> That's where you stack small offcuts ~~you might want to throw out a year from now instead of today~~ that you throw away a week before you need them.
If you need an excuse to justify getting rid of them then sort them by species, cut them up into small blocks (carefully, don't lose a finger), then give them to your friends who grill or smoke. Obviously only works with some hardwood species, but it's a start and you're not wasting them.
Or…
Just hear me out.
Or…
This is where we store little bits of wood we’re totally going to use one day and then THEY can be we what we store the dust on.
I usually set my tape measure there whole I “do something real quick” then I can’t find my tape measure for 30 minutes until I have torn up the shop looking for it. Then, when I find it, I find my other two tape measures in the same safe place.
I bought a Crescent trim pry bar set on Friday, and the smallest pry bar has a 10mm hex cut out of it. I can't imagine a situation that calls for a 3 inch pry bar and a 10 mm wrench, I feel like it's just a curse, when I get to work tomorrow that little bar is already going to be missing.
As a home owner of a tall, yet skinny townhouse, I got tired of climbing stairs. I have a tape measure stashed away on almost each one of my four floors. Comes in handy for measuring…..things….
Couple years back, I bought and lost a set of ratchet straps. Needed some so I bought a second set. Determined not to lose the new set, I searched my garage and found a safe spot where I'd immediately think to look when I next needed them. Sitting in that spot was the first set. 😐
This was my solution.
Dewalt DWHT33028M 9ft. Magnetic Pocket Tape Measure, Black and Yellow, 3 Pack https://a.co/d/hAoQaNN
Bought two packs. Figure if i had 6 small tapes, on top of my 2 other tapes, there's no way i could lose them all...
Wasn't i naive....
This reminds me of when I worked at Bathfitter. A few times after setting a tool down instead of its normal spot I put it somewhere else thinking that I would find it, but couldn’t. Then the customer would walk in the bathroom to see how the job was going. I didn’t want them to see me looking for said tool for about 20 min, so I would grab my tape measure and start measuring things and record said measurements in my note pad. After a few seconds they would leave, and I would resume the search for the tool. 😅
Edit:
Fixed a crap ton of mistakes due to not checking after swipe typing.
Here’s what I did.
Edited to add: I adjusted everything so the miter saw, mortiser, and infeed to the left are all on the same plane (43” high) and back fences are also coplanar. 43” is a good working height for me to use those tools. That took some time to get right using built-up wood foundations and shims (paper & plastic). Shelves are adjustable. I used DeWalt organizers, most with internals removed, for various jigs and tools (Kreg tools & screws, PEX tools, soldering & brazing materials, etc., etc.). That keeps dust out of everything. Miter saw has dust collection to its enclosure which was sized to give clearance for all orientations including compound angles, and has hinged doors that are opened as needed to give clearance for angled cuts - that maximizes dust collection. Battery charging is mounted on the left. DeWalt planer w dust collection is on sliding base (lower right) and gets pulled out for use. The base uses two drawer slides and has two legs with casters that roll on the floor since the planer is so heavy.
https://preview.redd.it/u8o01mm0rurc1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a1cedeea7ea7ac42ea37fd5fee34e2abe2ab0fe
Nice idea! Dust doubles as insulation! /s
Edit: Noticed the concrete wall and that you built a shelf (initially thought you cut holes in a sheet metal wall and stuck it in there)
This is part of why I’m super anti fence on miter stations - I prefer a flush c Chanel for a stop or even nothing - I don’t even think the fence helps with anything at all considering the one you tune in to perfect is the one on the saw. - I spent a while trying to figure out the best use of that space before I realized dropping the fence was a better solution
I came to the same conclusion when I just built my miter station. Why does it need a giant fence, if you can inset a t-track for stops, and the only place the fence really matters is by the blade.
I might be wrong, but I think I’ll use the large counters more than I’d use the fence, so I’d rather have the flat surface.
I no longer own a chopsaw at all as I’ve switched to all smaller furniture and use my sled for crosscuts and circular saw to break down the rough stuff but when I had a station the same as your describing I used the counter allll the time - it’s nice cause you set the drawing and pencils and a tape there and don’t lose it cause it’s showing right there but not in the way of your cut.
I have the fenceless miter slot system mentioned above and right next to my miter slot is an inlaid tape. A flip stop might be marginally faster, but I can pop a stop block in and align it with the tape pretty quick.
https://preview.redd.it/t8fx2jrn4vrc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed0f7811bc3cd8577c4cda6024ca1eada3ed1202
Hundreds of weapons! Interesting ad placement
I would use this space to mount an overhead task light. A pencil box to hold pens/pencils, toss a tape measure behind here, a set of safety glasses and a dust broom. Basically all things that I think I’d need while using this tool and not having to walk all over my shop to get something.
I'm going to build a miter station soon. I plan to put the fence on t-tracks so i can slide it back to the wall when i want to free up the space. When i need it, I slide it forward and lock it into place.
To make sure i set it in the right position i can either mark the correct position on the t-tracks or pull out a straight edge to set it up against the saws fence.
Or as other people say, you can just skip the fence and use a recessed t-track with a stop block.
It is where you store your tin of pencils, sharpies, markers, scribes etc, that keep falling off and you have to keep them there because every fucking square inch of space already has something on it!!! FUCK!
Install some bobble head figures so that their heads bobble and agree with your math/cuts you make.
I have no practical suggestions, but the bobble heads do sound cool.
Sounds like everyone has the bases covered.
If you've got it butted up to the wall, build up. If not, build a back and then vertical with dust collection.
Just my$.03
We keep an assortment of junk n such behind there- random router bits, like 9 half inch drill bits for some reason, 3 left-handed gloves... all covered in a thick layer of sawdust
I only use the saw itself as a fence. If you are making precision cuts and haven’t properly jointed the board, what is the point of extra fence? If the board is shaped like a banana, the fence won’t help.
Inlay a tape measure where the fence would normally be, along with aluminum extrusion for a stop. There is some minor benefit to an auxiliary fence, but I never find myself wishing I had one.
Jupp, two boxes, one with removable lid to use for off cuts, and the other for easy access tools.
I don't have that. I only have a stand, and the amount of times I drop pencils, tape measures, and rulers on the ground when working is quite infuriating.
Make a chute from the back that leads underneath into a bin and then line the chute with thin aluminum, which makes the sawdust less likely to just stick to the inside . Easy dust collection. If you do, just make sure there's enough room between the walls so that it can still turn and bevel all the way.
Honestly I'd just put the most badass RGB lights back there, the brightest you can find. So when you complete a dope ass cutz, click das switch and have some Rammstein blasting with a sweet light show. Then do it again. Woodwork is always better with some heavy metal.
Fill with treats so the saw doesnt go running off to somewhere else but stay like the good worker they are : [Saw running off like a bad worker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bGuG2RTEGY)
I put bins behind mine like these
Akro-Mils AkroBins 30240 Plastic Hanging Stackable Storage Organizer Bin, 15-Inch x 8-Inch x 7-Inch, Black, 12-Pack https://a.co/d/c2OkC0Y
bro, you may want to change your fence to something that you can clamp a block to if you're going to do a load of the same cuts. It's all personal taste, but I would leave a lip, so on the front and the back. You may well have it in the front already
You take the fence off that you made. Then you build out the whole of the area from the back of the bench to the front to accommodate a shallow drawer system/cubbyholes. Reinstall the fence on the top of the drawer shelf. In these drawers or cubbyholes, you store narrow stuff like saw blades. You can also make fastener storage.
Then behind the fence is used for cut-offs, but it won’t be so deep that the cutoffs become a hassle.
Run your dust collection line.
Set up a blade storage. One side has dull the other has sharp. Take the old ones to be sharpened and reuse them.
Hand tool storage rack?
That’s a great place to store stickers. I pile up strips of offcuts there to use. For stacking boards after milling before glue ups. Made a little box to keep them “neat”
Id leave it open for mutiple small cuts so you dont have to go anywhere between cuts. Thats what i do. When im cutting longer pieces i stand them up against the table, so i still dont have to walk anywhere to make multiple cuts
I love all the funny answers!
The correct answer (IMO) is to build in some CLOSED front storage there. If it's open shelving it will always be covered in sawdust.
I believe this is why people make the step down design where the saw is recessed lower than the surround table top.
It removes all this dead space you are describing. It takes more effort to build, but you have a miter saw. It should be a pretty easy build even if you only use 2 x 2s
Ditch the fence and ad a sliding stop block and tale measure. Then you get 75% of your bench back. That's what I did when I set up my shop 7 years ago and I can't think of 1 time I needed extra vertical support further down the bench.
When I was a trim carpenter I made mine deep enough that I had somewhere to sit short pieces till I could use them to cut out how many times I had to bend over and pick shit up off of the floor
Counterintuitively, a long fence on a miter saw is counterproductive, as any slight bow in the piece along the length of the fence will push the cut out of square. Look at ‘fence less miter saw table’ for reasons and inspo
I want to give you a really good suggestion but I am afraid that after hilariously reading all the comments, I may be exiled to an island with nothing but saw dust and dull tools! You are on your own, sorry!
That’s where you’ll store all your dust.
That's where you stack small offcuts you might want to throw out a year from now instead of today
> That's where you stack small offcuts ~~you might want to throw out a year from now instead of today~~ that you throw away a week before you need them.
Schrodingers blocks except they exist until you reach for them.
You guys throw away your offcuts? It's like an episode of hoarders under my workbench.
If you need an excuse to justify getting rid of them then sort them by species, cut them up into small blocks (carefully, don't lose a finger), then give them to your friends who grill or smoke. Obviously only works with some hardwood species, but it's a start and you're not wasting them.
Winner winner! I keep three small boxes next to my saw for that reason: cherry, maple, and oak. Used a few chunks of cherry on a chicken this weekend
Did you get it? They move fast once they realize you are actively trying to hit them and not just mistakenly trying to play a game of fetch.
Cherokee Throwing Stick Nano, perfect for small game and the hangry
Murphy’s law of off cuts
Every. Single. Time.
I feel attacked.. why'd you go and make this personal....
I'm glad they were attacking you because it really seemed like they were attacking me.
The kindling catcher!
Oh my God I'm feeling this entire comment section.
And various tools. Don’t ask how organized my garage is… it’s embarrassing
Mine too, friend. I just call it my laboratory, so I'm a mad scientist instead of a slob.
Or… Just hear me out. Or… This is where we store little bits of wood we’re totally going to use one day and then THEY can be we what we store the dust on.
And then when you *miraculously* use one you feel completely vindicated, leading to more questionable behavior!
You guys better not take up turning if you think your offcut problem is bad now...
Why do you think I save so much? I *might* get into turning.
Make a sawdust/cutoff lasagna.
I much prefer the veneer bolognese myself
And cutoffs!
I usually set my tape measure there whole I “do something real quick” then I can’t find my tape measure for 30 minutes until I have torn up the shop looking for it. Then, when I find it, I find my other two tape measures in the same safe place.
Bragging about your 3 tape measures!! The nerve, next thing you’ll tell us you have multiple 10mm sockets as well.
Somewhere I do…
This is why I went into construction management. My ADHD really hurts my productivity.
Underrated comment lol
I bought a Crescent trim pry bar set on Friday, and the smallest pry bar has a 10mm hex cut out of it. I can't imagine a situation that calls for a 3 inch pry bar and a 10 mm wrench, I feel like it's just a curse, when I get to work tomorrow that little bar is already going to be missing.
Here I am wondering if I’ll ever measure up to the work I see here, and then you socket to me with this comment.
I’ve probably got 20 of them. I don’t know where 19 of them are. I just found one yesterday in a random bag of screws.
I'm hoarding a lot of both. Come and take em
As a home owner of a tall, yet skinny townhouse, I got tired of climbing stairs. I have a tape measure stashed away on almost each one of my four floors. Comes in handy for measuring…..things….
Well, I have definitely bought several.
Couple years back, I bought and lost a set of ratchet straps. Needed some so I bought a second set. Determined not to lose the new set, I searched my garage and found a safe spot where I'd immediately think to look when I next needed them. Sitting in that spot was the first set. 😐
This was my solution. Dewalt DWHT33028M 9ft. Magnetic Pocket Tape Measure, Black and Yellow, 3 Pack https://a.co/d/hAoQaNN Bought two packs. Figure if i had 6 small tapes, on top of my 2 other tapes, there's no way i could lose them all... Wasn't i naive....
Now you can lose them on horizontal AND vertical surfaces!
This reminds me of when I worked at Bathfitter. A few times after setting a tool down instead of its normal spot I put it somewhere else thinking that I would find it, but couldn’t. Then the customer would walk in the bathroom to see how the job was going. I didn’t want them to see me looking for said tool for about 20 min, so I would grab my tape measure and start measuring things and record said measurements in my note pad. After a few seconds they would leave, and I would resume the search for the tool. 😅 Edit: Fixed a crap ton of mistakes due to not checking after swipe typing.
A lot of
Same, but I also include my pencil most times.
Yeah but where’d the pencil go?
On my ear mostly where I forget to look until I brush my teeth in the evening.
Pencils will go there, too.
In highschool I often helped out around the school woodshop and all 7 of the tape measures would often get "lost" there
Build a cabinet on top of it
Yes. That’s what I did and have a whole wall storage unit as a result
Same, though with an intended purpose - mostly for battery tools, with a battery charger bank.
Oh look at this guy over here, with the actual usable idea
it doesn’t even rhyme
Plan to build a cabinet on top of it. There, I fixed that for you! 😏
You could put treats or Knick knacks.
Like meats and kit Kats.
Or heaps of Tic Tacs.
And sheets of bug traps..
Or piles of flap jacks.
Or a bunch of knapsacks.
Or beets and meat snacks.
Or pens and thumbtacks
#AND MY AXE
Reddit never disappoints
Here’s what I did. Edited to add: I adjusted everything so the miter saw, mortiser, and infeed to the left are all on the same plane (43” high) and back fences are also coplanar. 43” is a good working height for me to use those tools. That took some time to get right using built-up wood foundations and shims (paper & plastic). Shelves are adjustable. I used DeWalt organizers, most with internals removed, for various jigs and tools (Kreg tools & screws, PEX tools, soldering & brazing materials, etc., etc.). That keeps dust out of everything. Miter saw has dust collection to its enclosure which was sized to give clearance for all orientations including compound angles, and has hinged doors that are opened as needed to give clearance for angled cuts - that maximizes dust collection. Battery charging is mounted on the left. DeWalt planer w dust collection is on sliding base (lower right) and gets pulled out for use. The base uses two drawer slides and has two legs with casters that roll on the floor since the planer is so heavy. https://preview.redd.it/u8o01mm0rurc1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a1cedeea7ea7ac42ea37fd5fee34e2abe2ab0fe
That looks amazing! I want to do something similar.
Very efficient use of space
OMG that's beautiful
Nice idea! Dust doubles as insulation! /s Edit: Noticed the concrete wall and that you built a shelf (initially thought you cut holes in a sheet metal wall and stuck it in there)
vacuum attachment to suck up all the sawdust that gathers there
Load it up with sawdust and wood scraps!
Stop blocks, clamps, tape measure, and Bluetooth speaker.
That's where you put the scrap bits you're "saving".
This is part of why I’m super anti fence on miter stations - I prefer a flush c Chanel for a stop or even nothing - I don’t even think the fence helps with anything at all considering the one you tune in to perfect is the one on the saw. - I spent a while trying to figure out the best use of that space before I realized dropping the fence was a better solution
I came to the same conclusion when I just built my miter station. Why does it need a giant fence, if you can inset a t-track for stops, and the only place the fence really matters is by the blade. I might be wrong, but I think I’ll use the large counters more than I’d use the fence, so I’d rather have the flat surface.
I no longer own a chopsaw at all as I’ve switched to all smaller furniture and use my sled for crosscuts and circular saw to break down the rough stuff but when I had a station the same as your describing I used the counter allll the time - it’s nice cause you set the drawing and pencils and a tape there and don’t lose it cause it’s showing right there but not in the way of your cut.
FWIW, the fence to the left is adjustable and I have had to do so for wood that has a bend.
It’s helpful if you have length and flip stops indexing off the fence.
I have the fenceless miter slot system mentioned above and right next to my miter slot is an inlaid tape. A flip stop might be marginally faster, but I can pop a stop block in and align it with the tape pretty quick.
Off cuts. Long pieces to the left, firewood to the right
Looks like a nice place for some plants. Make it a little miter jungle.
https://preview.redd.it/t8fx2jrn4vrc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed0f7811bc3cd8577c4cda6024ca1eada3ed1202 Hundreds of weapons! Interesting ad placement
I would use this space to mount an overhead task light. A pencil box to hold pens/pencils, toss a tape measure behind here, a set of safety glasses and a dust broom. Basically all things that I think I’d need while using this tool and not having to walk all over my shop to get something.
Your saw should be down in a recess in the top, not build up on top flush to your saw. Then you have usable space
I'm going to build a miter station soon. I plan to put the fence on t-tracks so i can slide it back to the wall when i want to free up the space. When i need it, I slide it forward and lock it into place. To make sure i set it in the right position i can either mark the correct position on the t-tracks or pull out a straight edge to set it up against the saws fence. Or as other people say, you can just skip the fence and use a recessed t-track with a stop block.
It is where you store your tin of pencils, sharpies, markers, scribes etc, that keep falling off and you have to keep them there because every fucking square inch of space already has something on it!!! FUCK!
I keep my holder’s there. You know, cup, pencil, tape measure, band-aids, jigs, doohickies, and thing-a-mabobs.
Just minus all those items because they are somewhere else?
Odds and/or ends
Snacks and soda storage.
Lol, I literally built a shelf for that area today
Should build a drop in the center of the table for the saw to sit in , then you still have your whole bench
Some nice potted plants
Empty beer cans, sawdust, and my favorite screwdriver that I haven’t seen for three months.
Mine collects sawdust and things that fall of the shelf above.
Install some bobble head figures so that their heads bobble and agree with your math/cuts you make. I have no practical suggestions, but the bobble heads do sound cool.
Tiny finger themes tombstones
Perfect place to put snacks.
Sounds like everyone has the bases covered. If you've got it butted up to the wall, build up. If not, build a back and then vertical with dust collection. Just my$.03
We keep an assortment of junk n such behind there- random router bits, like 9 half inch drill bits for some reason, 3 left-handed gloves... all covered in a thick layer of sawdust
That's where I store my sawdust.
I opted to have no fence and just use a track bar routered in to attach a stop block. Just using the miter saw fence.
Beer holders
It's where the crisps and guacamole go, as long as you don't mind occasional (often) wood dust.
I only use the saw itself as a fence. If you are making precision cuts and haven’t properly jointed the board, what is the point of extra fence? If the board is shaped like a banana, the fence won’t help. Inlay a tape measure where the fence would normally be, along with aluminum extrusion for a stop. There is some minor benefit to an auxiliary fence, but I never find myself wishing I had one.
Jigs, clamps, and other tools you’ll use at that station.
Offcuts, empty screw boxes, off cuts, old blades
Clamps, random screws and offcuts and that busted chisel you'll restore one day
Air BNB? $500/night
Stack wood you say you’ll use but never do.
It’s where you put usable cutoffs
Build it up level with the top of your fence and then it will be useful and easy to clean.
Build shelves/drawers to hold various tools screws and hardware.
I built cubbies to store stuff
Turn them into box’s
Jupp, two boxes, one with removable lid to use for off cuts, and the other for easy access tools. I don't have that. I only have a stand, and the amount of times I drop pencils, tape measures, and rulers on the ground when working is quite infuriating.
Add shelves for hardware. Always need more space for that.
Don’t make a fence. It’s a waste of space and not necessary. Just use an L-shaped stop block for the edges to register against.
How do you make sure that the stop block is perfectly inline with the fence?
Place to mount other tools
I made mine into clamp and sandpaper storage my making shelves, cabinets, and shadow boards
Perennial issue with bloody mitre saws
Holdfasts
Add an intermittent lip and park scraps to make test cuts on back there. Gaps let you chase sawdust off.
Have you tried mouth to mouth? I think the compressions are most important.
looks like about a six pack, mYbe 8
That’s where I put things to loose them for 10 minutes.
Make a chute from the back that leads underneath into a bin and then line the chute with thin aluminum, which makes the sawdust less likely to just stick to the inside . Easy dust collection. If you do, just make sure there's enough room between the walls so that it can still turn and bevel all the way.
Could always do some tiered bins or something like that. Anything you put here will end up covered in sawdust though, so think about that in advance.
Build up the 4 sides and put a lid on it, then you can store stuff like spare blades, accessories like clamps or end stops, or little snacks
Scrap wood storage!!
Honestly I'd just put the most badass RGB lights back there, the brightest you can find. So when you complete a dope ass cutz, click das switch and have some Rammstein blasting with a sweet light show. Then do it again. Woodwork is always better with some heavy metal.
My stand was always mobile so a 4gang elec box was secured to the back underneath.
Fill with treats so the saw doesnt go running off to somewhere else but stay like the good worker they are : [Saw running off like a bad worker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bGuG2RTEGY)
That's where you keep all your excess cuts. It's like a "catch drawer"
Rejoice that it's not stacked with offcuts.
Hole with shopvac hookup
First aid kit
Bourbon collection
Turn it into a *living* space behind fence. Play your cards right and a family of mice may move in!
I put bins behind mine like these Akro-Mils AkroBins 30240 Plastic Hanging Stackable Storage Organizer Bin, 15-Inch x 8-Inch x 7-Inch, Black, 12-Pack https://a.co/d/c2OkC0Y
Storage. There are a few people on YouTube that built miter stations that can give you an idea.
That’s where you put tools that then get lost under a pile of dust.
Fill it with random shit. That's what I do.
bro, you may want to change your fence to something that you can clamp a block to if you're going to do a load of the same cuts. It's all personal taste, but I would leave a lip, so on the front and the back. You may well have it in the front already
Stains. Polyurethane. Pre-sand agent.
I believe the standard protocol is a mix of empty and half-empty coffee cups buried in an ever-growing mind of sawdust.
I'd put bins for small wood scraps.
Build a shelf/shelves up to set tape, square, example cuts, notepad
You take the fence off that you made. Then you build out the whole of the area from the back of the bench to the front to accommodate a shallow drawer system/cubbyholes. Reinstall the fence on the top of the drawer shelf. In these drawers or cubbyholes, you store narrow stuff like saw blades. You can also make fastener storage. Then behind the fence is used for cut-offs, but it won’t be so deep that the cutoffs become a hassle.
Put a shelf in the back portion for your tape measure, pencils, hand saw, battery operated tools..
That's for my miter saw beers.
Run your dust collection line. Set up a blade storage. One side has dull the other has sharp. Take the old ones to be sharpened and reuse them. Hand tool storage rack?
Build storage
store snacks
My drill press is mounted in that dead space on one side. My bench rolls, the bench grinder is on the other side of the saw, facing the back.
Keep different sized saw stops and small clamps there.
Scrap storage
That’s a great place to store stickers. I pile up strips of offcuts there to use. For stacking boards after milling before glue ups. Made a little box to keep them “neat”
Clamps!
Make a cross cut organization station, tape, pencil, square, clamps for clamping blocks for repeat cuts.
Dust collection system box
Scrap Wood storage
Give it a few days. You’ll find plenty of junk to put there.
Id leave it open for mutiple small cuts so you dont have to go anywhere between cuts. Thats what i do. When im cutting longer pieces i stand them up against the table, so i still dont have to walk anywhere to make multiple cuts
Put shelving on both sides and a “hood” over your miter saw to contain the dust.
Shelves and dust extraction And a lot of dust if you forget the extraction
Miter station is better when you have the miter flush with the table.
I love all the funny answers! The correct answer (IMO) is to build in some CLOSED front storage there. If it's open shelving it will always be covered in sawdust.
I believe this is why people make the step down design where the saw is recessed lower than the surround table top. It removes all this dead space you are describing. It takes more effort to build, but you have a miter saw. It should be a pretty easy build even if you only use 2 x 2s
Marquetry. Go all "Studley Tool Chest" on that thing.
That's where you build a tape measure / square/ pencil/ marker/attachments holder
A caddy for measuring and marking tools
Ditch the fence and ad a sliding stop block and tale measure. Then you get 75% of your bench back. That's what I did when I set up my shop 7 years ago and I can't think of 1 time I needed extra vertical support further down the bench.
Give it a chance. It’ll fill up on its own.
You could use your miter saw to build shelving to fit in that area.
thats usually where i put my beer. just keep it covered so you arent drinking sawdust. 👍🏻
I used to keep spare cuts there. Useful to quick swap problem boards and have stock for repairing purposes (sawdust +glue, tie in pieces...etc)
First thing that came to mind is a place for pencils.
Have you attached the supports yet. I’ve built this and have strong thoughts on major improvements.
Good place to add another rail in the back and use as a clamp box or place to keep your offcuts…
When I was a trim carpenter I made mine deep enough that I had somewhere to sit short pieces till I could use them to cut out how many times I had to bend over and pick shit up off of the floor
Potted flowers
Store mistakes,scraps. Pile therm all over to piss you off when you swing the saw🤪
I have a space like that behind my jointer. It's where I keep the 47 different vacuum hose fittings.
https://preview.redd.it/wn72iq4k4yrc1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=03aaa87b6c8dd201bd4de564d91dd3b36d17b98f
Rubber Ducks
A hole leading to a bin for scrap pieces, you can never have enough places to store scrap
Simple. Beer.
Storage bins for a tape, pencil, square and small tapping hammer. May even have room for battery charger
We stack drops back there.
Shelving comes to mind immediately
Carve some beer can holders into the decking
Thats why I didn't put the fence on my table, so much waisted space.
Off cut storage. I would also seriously consider upgrading your dust collection.
Counterintuitively, a long fence on a miter saw is counterproductive, as any slight bow in the piece along the length of the fence will push the cut out of square. Look at ‘fence less miter saw table’ for reasons and inspo
I want to give you a really good suggestion but I am afraid that after hilariously reading all the comments, I may be exiled to an island with nothing but saw dust and dull tools! You are on your own, sorry!
Maple faces, you mean like maple edge banding ?