each opening to finish the top of the table. Each piece is screwed by underneath so it can be replaced when it will become too much damaged, and it will! Finally, I installed a maple edge all around the top for a nice finish and protection of the plywood edge. The table is mostly stationary but I have installed a set of Quick-Release Caster Plates as I already have the Quick-Release Casters for my workbench.
What I love: Of course the large top surface so convenient to work on with the T-track to secure and hold work. The integrated vacuum for cleaning projects and the table top without using the larger dust collector. Plus the long hose let me clean most of the tools and adjacent floor. The seating area is very nice to be able to sit and work on project and I always have the option to covert this to drawer later on if I want. To conclude, a major piece of furniture that all woodworking shop should have.
Some regrets: Not too many. I could have done the cabinet for the vacuum cleaner a little smaller and use the extra space to maximize storage.
