Saw placements on bench

[SBH]

This will possibly be considered a stupid question by some but being new into the woodworking field and always receiving good advice from those with more experience who have made me think of issues I haven't thought of, I thought I would throw this one out.

I am building two benches in 6 foot sections to fit part of the back wall of my garage along with a bench I already have at 4 feet in length. From one end to the other is 16 feet. I am incorporating my radial arm saw and miter saw into the benches, of course, all at equal benchtop height. I want to make sure the saws are far enough from the ends as to not interfere with longer boards, if/when the need arises as well as far enough from each other, if that's necessary. Therefore, anyone have a suggestion(s) how far apart the saws should be from each other as well as from the walls?

Thank you

[SonomaProducts.com]

Damn fine question. I'll be very interested to see what answers come forth. In the typical big shop I've always seen the cuttoff area along the longest wall with lots of purposeful space off each end and the saw centered in the long fenced table. You do get the odd 20+ footer now and then and you'll want to break down to 10 or 12 feet long stock now and again so a 16 foot wall causes some problems.

IF there is any way at eaither end to cheat the board through a window or a door or a hole in then wall, then you should cheat the spacing of the saw away from that end maybe 1/3 - 2/3 along the wall. I have seen where the fence table was pulled out farther from the wall so the end could be open to clear a machoine and allow longer stock when needed.

Another option would be to make it modular so you can center it for most of the tiem and move it when you need a longer shot.

I think the saw just need to clear each other when operated.

[rick frazier]

If it were me, I'd probably position the saws next to each other in the center of the available space. This is how I have two miter saws set up, side by side. By installing them so the back fences line up, with the tables at the same level (one saw sits on spacers), as long as I remove the wood stops so the back fences are not obstructed, I can cut anything that will fit between the walls.

-_Rick

[Tom Veatch]

If the two saws are not going to be used simultaneously, then their placement relative to each other isn't very critical as long as the table heights and fence positions are compatible. I'd position them as close together as possible without causing the structure of either saw to interfere with operation of the other.

Position along the bench is a little more difficult to decide. Assuming the walls are a limiting factor - no windows, doorways or other openings aligned with the bench - I'd give serious thought to the type of work that you will be doing and try to make a reasonable estimate of the longest rip cuts you expect to make. Position the RAS such that it's no closer to either wall than that dimension plus whatever clearance is comfortable for you. Likewise, try to estimate what the longest workpiece and/or offcuts you're likely to have to accommodate with crosscuts on either saw and position the saws laterally so they will accommodate those lengths. A location near the center will probably, repeat probably, give you the most flexibility for crosscuts and will maximize the length of rip cuts that you can make.

I can almost guarantee that whatever lateral location you choose, eventually you're going to run into a case where you simply cannot put the cutline under the blade without punching a hole through the wall. Have a couple of sawhorses and a circular saw or handsaw available to handle it when that happens.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

[Upscale]

Wouldn't you then only be able to cut the longest board from one side of the room to the middle where the machines are located? If I understand correctly, the maximum width he has is 16'. Cutting where the machines are located at the middle would limit him to a maximum cut length of 8'.

For maximum possible cutting capability, the only way to do it would be to make the machines moveable on some bases that could slide along a bench and fasten down via toggle clamps or bench dog type clamps in any available evenly spaced holes drilled in the benches.

Here's three type of clamp suggestions with many other types also available.

?c=1&p=31150&cat=1,43838

[Pat Barber]

Put them both in the middle....

Your biggest problem is keeping the table clear of junk.

I have a 22' table t> This will possibly be considered a stupid question by some but being new

[SBH]

Thank you all for the suggestions.

I decided to use the center idea and space the saws 2 feet apart. Therefore, each will be 9 feet and 7 feet from the blade to each side walls. Since I "rarely" cut anything longer than 8 feet, other than a 2" x 12" x 18' for the side of my decking when I increased the size, I thought the 9 and 7 feet would be appropriate distances. Anything longer on those rare occassions can result in me using my circular saw and saw horses.

The suggestions always make me observe other options.

Thanks again