Shop Projects

Beginner Miter Saw + Planer Stand

This beginner friendly miter saw and planer stand is a sturdy, compact solution for organizing your workspace.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2.8–5.5 hours
Cost: $$$

About this build

This beginner friendly miter saw and planer stand is a sturdy, compact solution for organizing your workspace. It features a flat top to support both tools and a fixed center shelf below for convenient storage. Built with basic materials and simple joinery, it’s ideal for new woodworkers looking for a practical, easy to build shop project.

Tools

Essential

Circular Saw
Drill / Driver
Pocket Hole Jig

Materials

Item	Qty
2 x 4 x 8 pine, 1.5" x 3.5" x 96"	5 board
4' x 2' x 3/4" plywood, 48" x 24" x 3/4"	3 board
2 1/2" pocket screws	50 each
Wood glue	1 each
Sandpaper	1 each

Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.

Cut list

Part	Qty	T × W × L
Legs	4	1" × 3" × 34"
Front Supports	4	1" × 3" × 29"
Side Supports	4	1" × 1 1/2" × 17"
Shelf Supports	2	1" × 3" × 29"
Top	1	3/4" × 24" × 32"
Center Shelf	1	3/4" × 24" × 29"
Bottom Shelf	1	3" × 24" × 32"

What to buy

Buy 7 boards at 8 ft.

3" × 24"

1 board

1" × 3"

4 boards

34"34"
34"34"
29"29"29"
29"29"29"

1" × 1 1/2"

1 board

17"17"17"17"

3/4" × 24"

1 board

32"29"

Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →

Start building →

Instructions

11
Cut the legs to size using a miter saw/circular saw.
22
Attach the side supports to the legs using wood glue and 2 1/2" pocket screws. Make sure the supports are flush with the top and bottom of the legs.
33
Attach the side supports to the legs using wood glue and 2 1/2" pocket screws.
44
Attach the shelf supports 16 3/4" up from the bottom of the opening on the stand as shown in the picture. It is easier to keep them level if you use a scrap piece of wood cut to 16 3/4" and set the shelf supports on top before you screw them in. Use wood glue and 2 1/2" pocket screws to attach them to the front and back as shown in the picture.
55
Cut the notches for the bottom shelf using an oscillating tool and a blade. I suggest marking where you need to cut with a square. You can also use a hand saw!
66
Attach the bottom shelf to the bottom of the stand using screws in from the top into the base. Do the same with the top.
77
Add the middle shelf the same way you attached the top and bottom shelves.
88
Optional: Add casters to make it easier to move around the shop! You can just leave as is or you can sand, stain/paint and you made an easy stand perfect for your workshop.