# Miter Saw Extension with a ruler



## headlessblade (Apr 7, 2011)

Anyone know where I can find a extension for a miter saw around 4'-6' long that you could attach to the miter saw that would allow you to get different length cuts without having to measure each piece? Just slide an adjustable gauge or something... 

Right now I use a piece of wood with the markings lol ~.~


----------



## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Rod,

There are a bunch of different types of t-track available that can hold both a rule and a flip stop. 
If you're lucky enough to get to go to the woodworking shows, they have a wide variety you can put your hands on and usually sell pretty cheap.

T-Track Products Index - Peachtree Woodworking Supply

If you want something real fancy, items in 8020 Inc Garage Sale store on eBay!


----------



## headlessblade (Apr 7, 2011)

oh that's what it's called lol, you gave me a good idea maybe i could make one if I cannot find one... I usually go to home depot or sears to buy what I need... I don't even think they have woodworking shows in NYC... Thanks a lot 

lol i just told my wife about this thing, and she said "You mean the thing they use in HD to measure and cut the blinds to length..." Amazing exactly what I need...


----------



## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Hi Rod.
There is also the fold up stands for miter saws. These are harder to setup different stops. Lowe,s usually has a couple on display. You can also build something from plywood which is what I would suggest for trim work or a project with multiple stops. Here is some pictures of a few I use that sit on horses & can be made any length you want. The long one is 16'. I also have a couple that are only 8' in length. There is also a picture of a saw stand on casters that folds up. It has a Kreg setup that I made with the sliding stops That I clamp to the folding table when set up. There are many options with either buying or building a setup to fit your needs.


----------



## headlessblade (Apr 7, 2011)

I have a very very simple one made from a 1"x3"x8' which stands on a leg and screwed into the miter saw frame... the ones you have are nice but I don't have a lot of space.... The Ttracks, I think will work better for me storage wise... thanks for the ideas the more the better



jlord said:


> Hi Rod.
> There is also the fold up stands for miter saws. These are harder to setup different stops. Lowe,s usually has a couple on display. You can also build something from plywood which is what I would suggest for trim work or a project with multiple stops. Here is some pictures of a few I use that sit on horses & can be made any length you want. The long one is 16'. I also have a couple that are only 8' in length. There is also a picture of a saw stand on casters that folds up. It has a Kreg setup that I made with the sliding stops That I clamp to the folding table when set up. There are many options with either buying or building a setup to fit your needs.


----------



## headlessblade (Apr 7, 2011)

you know what I'm looking at these jigs.. maybe i should just buy a table saw with and extendable table??? what's the advantage of a miter saw over a table saw? I can do the same angles and use dados on a table saw...but I think it might be a lot more dangerous..?


----------



## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

headlessblade said:


> you know what I'm looking at these jigs.. maybe i should just buy a table saw with and extendable table??? what's the advantage of a miter saw over a table saw? I can do the same angles and use dados on a table saw...but I think it might be a lot more dangerous..?


What type of projects do you plan on doing?? That goes a long way in determining what machinery would be best to use. As far as dangerous, I wouldn't miter baseboard with the table saw. I would use a miter saw. You can do some of the same miters on the table saw. If it were a cross cut I would use a good miter gauge or make a sled. Long items are hard to cross cut on a table saw. If you are mitering thinner stock such as trim, face frames, board width's 10"-12" (depending on saw) etc. you can't beat the miter saw. I do dado's on the table saw all the time with a dado blade.


----------



## headlessblade (Apr 7, 2011)

I mostly do repetitive cuts, of 1"x3"x8's or 2"x3"x8's, so for a project I might have to cut 20 pieces of 1x3x24"long and some with the same project 45degree miters for corners of different lengths... I use my router to cut out 3/4"x3/4" grooves to fit the 1x3 into the 2x3 for a flush look ....

eventually Ill buy a table saw... I had one(evolv craftsman cheapest one on sale) but I returned it because it couldn't hold dados the arbor was too short... 

I don't use my tools a lot so low end craftsman works well for me, but Ill have to buy the $250+ one to use dados... I think it might be faster and more accurate to get the same exact cuts, and dados can do deeper cuts faster than the router?


----------



## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

headlessblade said:


> I mostly do repetitive cuts, of 1"x3"x8's or 2"x3"x8's, so for a project I might have to cut 20 pieces of 1x3x24"long
> 
> eventually Ill buy a table saw... I had one(evolv craftsman cheapest one on sale) but I returned it because it couldn't hold dados the arbor was too short...
> 
> I think it might be faster and more accurate to get the same exact cuts, and dados can do deeper cuts faster than the router?


Yipes...my reply turned out to be so windy, I had to come back and do an intro and disclaimer......Reading what you have written reminds me a lot of things I have gone through in the last couple years. That's the intro, now for the disclaimer. I'm not a guru at this stuff but have managed to figure out a few things. Some I had to learn the hard way, others I was smart enough to research until I found the answers before jumping.

These days I do most of my 'joinery dado' cuts with my Radial Arm Saw. If I could shop for saws all over again, I would have picked it up first. I still wouldn't give up my table saw, because it is better for ripping. The 'new' price range of 700+ slowed me down on the RAS more than it needed to. I knew they were available cheap used, but wary because I had never used one and didn't know what to expect or look for. I got lucky and ended up trading a PC worth about 100 bucks for a saw that turned out to be worth 250 to 300.

It is easier to hold a four foot long piece of lumber still and drag a blade over it than 'consistently' guide longer pieces over the table mounted dado. Doing half lap joints on a full 8 foot long 2x4 is a balance challenge with a TS, even when using a feed stand. It takes 5 passes with a 3/4" stack to cut out a channel 3.5" wide.

Repetitive Cross cuts under 24" are a super snap to do on the RAS, because the table is already that big. When it comes to slicing up boards for drawer sides, faces and backs, the RAS rocks.

My current list of projects has me in need of a lot of 1x2, 2x2 & 2x4 cuts with lengths between 24" & 48", so I am in the mood to conjure up a deluxe 'miter saw stand' that can be broken (or folded) up easily.

I have done a little bit of dado cutting with a router, and quite a bit more with a low end table saw. (Ryobi 200 buck cheapo at home depot). I should point out that I couldn't get a full 3/4" stack on the Ryobi because of the lower blade guard. I also chose to go mid-evil on the throat plate, rather than spend 20 bucks for the optional 'dado throat plate'. Looking back, I wish I would have just bought the right throat plate.

Any 8" stacked dado set is going to cut alot faster than a router bit. It is important to point out that it will also cut A LOT rougher while it does. I don't know how well a 'stacked' set would hold up when cutting harder woods though.

Chip evacuation is one of the factors that slows down the slot cutting with a router bit, creating the need to do the cut in multiple passes.

Most of my dado cuts have been in hem-fir or western red cedar, both very soft in comparison to oak or maple or whatever else you might be working with on the harder side of the spectrum.

Cutting any stock on a table saw that is less than 6" wide or so is risky business without building a cross cut sled. If the work piece is cut in two pieces before it slides under the anti-kickback prawls, pinching and kickback happens way to easily.

Another thing you might want to consider is your 'mechanical aptitude' for adjusting and calibrating machines. The Miter saw is the simplest and the RAS is the most complex to keep aligned and adjusted. Table saws also have several adjustments that need to be periodically checked and tweaked to keep things square.

If you don't mind the 'mechanical challenges' used RAS and TS units are abundant on Craig's list. (less than 100.00 in a lot of cases). That is because both style units take up space and people decide to 'dump' them.

If space is an issue, my TS actually requires more free space to use than my RAS because the workpiece has to 'flow' across it. My RAS has a larger 'Footprint' than the TS, but I don't need to drag it out into the drive way to have enough free space around it to use it.

Ok, that is enuff babbling for one post.....


----------

