12" Sliding miter saw is in the truck!

[dbhost]

Okay yeah, it's the Harbor Freight cheapie. The reviews on it are astonishlingly good, and admittedly it was the demonstrator model in the store, it has surprisingly good fit and finish. Not spit and polish or anything, but certainly good castings, trimmed clean, assembled neatly. Even the stickers were nicely aligned.

I know there will be some initial setup to deal with, but once that is done, I should be ready to go...

Now this IS a slider, which means, it is a BIG saw. It's not super heavy, but then again, it's no lightweight either... But it does take up some space. My plan was, and is to modify my current back wall workbench and convert it in to a miter saw station. Simply put I am thinking about bobbing the top so that the bottom is still fully one single rail front and back, but there will be a box built on top of each side of the base. I need to measure the new saw side to side, and of course the height to the table, but I know it is 28" from the front of the saw casting not including the table, to the back of the slide rails with the saw FULLY slid backwards. I intend on mounting the saw on a 30" deep shelf. Now this is where the problem occours. The lip that the current bench sits is 24" deep, and 1.5 to 2" high (I don't recall off hand, but I am thinking the height of a 2x4 on its side... I can either extend the top cantilevered to gain the additional 6", OR I can extend the entire frame out 6". (Which I would prefer. I would need to extend the front legs the height of the lip at that point. Which is fine. Purpose built and all...

The other option is to build a portable miter saw station... The kind of thing I can plop on to sawhorses. But I am thinking that is a bad idea back wise...

[Cochese]

Okay yeah, it's the Harbor Freight cheapie. The reviews on it are astonishlingly good, and admittedly it was the demonstrator model in the store, it has surprisingly good fit and finish. Not spit and polish or anything, but certainly good castings, trimmed clean, assembled neatly. Even the stickers were nicely aligned.

I know there will be some initial setup to deal with, but once that is done, I should be ready to go...

Now this IS a slider, which means, it is a BIG saw. It's not super heavy, but then again, it's no lightweight either... But it does take up some space. My plan was, and is to modify my current back wall workbench and convert it in to a miter saw station. Simply put I am thinking about bobbing the top so that the bottom is still fully one single rail front and back, but there will be a box built on top of each side of the base. I need to measure the new saw side to side, and of course the height to the table, but I know it is 28" from the front of the saw casting not including the table, to the back of the slide rails with the saw FULLY slid backwards. I intend on mounting the saw on a 30" deep shelf. Now this is where the problem occours. The lip that the current bench sits is 24" deep, and 1.5 to 2" high (I don't recall off hand, but I am thinking the height of a 2x4 on its side... I can either extend the top cantilevered to gain the additional 6", OR I can extend the entire frame out 6". (Which I would prefer. I would need to extend the front legs the height of the lip at that point. Which is fine. Purpose built and all...

The other option is to build a portable miter saw station... The kind of thing I can plop on to sawhorses. But I am thinking that is a bad idea back wise...

I'd forget that right away. I did that for my Hitachi 10" (supposedly one of the lightest miter saws available), and the combined weight is a lot.

FWIW, my saw weighs about 14 pounds lighter than yours does, and isn't as bulky.

[dbhost]

Yeah, I am thinking I would want some kind of stock support if I get dumb and want to drag the MS out to the back yard to work on the decking, or build something else out there, like maybe a shed...

[leehljp]

I have been looking online for a saw stand for my Makita 12 in and those things generally run upwards for $175.00 min for a decent one with wheels.

I did find one at Northern Tool that looks to be "OK" and gets fair reviews there - the HTC PortaMate 5000. THe wheels are not for moving around once set up, only when folded. Price at NT is about $120.

[dbhost]

I presently have the stand for my B&D, and I don't really like it. No provision for stops or hold downs or anything like that... Good for rough work in the yard though....

[LCHIEN]

just out of curiousity, how much does that HF 12"SCMS weigh, nekkid (no packaging)?

One think i noticed when i was envying some 12" sliders wwas how much space they took, depthwise.

[Cochese]

just out of curiousity, how much does that HF 12"SCMS weigh, nekkid (no packaging)?

One think i noticed when i was envying some 12" sliders wwas how much space they took, depthwise.

The website claims around 39 pounds, IIRC.

[conwaygolfer]

I have a Ridgid 12 slider. I went to HD to price the Ridgid mobile stand for this saw. They wanted about $180.00

I later went to Factory Direct Tools store in Tanger Outlet Mall. Their price was $109.00 Needless to say, I bought it. They sell new and reconditioned tools at great discounts. This mobile stand said "reconditioned" on it. But what is there to recondition? There is metal and wheels. No motor or switches, etc.. Everything works fine and is quite a back saver as far as setting up this 80# plus saw. And it is very mobile. This stand should fit any mitre saw regardless of size. Check it out at ridgid.com and I think you will see real quality. It has lots of good features.

Conwaygolfer

I forgot to add that when not using it, I fold it down and store it under a work bench with the saw still attached.

[dbhost]

LOML and I both have been jumping around like a one legged man at a butt kicking competition all weekend long. Needless to say, the saw is still in the truck...

I have taped / textured and primed the formerly bad closet ceiling, cleaned out the guest room of the storage junk, added more decking to the attic to hold said guest room junk, replaced the trim on the bathroom door where the dog had decided that trim was lunch, did a LOT of wall prep... And now I need to stop. My shoulders and back are SCREAMING at me... I remember being able to do hard physical labor from sunup, to sundown, then come inside and do the house chores. It's a LOT harder these days...

So anyway, part of my rambling here is actually about the fact that I went in to Home Depot this weekend, and compared the Ridgid 12" (REALLY BIG SAW!), DeWalt (better fit and finish, but functionally about the same) and Makita (I typically HATE Makita due to some BAD previous experience with their stuff, but the 12" slider is NICE...)

I know the DeWalt is a better made saw, but honestly, I am not sure that it would be .0001" more accurate than the HF saw. I can imagine under contractor or cabinet shop use, there would be a huge difference, but for my little hobby woodworking shop, not so much... I am feeling better and better about this thing...

[aggrex]

I picked up a new Ridgid MSUV miter saw stand for 99@HD a few years ago. Occasionally it goes on sale if you can wait. It's one of the better mobile stands that can handle the 12"slider safely. Lowes has the Delta now a PC stand good for the 12"slider that is mobile, sturdy, and folds up ez