I'm stuck trying to decide between building a permanent miter station with a big dust collection hood or going for a mobile setup that I can roll out to the driveway when I need to use it. The mobile station would have flip-up wings for infeed and outfeed support, while a permanent station would result in large workbenches for that same purpose. A big advantage of moving it outside is that I wouldn't have to deal with dust in my garage from the miter saw, which is significant. I'm curious if anyone out there has experience with both types of setups and what your thoughts are!
3 Answers
As someone new to woodworking, I recommend going for a built-in station with a good hood if you can. I usually take my tools outside, but even then, I end up with fine dust everywhere in the garage. Plus, it looks like I’ve been running a mill in my driveway!
If you set up a good dust hood and have a shop vac underneath that automatically kicks on when you start the saw, you might find that a permanent station can keep dust to a minimum too. A friend of mine has a similar setup, and the cleanup is really just a little vacuuming behind the saw afterward.
Mobile stations can easily get cluttered or blocked by cars, while fixed ones might end up being repurposed as storage. It really depends on your habits – if you're good at keeping a clear space, a mobile setup could be great for accommodating different sizes of wood. A permanent station might limit your flexibility.