This mitre saw station has been a long time coming for my tiny workshop! I watched a TON of mitre saw station build tutorials but they were all designed as one piece, which wouldnβt have been the best use of space in my workshop. So I decided to go wild and split mine into three sections, so that I can move each one around and use it lots of ways for different projects. Mitre saw station? I got you. Workbench? I got you. Outfeed for your table saw? I GOT YOU!
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I was SO excited to buy new timber for this project, I’m pretty sure the last time I bought this much fresh timber was when I built my king size bed.
For the past few months I’ve had so many offcuts and scraps in my workshop, I’ve been doing my best to use those up for any build projects.
But for this, it was time for some fresh 2x4s! (Or should we be calling them 4x2s since I’m in the UK?! Honestly, who knows!)
Check out my YouTube video of this build or keep reading to find out how I did it!
What you’ll need
- Drill
- Mitre saw or circular saw
- Pocket hole jig
- Pocket screws 2-1/2β³
- Pocket screws 1-1/4″
- Clamp
- 2x4s
- 18mm plywood
- Fibreboard (or hardboard to keep costs even lower)
- Locking castor wheels
- Corner brackets
Download my SketchUp file here, it’s a working file so you can click into the plans and see measurements for each piece.
So let’s get started. First off, I cut down all of my 2x4s to the measurements shown in my SketchUp file. I used my mitre saw for this, but you could use any kind of saw β even a hand saw, but it might take you a while and be a little wonky! So I’d recommend using a power saw if you can get hold of one.
If I have lots of the same sized cuts to make, I like to cut one piece at the correct size then use it as a template to mark out the rest of the pieces. This way, I can be sure they’ll all be the same size. TIP: It takes longer, but I like to mark and cut one piece at a time. This means I’m able to account for any timber lost due to the kerf*, and my boards don’t end up a few millimetres too short. (*Kerf is defined as the width of material that is removed by a cutting process.)
I built most of this project using 2-1/2 inch pocket screws, screwing them directly into the sides of the 2x4s. I usually use wood glue on most of my builds because it makes them super strong, but this time I passed on the glue so that I can reconfigure the benches down the line if I need to. That way, I can reuse the timber!
For some of the pieces, I chose to drill pocket holes and attach them this way. I like to use this technique in cases that would otherwise require screwing directly into the end of a board. It’s definitely possible to do that, however pocket holes make for a stronger join because they allow me to screw diagonally into the side of a board instead of into the end. Steve Ramsey explains pocket holes brilliantly in this video, it’s definitely worth a watch if you’re new to the process.
I found it easiest to build the front and back panels first, then I joined them together with the pocket holed side pieces. I used a long quick-release clamp to hold everything in place.
Then it was a case of step-and-repeat for the other two sections. Two big sections for either side of the mitre saw, and the middle part on which the mitre saw would sit. I used my square to make sure everything was… well, square! Throughout the project.
When all three section frames were built, it was time to add the castor wheels. These are 50mm castors and hold up to 30kg each β which is a total of 120kg per section of the bench. I don’t ever see myself using that much timber at once so I think they will work out fine!
I found some washers in my workshop to use for this alongside 1-1/4 inch pocket screws. You can see that the screw head is *just* a little bigger than the holes on the castor wheels β the washers help to keep the screws secure and make sure the screw heads don’t loosen their way through the holes.
I decided on the spot to cut some squares of 18mm timber down to add to the bottom of each frame that I could screw the castors into. This felt like it would be way more sturdy than screwing them directly into the ends of the boards and bonus points, it also added some more height to the workbench which is great news for my back!
With the castor wheels on, it was time to source materials to use for the bottom shelves. If I were buying new materials for this I would’ve gone with sheets of 18mm plywood, however my workshop is FULL of scraps and random timber so I was determined to make that work in my favour. I thought I’d have to build the shelves using random pieces of old pallet wood but, miraculously, I remembered I had recently taken apart an old wood shelving unit that used to live in my walk-in closet… And the shelves fit the larger sections PERFECTLY! I was so pleased!
I just had to shave a few millimetres off the width and length which I did with my circular saw.
For the mitre saw section of the workbench, I had to add two single strips of wood from a shelf to get the desired width. I also had to add some little makeshift feet β this is because the pre-made shelves were held together with a piece of wood underneath, and any single strips I added had to be brought up to the same height to make an even surface.
Then it was a case of lining all the pieces up next to each other and securing them with, you guessed it, pocket screws!
Then it was time to move onto the work surfaces on the top of each section. And I bet you can see this coming… It was, of course, another patchwork job! I sources as much leftover 18mm plywood as possible from my workshop. I wanted to use plywood for the tops because it makes for a nice, level surface to work on β unlike the shelves I’d just added underneath, which are made up of lots of strips of wood (but that’s okay because I’ll only ever store stuff under there rather than work on it).
I was able to source plywood pieces that were *almost* the right size. When I ran short, I just measured up another little piece that would complete the whole surface area, and cut it down with my circular saw.
Then it was time to secure the patchwork together! For this, I used my pocket hole jig to drill pocket holes along the smaller pieces. I tend to gauge how many I need by eye, in this instance I drilled them about 3 or so inches apart,
Then I added plenty of wood glue, clamped the pieces together and screwed using 2-1/2 inch pocket screws.
Once the work surfaces were made, it was time to attach them to the frames from underneath. For this, I used corner brackets and 1-1/4 inch pocket screws. I used four brackets per frame, one on each side.
We were almost at the finish line now, friends! The last step was to add some hardboard to the tops of each work surface. This isn’t a necessity, however it means that when the bench inevitable endures some wear and tear, I’ll be able to replace the hardboard instead of the 18mm plywood tops which will be WAY more cost-effective.
I used my stapler to attach each section which will make it super easy to remove when it comes time to replace them. TIP: The more staples you use the β I only did the corners at first but my boards warped within a few days (maybe because of the cold) so I’ll be going back in with more staples all round the edges.
I hope you enjoyed this build as much as I did, thanks so much for coming along on the journey with me! If you build a 3-in1 Mitre Saw Station of your own, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can share it!