Chop Saw work station

[Robert Haas]

Finished it. Cold saw work station

I have been lifting my chop saw up on to benches and saw horses for 30 years, I keep threatening to build a place for it but never really liked the designs most folk have come up with. The problem with these type of saws is the saw must be able to turn to make angle cuts. So I have been hunting around for a heavy duty low profile large diam. bearing. Sort of a lazy Susan on steroids. I finally found one a few years ago and tossed it up on the bench for that time when I get around to build this dang stand.

So a good friend told me he had a Sun engine diagnostic station he was tired of moving around. These things are built out of pretty decent steel and has nice big heavy duty casters with locks.. Perfect.

All parts are in place, and I just bought a new German Fein Slugger 14" cold saw.

So with no plans other then it had to be up and running by this weekend I jumped in with both feet.


So I started with one of these

cut off its top and stripped it.

I needed to make a working station for this

It works the same way as my old abrasive saws, but damn is it nice. fast accurate and the cut stays cold.

So I cut a couple disc of steel with the plasma cutter, found center and laid out the mounting for my bearing.

now the bearing will hold the two disc apart 3/4" so I rolled out a ring of 1/2" stainless tube with the ring roller and welded that to one of the disc. (you can just see the edge of it in this shot

With the tutn table finished I turned my attention to the cart. I cut the top off and using 1"x 1" .120 wall steel I built the sub frame

Then welded in the turntable and mocked up the saw location using my old Rigid abrasive saw. (It has the same foot print as the Fein) Now I built the upper deck

to be continued

 

[Robert Haas]

The table will have two wings that will raise into position and give me a solid 50" on either side of the blade. So the wings and braces were next up.

this is my version of a locking brace. These will hold up the wings.

Like this

Now the saw needs to be locked down when I swing it around for various angle cuts so I devised this little gem.

 

[Robert Haas]

Next up is the sheet metal work, stay tuned

 

[Thumper68]

Very nice I might steal some of your design for my new 14" Jepson dry saw.

 

[racingtadpole]

I like it, well thought out.

 

[Strouty]

I like it, I have been thinking about something like that and you are giving me some great ideas.

 

[Richard Cranium]

It looks like it is well thought out.

 

[airrj]

Great design. I really like the pivot system that you have built in. Simple but looks to be very effective. I look forward to the completion photos.

 

[jimgood]

Robert, this is great. I have been noodling doing the same thing with putting my saw on a turn table. I have a DeWalt and the miter fence is such ****.

I'm even thinking it might be valueable if I could swap out the chop saw with the disc sander.

 

[f150skidoo]

Looks good, I'm surprised no manufacturers have came up with a swivel head dry cut saw instead of the current style

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice looking setup and well thought out.

Mike.

 

[ishiboo]

Wow, that's a great idea. That's the only part of my Evolution I don't like - the fence. This would eliminate having to mess with it.

It'd be sweet if there were a simple solution to give you a digital angle readout. Easiest setup will probably be to use a digital protractor off the fence though.

 

[Robert Haas]

Here it is in sheet metal.

wings stowed, ready to be put in the hangar. Pretty tidy unit and the added benefit of storage for my consumables.

Next step is to wire in a nice service panel so I can have several grinders hot and ready to run.

So next step is grinder racks and wiring.

stay tuned

 

[Thumper68]

Yup I think there is a trip to the steel yard in my future, now I just need to source a cabinet to base it on.

 

[DenisG]

I like the idea and I might build a similar one. The only change I'd make is to have the center of the cutting blade directly above the pivot point of the turntable.

 

[nine4gmc]

Awesome!!

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I like the idea of having the saw swivel instead of the material being cut. That alone is a great improvement in design.

I don't have the room for a permanent setup for a metal saw, but this sure makes me wish I did.

 

[sberry]

I never cut angles on the saw, the occasional cope. I may cut straight but nip with a plasma or cut in or with a different saw. The use of miters in common steel is way over anticipated imop. I don't do it unless I got to.

 

[Robert Haas]

I never cut angles on the saw, the occasional cope. I may cut straight but nip with a plasma or cut in or with a different saw. The use of miters in common steel is way over anticipated imop. I don't do it unless I got to.

I actually cut lots of angles and prefer a saw I can set up a fence and a stop on for production work.

I am happy you are a 90 degree kinda guy. In my shop we build lots of weird stuff that ain't all straight corners.

 

[Robert Haas]

I like the idea of having the saw swivel instead of the material being cut. That alone is a great improvement in design.

I don't have the room for a permanent setup for a metal saw, but this sure makes me wish I did.

With the wings dropped this thing only has a 28"X 38" foot print. it will roll out of the way and pretty much hides when not needed.

 

[motofool33]

love it,

 

[Bears Fan]

Great design!

 

[sberry]

Those saws are a lot cleaner than abrasive units, that helps a lot.

 

[Robert Haas]

Is it not amazing how a coat of paint really finishes up a project?

Some single stage Urethane in Miller Blue of course.

looks right at home next to the MIG/plasma cutter cart I built a few years back..

 

[motofool33]

Re: Finished it. Cold saw work station

Nice

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[Robert Haas]

well I am pretty much done, couple small things like a hose real to go inside the lower cab that I can run grinders and such but all in all the thing is finished. I mounted the roll stops and the grinder rack

[/IMG]

 

[sberry]

The blue really does it.

 

[saabman]

Very nice

 

[nine4gmc]

Excellent repurpose!

 

[gnpenning]

Nice job well thought out.

 

[Robert Haas]

So I put the cord reel in the bottom, finished up the wiring, and built a portal through the locker doors.

 

[sberry]

I like those **** little feet, where you get those?

 

[sb7979]

To me it looks like the fence is still mounted to the pivoting saw, not the stationary bench. How does this help you with miter cuts? What am I missing? Thanks.

 

[steel 35]

That is so nice

 

[Robert Haas]

To me it looks like the fence is still mounted to the pivoting saw, not the stationary bench. How does this help you with miter cuts? What am I missing? Thanks.

I still use the fence but I can keep my material on the deck. The biggest pain in these type of saws is swinging the body around and then resetting the material up on what ever perch you are using to keep it at the saws table height.

 

[sb7979]

I still use the fence but I can keep my material on the deck. The biggest pain in these type of saws is swinging the body around and then resetting the material up on what ever perch you are using to keep it at the saws table height.

Got it, I understand what you are doing now. Thanks. Have you thought about a stationary fence mounted to the table, like a miter saw for wood? My biggest complaint with these saws is getting them set to some precise angle, and then getting it back to 90 degrees when done.

 

[Skysurfer]

That turned out really nice. Lots of chips with the cold cut saws, I had one of those magnetic business signs for cars laying around and put it upside down near the blade. It catches nearly all of the chips which can then be vacuumed up. Easier than having them fly all over the equipment and floor.

 

[Robert Haas]

Got it, I understand what you are doing now. Thanks. Have you thought about a stationary fence mounted to the table, like a miter saw for wood? My biggest complaint with these saws is getting them set to some precise angle, and then getting it back to 90 degrees when done.

That is why I have a locking turn table. I clamp a straight edge to the decks, then I can even use a stop for production cutting.

Really speeds up my work when I only have to set up once then can mass produce parts.

 

[Robert Haas]

That turned out really nice. Lots of chips with the cold cut saws, I had one of those magnetic business signs for cars laying around and put it upside down near the blade. It catches nearly all of the chips which can then be vacuumed up. Easier than having them fly all over the equipment and floor.

Cool idea, I will look around for one of those, (Or just peel one off the next truck that stops out front with one stuck to his door )

 

[viikinki]

Briliantly made, especially that turntable. arghhh now i have to make a own saw table