Get the Best of Both Worlds With This Combination Miter and Table Saw

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Every self-respecting workshop, or shed, needs a miter saw and a table saw. However, these bits of kit can take up quite a large amount of space.

Wouldn't it be handy if you could combine the two into one piece of machinery? As it happens, with a little lateral thinking, and some welding skill, you can actually build a combination miter saw and table saw. 

Follow this simple guide to find out how. 

As you can imagine, like any project of this nature, you'll need some tools and materials before you get started. 

Materials and gear needed

• 1 hp induction motor
• 15/64 inch (6mm) MS plate
• 12-inch (30.5cm) diameter, 15/32 inch (12mm) thick steel plate
• Toggle clamps
• Belt tensioner pulley
• 63/64 inch (25mm) pillow block
• 63/64 inch (25mm) shaft
• Table saw shafting spindle
• Scribing caliper
• C-channel steel lengths
• 12-inch (30.5cm) saw blade
• Basic tools (wrench, screwdrivers, etc)
• Metallic spray paints
• Angle grinder
• Various nuts and bolts
• Welding gear and safety equipment

Step 1: Make the main lever

The first step is to take your 15/64 inch (6 mm) steel plate, spindle, and motor. Place the parts on the steel plate roughly where you'll want them in the final piece. 

Ensure the two parts of properly aligned, and then take measurements of the distance between the motor and spindle, and mark out the position of the two parts n the steel sheet. 

With that done, take your caliper and scribe a line down the length of the steel in line with the mounting holes for the motor and spindle both horizontally and vertically. 

With that done, indent each of the mounting holes ready for drilling. Next, take another piece of steel sheet and weld it to one end of the other steel plate, or mark out the design on a larger piece of steel plate, to form an L-shaped base plate for the piece. 

Step 2: Make the miter saw turn table

With that done, take your 15/32 inch (12 mm) steel plate and cut it into a disk shape 12-inch (30.5 cm) in diameter. Cut another smaller piece of steel, cut to size and shape, and weld it to one side of the disk. 

Next, weld another rectangle of steel place to the bottom of the first vertically to make a bracket. With that done, cut two wedge-shaped steel and drill holes large enough to take the shafting through their narrowest parts. Weld these either side of the first steel plate at the base of the disk as shown below. 

With that done, insert your shafting through the holes. Weld the shaft into place on the wedge plates. Clean up the steel plates as needed using an angle grinder and/or sander. 

Next, make a frame from some mild steel, and then weld another steel disk of the same dimensions as the first to the middle of the frame. 

With that done, drill a hole in the center of the two disks, weld a small bolt to the bottom of the first disk, and mount the two pieces together using a nut. This should allow the first disk to rotate around the base plate freely. 

With that done, take your first steel plate base, and attach your pillow block to the center of one end of the plate. 

Take the plate and mount it to the main upstand of the rotary disk on the shaft. Then take a second pillow bearing and place it into position on the other side of the shaft. 

Secure the pillow blocks as needed using nuts and bolts to the plate. 

Step 3: Complete the miter saw part of the build

Next, take your spindle and mount it into place on the top of the lever arm through the holes you previously marked and drilled. With that done, take your saw blade and mount it into position on the spindle. 

With that done, take a length of c-channel steel and cut a small length of it to surround the blade. With that done, cut a groove down the middle of the bottom edge of the steel to fit the circular blade inside the c-channel steel. 

This piece will act as a miter latch for the piece. 

With that done, place the piece on the base plate and ensure the circular blade and swing freely in and out of the groove. Then weld the piece into place. 

With that done, cut and weld some other smaller pieces of steel to the base frame as shown below. 

With that done, cut an angled piece of steel to sit on top of the two pieces you just welded to the frame. Weld this piece into place too. 

Rise and repeat for the opposite side of the piece too. 

These pieces will act as angled buffers to restrict the rotation of the miter saw. With that done, remove the miter saw main assembly.

Then take a length of L-shaped angled steel, and place it on top of the angled buffers of the base. If needed, cut the length of L-shaped steel to the same length as the main base. With that done, take two small lengths of the steel plate and cut them down to size for the length of the longest parts of the tops of angled buffers.

Clamp them into place behind the L-shaped steel, and weld them to the base as needed (do not weld the L-shaped steel — it is only to act as a guide). These will act as fencing for the miter saw. 

To the rear face of the fence plates, create and weld some toggle clamp mounts. Then add your toggle clamps into place, as shown below. 

These will be used to secure the base rotary plate into place when using the miter saw. With that complete, drill a hole to the end of the miter latch and secure a handle into place. 

Step 4: Add the motor to the main body

With that complete, take the motor and mount it into position behind the spindle. Secure it into place using nuts and bolts. 

Next, take your belt tensioner pulley and mount it to the plate between the motor and spindle. With that complete, take some rubber timing belts and connect the spindle and motor together. The tensioner pulley should rest on the outside edge of the belt(s) as shown below. 

With that complete, add a spring to the tensioner pulley, and connect the other end of the spring to the base plate to hold the tensioner under, well, tension against the belt(s). 

Step 5: Make the table saw assembly

With that complete, make a frame to fit over the top of the miter saw. It should be roughly the same overall dimensions as the main base frame but have a gap along the center that fits either side of the blade. 

Hinge one end of it, and connect the frame to the main place with the motor and spindle via some upstands. Weld all pieces as needed. 

Add cross members and other supporting pieces of steel plate to reinforce the connecting for the frame to the main assembly as needed. Once complete, the frame should swing freely upwards and downwards against the miter saw.

With that complete, add two mounting points on the table saw frame and main miter saw platform. Then cut a strip of metal, round off the top and bottom, and cut a channel through the middle. 

This will form an adjustable bar for setting the table saw frame at set heights. 

Secure the bar to the main assembly, as needed. Rinse and repeat to make another adjustable slide to angle the entire top frame. As before, secure this into place as needed. 

With that done, make a small shroud to surround the circular blade and attach it to the underside of the table saw platform. Weld it into place as needed. 

With that complete, add some on and off switches and another handle to the main blade assembly as shown below. This handle will be used to safely lift and close the main miter saw blade. 

Step 6: Complete the piece

Next, make some housing parts for the main machinery pieces. For example, using some thin steel sheet, make housing to cover the main pulley and timing belt parts of the machine. 

Mount this into place on the main assembly. 

With that done, cut another piece of steel sheet to close off the top of the table saw platform. Ensure you cut a slit through the sheet so that the miter blade can push through the sheet. 

Clamp it into place, and weld the sheet to the frame. Once complete, use your angle grinder to clean up the welds as needed. 

With that done, the basic assembly of the combination miter and table saw is more or less complete. You can now dismantle it and paint parts as desired.

In this case, the frame parts of the piece have been painted a mixture of black and gray. You can paint, or not paint, the pieces as you see fit, of course. 

With that done, if not already created, you can also make, and paint, an adjustable rail/fence for the table saw platform. Attach this to the table saw platform using toggle clamps as before.

With that, your combination miter and table saw is now ready for action. Just place it somewhere pride of place in your workshop and get sawing!

If you enjoyed this project, you might want to add another piece of invaluable kit to your DIY arsenal. How about, for example, a metal bending machine?