Portable miter extension wings lengths

[ericbuggeln]

Anyone recommend one length over another for job site miter station?  I usually have to break down and set up everyday and could be doing crown one day and Trex deck boards the next and then install tile floor, so I'm kind of looking for any thoughts good or bad.  I know a lot of you have Sawhelpers which come at defined lengths 6, 8, & 10 I think.  I am building Kreg custom ones to fit my current set up.  I am borrowing the design from Gary Katz's website and am trying to decide if I should make them as one solid unit or two part that is fastened together.  I also have only used my Dewalt miter saw with designated stand before and never experienced the massiveness of having tape, stops,etc.  Prior to going on my own I worked with guys who,  lets say didn't spend spare time on chat forum for high end German tools  

 

[ccmviking]

  I have 8 foot left and right and couldn't really do with any less.  Sometimes it's tough getting enough room near the house to setup properly but, it is what it is.  If I were only doing base and casing I could do with a shorter fence on the right.  If you're doing a lot of crown and such you'll need long fences on both sides (and yes mine are sawhelpers).

Chris...

 

[ericbuggeln]

Thanks, that was the exact type of confirmation I was looking for.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi Eric! I have the Sawhelper setup, with a 8' wing to the left and a 5' wing to the right. I'd say go with AT LEAST one longer wing.

One thing to consider is how much time and money are you going to spend building your own wings vs. purchasing a ready-made setup. I've looked at the rig Gary Katz built, and it looks really nice, but if you're setting up and taking down every day, and having these wings transported all over the place I'd seriously look at something already manufactured. I originally was going to build my own setup, utilizing the Kreg fance and stop system, but once I added up the cost of purchasing all of the Kreg components, plus the 1x material and plywood, not including my time designing and building an untested design, I was money ahead just buying the Sawhelper. It looks like to get your wings going using the Kreg parts you're looking at upwards of $280 (Model KMS8000 @ $140x2), not to mention lumber and your time. I don't want to sound like a grump here, I just suggest that you weigh the cost of all of the Kreg parts vs a nice system like the Sawhelper, plus how long will homemade wings last vs. a wing that's a solid piece of aluminum.

If you do decide to make your own be sure to post pics, it's fun to see what people come up with!!  Have a nice week!

 

[ericbuggeln]

How come Sawhelper doesn't post prices?  How much is your set up?

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

How come Sawhelper doesn't post prices?  How much is your set up?

Hi Eric!

      I can't speak to the reasons Sawtooth Specialty Tools doesn't post the pricing for their Sawhelper Ultrafence. Their pricing is actually kind of similar to Festool, in that their products cost roughly twice what other miter saw stands are asking, but like Festool products even at the elevated prices it's still a bargain. I don't remember exactly, but I think my Ultrafence U85 set was roughly $450. That includes a 8' solid aluminum wing, a 5' solid aluminum wing, a very heavy duty flip stop (superior to the Kreg stop, IMHO), and scissor stand that supports the saw. The wings will support a ton of weight, I've used them to support 6"x6" pressure treated 10' posts and long LVL's. I'm a little short on time this evening, but if you have some time I'll try to be a little more thorough tommorrow evening. What kinds of things would you like to know about the Sawhelper?

BTW, here's some very amateur photos of my setup 

 

[ericbuggeln]

Mostly why I feel like an ass for not owning one and going  the route I'm going, I'm such a loser.  I already have the Kreg hardware from a crazed tool spending frenzy, so you will be seeing what I can come up with.  Having never personally seen the Sawhelper, only the website and I believe Brices website when I had first found this site.  I'm confident I can make something nice, but I believe in pretty much everything you said earlier will take place (premature failure and/or excessive upkeep to maintain desired performance) I am building up my box van right now and will probably like to make the whole deal a home and eventually cave in when Kapex Mania begins.

 

[Dan Clark]

How come Sawhelper doesn't post prices?  How much is your set up?

Hi Eric!

      I can't speak to the reasons Sawtooth Specialty Tools doesn't post the pricing for their Sawhelper Ultrafence. Their pricing is actually kind of similar to Festool, in that their products cost roughly twice what other miter saw stands are asking, but like Festool products even at the elevated prices it's still a bargain. I don't remember exactly, but I think my Ultrafence U85 set was roughly $450. That includes a 8' solid aluminum wing, a 5' solid aluminum wing, a very heavy duty flip stop (superior to the Kreg stop, IMHO), and scissor stand that supports the saw. The wings will support a ton of weight, I've used them to support 6"x6" pressure treated 10' posts and long LVL's. I'm a little short on time this evening, but if you have some time I'll try to be a little more thorough tommorrow evening. What kinds of things would you like to know about the Sawhelper?

BTW, here's some very amateur photos of my setup 

Tom,

The current price for same Sawhelper setup is $494.95.  I have a POS Delta that I picked up at Lowes for $100.  It is $100 down the drain, IMO.

Dan.

 

[ericbuggeln]

Dan, thanks for the pricing.  Buying a tool that doesn't meet your expectations is the worst.

 

[nickao]

Hi does anyone know?

How does cutting crown standing upright, when you do not want to lay the stock flat and bevel, work?

In other words, when you use the upside down and backward method. Will the sawhelper support the crown when cutting like this?

nickao

 

[Brice Burrell]

Hey Nick, the Sawhelper fences are 6" wide so there is enough room to add stoops for smallish crown. I added wooden extensions to the fences so I can clamp stops for larger crown on the extensions.

 

[nickao]

I like the high fence on your saw! That is the area I am asking about on the Sawstop.

It seems like the crown just flaps in the wind on the top outside of the width of the actual saw.

Nickao

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi there Nickao! I think you're referring to the Crown Stop Set. Cutting the crown "in place" is A LOT easier and faster (for me, at least) than cutting crown flat. The Crown Stop Set works really slick, you just adjust the bottom slides for the size of crown you're using, and when you set the crown on your Sawhelper the Crown Stop Set properly aligns the crown for cutting, it saves you from trying to manually hold it in the correct position. I'll probably have my saw set up this week, I'll see if I can't find some crown to set up for a picture. If not, try calling Sawhelper, they can send you a video showing Tim cutting some crown. I hope this helps, just let me know if you need some more info!

 

[nickao]

Thanks guys, I know how to cut crown on the flat I have installed probably  10,000 linear feet over the years. Flat and upside and backwards.

I just don't necessarily want to cut it down flat all the time and I am not getting into the pros and cons.In short if the walls are out of square and I mean WAY out of square I can cut it upside and backward fast as lighting while someone else is still fiddling around with the angles. And the digital tools etc. I have all that stuf, I am a scriber and once the old timers showed me I never went back.

If I am cutting a 1x 8"(1 x 6 for the smaller saws)piece of trim on edge does this Sawhelper offer support on the top. That is really my question, it really was not a crown question. It sure looks like MDF will be flopping all over the place beyond the right and left edges of the built in saw fence. 

Where the Sawhelper takes the measurement is the area I am concerned with. It looks like it angles back to me and that maybe only a 4" tall piece can be pressed tight to it.

I love Brices saw and the built in fence. For me that exact hight and profile of his saws built in fence is what I like all the way 8 foot to the right and to the left. It's just what I prefer. I was just wondering how this Sawhelper worked out regarding that. That MDF flops around a lot!

Nickao

 

[Fred West]

Nick, I have a sawhelper, 8 foot on either side coming my way via Timmy C. tomorrow. As in being shipped tomorrow. My knowledge is limited but from what Tom Gensmer has told me and what I have seen it appears that the mdf will be held just fine. I too do most of my crown work upside down and backwards.  8) I will give you a better answer once it arrives and I set it up. Fred

 

[nickao]

Nick, I have a sawhelper, 8 foot on either side coming my way via Timmy C. tomorrow. As in being shipped tomorrow. My knowledge is limited but from what Tom Gensmer has told me and what I have seen it appears that the mdf will be held just fine. I too do most of my crown work upside down and backwards.  8) I will give you a better answer once it arrives and I set it up. Fred

Thank you so much!

I did not mean to make this so difficult, it is just so hard to tell from pictures how stuff works. And it is even harder to put things into words when you are looking for answers.

Nickao

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

If you buy the Crown Stop Set, it comes with two vertical components that attach to the rear portion of the wings. These components are a true vertical, and serve as extensions of your saw fence. Again, I'll try to take pics either today or tommorrow.  8)

 

[Brice Burrell]

Nick, the sawhelper fence's vertical dimension is very small, around 1/2". I've really wished it was bigger from time to time. And if it were bigger, I mean only a little bigger so the weight stays down. But for the most part it works with no problems.

 

[nickao]

Thanks guys I think I finally spit out what I was trying to ask! I look forward to the pics Tom and thanks Brice. I hear great things about the unit for job sites. I am lucky(or unlucky) not to have to go to job sites anymore, but the unit still calls out to me!

Nickao

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Thanks guys I think I finally spit out what I was trying to ask! I look forward to the pics Tom and thanks Brice. I hear great things about the unit for job sites. I am lucky(or unlucky) not to have to go to job sites anymore, but the unit still calls out to me!

Nickao

Hi Nick, here are some of those pics I promised! Unfortunately I don't have much time this week to give a good narrative to go with the pics, but hopefully at least some of them are self-explanatory. Basically, I took some plywood, put a 45 degree bevel on each side to roughly simulate crown. As you can see in the pics, the fence extensions on the Crown Stop Set (hereinafter referred to as CSS) are about 6 3/8" tall, plenty to support super-tall crown. The Fence extensions are adjustable forwards and backwards to allow you to perfectly align them with your saw's fence. The lower units adjust to nest the crown. So, once you've got it all set up (it takes less than a minute to add or remove the CSS from your Sawhelper wings), alll you have to do is lean the bottom of your crown on the bottom supports, and let the top fall back against your fence and fence extensions, it will perfectly nest each and every time. Right now I have one CSS, but I'm thinking about buying another, just so I can get a few more supports. The Fence extensions are superb for helping to support really long base when cutting verticallly, and the horizontal nesting points can have the slider removed, leaving just the outriggers, which are really handy for helping to keep really wide boards (12"+) from teetering off the wings. The fence extensions also have rudimentary little flip stops.... Oh, and the fence extensions simply clamp to the wings, so they can be moved anywhere along the length of the wing at any time, just a few quick turns of a knob is all it takes to tighten or loosen it.