As a frequent DIYer I use and abuse my miter saw. It takes up a big chunk of my garage work bench and delivers a constant snow of sawdust all over the area. When working on my bedroom makeover, fellow DIYer, Cara, told me there was a better way and made me promise to keep my old dresser as a future project. Inspired by her original Miter Saw Dresser Tutorial, I finally tackled it and my DIY life is forever changed! Thank you Cara! Read along for all the details on how this dresser turned miter saw stand!
HOW The Dresser Turned Miter Saw Stand
First, I had my husband help me flip this baby upside-down to add 3″ casters. I wanted to be able to roll this dresser towards the front of the garage for better sawdust ventilation. My husband joked that it was going to go flying down the driveway into a neighbors car so I made sure the wheels were able to lock.
Here, you can see WHY a miter saw stand is necessary. When cutting a large piece of wood, it doesn’t sit level on the saw’s surface. Typically I have to stack scraps under one end. The solution is to build up the surface of the dresser to create a level work top. I measured the height of my Ryobi sliding miter saw and subtracted the 1/2′ MDF I planned on using for my new surface. This gave me a measurement of 3″ and 1/8 to cut my supports.
After cutting some scrap 2x4s at 3″ and 1/8, I screwed them onto the top of the dresser. Then, I set my 1/2″ MDF on top, glued, and screwed down into the supports. Now I had a level work surface with my saw! You can see in the above images how my saw sits on the original dresser top. I decided to box it all in, knowing that leaving it open would just collect dust. I was in luck that a 1×5 board fit perfectly so I nailed that around the outsides. Then, ripped the same board down for the shorter/inside pieces that sit next to my saw.
Finally, I painted the dresser “Waterscape” by Sherwin Williams with my paint sprayer and added some fun little accessories! The pencil holders are PVC pipe that I sprayed gold. The sheets of paper are my project planning printables (FREE for blog subscribers). I have also linked my favorite safety glasses and dresser knobs below. This dresser turned miter saw stand has been so convenient and I love using something “pretty” to create more pretty things!