# Table Saw Position



## drpdrp (Oct 19, 2012)

My shop is a 1 car garage. I struggle constantly with how to best utilize the space. The biggest trouble spot is the table saw. I'd love to set something up so I've got an outfeed table work bench, but the width of the shop represents a problem.

If I setup lengthwise (in order to have sufficient in and outfeed length, I can't crosscut anything more than a couple of feet. If I setup the other way, I can't rip anything longer than a couple feet.

How do you guys set things up in a workspace like this?


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## pauldye (Sep 10, 2012)

I have my tablesaw in a 2-car garage. It is where the 2nd car would be, 8' from the right wall. So, I can push, just barely, an 8' board for ripping before hitting the wall. Not more the 2" to spare.

This would be a little tight if it was a 1-car garage.

Paul


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Assuming you have a left tilt saw, put the right side of the saw against the right wall of the shop.
Unless you have a huge rip capacity like 52" or more you should be able to crosscut. 
The space from the blade to the left wall for a 30" rip capacity, for instance, should be almost 8 ft. in the case of a 12foot wide garage. That lets you cross cut an 8 ft board.

On the other hand, I prefer to do my cross cutting on my miter saw so I have it against the right hand wall and use the table saw mostly for ripping so I put my saw in the middle of the floor. But my shop is 16 ft x 24 ft, so that is not really a fair comparison to a 1 car garage.

Fine Wood Working Magazine recently had a magazine about ideal shop layouts. They had some very good plans for everything from a 10 ft by 12 ft shed to a 24×36 ft monster shop.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

I had the same problem over and over again so I finally bit the bullet and bought a mobile base so now I can move it at Will or Frank or whoever else comes into my shop! chuckle

Actually I now can even move it out of the garage (a lot easier now) to cut down on noise and reduce my garage shop cleanup!


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## john111 (Dec 18, 2012)

I am in the same boat. I put the saw right in the middle and work everything from there. I have and have an out feed table as well. I put my work bench to the left on the wall with just enough room to walk between and then i have a left table for longer pieces. sucks but I think it is sufficient.


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## Ltwud (Jan 29, 2013)

I think you probably need to have your saw on wheels but I've found I like my permanent location just over 8' from the garage door so I can cut plywood with the door closed but if I need to cut studs or larger boards I just open the garage door.

I think a mobile out feed/work table between the garage door and a mobile saw is the ticket

Good luck!


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## john111 (Dec 18, 2012)

I think it goes without saying but everything is the same height. athought ai would clarify that. Good luck!


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

Put the table saw on a mobile base and change orientation based on what you need to cut. That seems like the simplest solution.


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## dschlic1 (Jan 3, 2013)

Just about everything in my shop is on wheels. My shop is a two car garage in which two cars are parked every night.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

*jmartel*, that's what I said above as that is what I did and it solved my problem!

$45 (what I paid including shipping) is a low cost solution to a frustrating problem.


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

Yep. I have a one-half of a two car garage to work with. Every machine is on a mobile base. I wouldn't get anything done otherwise. I keep the machines against the wall and pull them out as needed. I can orient them however I need to in seconds.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

*Tedstor*, I didn't really want to get mobile base but for the ease of being easy to move the tools around the shop and then, being able to get them out of the way it is one of the best additions for any small work shop.

I wish I would have gotten some sooner!


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## drpdrp (Oct 19, 2012)

I should really quit the habit of crosscutting long boards on the table saw. I have the miter saw- its even in something of a miter station- but the in and out feed bits are work benches that are seldom clear. I've got bad habits.

My table saw is a jobsite model- Porter Cable so it has wheels and is pretty easy to move- I just thought I'd see if anybody had any amazing ideas is all…


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## SFDCapt (Sep 28, 2013)

I have a one car garage for a shop as well, 11×20. I just put in a new Ridged R4512 hybrid saw. It is built into the bench, so not mobile. With the main fence I can cross cut/rip 30". I embedded some Incra T-track from Woodcraft and built an auxillary fence from some Birch plywood I had left over. This allows me to cross cut 51". Here are some pictures.




























Hope this helps.

Lee


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## shawnmasterson (Jan 24, 2013)

The solution is simple. get a chop saw. stop cross cutting on the TS and use a miter saw.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Drpdrp, how about some pix like Lee supplied.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

and there is always the track saw option. i ordered a grizzly track saw & track from amazon. coming shortly! looked at the festool but my wallet started to shake violently and urinated.


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## drpdrp (Oct 19, 2012)

I can't show you pictures of how it looks now! eewww I'd be so ashamed!

But, SFDCapt has completely inspired me.

when I built my first workbench I wanted it to be higher than normal. My posture isn't great and I wanted something that discouraged slouching. I never really re-evaluated this decision and just kept build addons with that as a baseline. I also put EVERYTHING on wheels. But most stuff I never move.

So after seeing SFDCapt's pictures I went out tonight and disassembled and rebuilt all of my work tables (well, three of them) using the tablesaw as a baseline. I've got a few other things to sort through and plan- but when I am done I will put pics in this thread for sure.


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## SFDCapt (Sep 28, 2013)

drpdrp,

Glad to hear the pictures helped. I would add that although I can cross cut a 4'x8' sheet in half, there is not enough room to either side of the blade to crosscut smaller pieces from a full sheet. So if I need a 30" inch crosscut from a new piece of sheet goods I still have to get out the aluminum straight edge and the circular saw, which has a fine cut carbide blade, 40 teeth I believe. This is just something we have to deal with as our shops just don't have the space to do otherwise. I am able to rip the full length of a new sheet. If I am using Baltic Birch there is no problem, that comes in 5'x5' sheets from my hardwood mill. The only thing I have on wheels is my assembly bench, drum sander and soon my planer. The planer is going to go on the base that came with my table saw. If you would like more pictures and details of how I did things, feel free to send me a message.

Lee


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

lee.. would a fliptop miter saw / planer table work better in your favor with a small shop?


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## SFDCapt (Sep 28, 2013)

I considered doing a flip top for them and felt that I would get better use of the miter if it had it's own dedicated place in the shop. My neighbor, and good friend, and I discussed the idea, but I just felt that I would prefer the more permanent location for it. When ripping or crosscutting larger sheet good I do have to pull the miter and set it on the floor. However there are rails/stops in the recess to ensure the saw gets placed in the same spot when returned to the recess. For what I have been doing this set up has been good. I prefer to have as many of the tools ready to go as I can without having to switch things around much. Once I build a cabinet to set on top of the rolling stand that came with my table saw, the planer will have a semi-permanent setup. Just need to attach DC hose to it when I go to use it. After that I should be able to work on projects without much monkeying around moving and setting up tools. I know a lot of guys like to have everything on wheels and that works well for them, I just prefer built in tools, probably has a bit to do with a touch of OCD!

Lee


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## drpdrp (Oct 19, 2012)

How come "everyone" sets up their table saw with the outfeed going into the shop? My instinct is to do it the other way and I am wondering if there is some logic I've missed.


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## SFDCapt (Sep 28, 2013)

For me it was as simple as work flow. The saw is positioned so that raw material enters the shop on the in feed side of the saw, don't have to carry it around to the back side to cut it. Other than that, just personal preference based on how I work in my shop.

Lee


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## kayakzkh (Jan 13, 2014)

My shop is 12×22. I have my saw lengthwise in the middle for maximum ripping capacity, and with the right side set against the wall, for maximum crosscut capacity to the left.


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## RHINO965 (Jan 8, 2014)

I made my own mobile router/table saw cart. works great!!


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## drpdrp (Oct 19, 2012)

SFDCap- this arrangement is so much better than what I had before and was inspired by your pics. Still a ton to sort out and make better, but this was a massive step for me.

http://lumberjocks.com/drpdrp/blog/39966

I am now thinking I will build another 2×2 and put it where the air compressor is and put the bandsaw there. I will just stow the router table and bring it out as needed.


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