Build your own table to place the circular saw

A table for the circular saw is an essential element in the workshop of every good carpenter and construction professional. This is because the table acts as a support for the wood and the different materials to be cut, provides stability and allows the use of both hands for greater safety. Consequently, this allows more ambitious jobs to be carried out, obtaining high-quality finishes.

Safety first

Building your own table to fix a circular saw (you can find some options to buy at this link) can be quite a challenge for those who start in artisan carpentry, as well as for DIY enthusiasts, so we have compiled the information necessary to start this project, as well as a step-by-step guide to successfully building a good, inexpensive saw table.

A point of great importance that should always be taken into account when working in carpentry is personal safety, since it is an activity that involves certain dangers, so it is worth taking into account some tips to prevent accidents. In this sense, it is necessary to follow the basic rules to work in an environment that is as safe as possible. 

In this sense, whoever handles the tools must have the basic knowledge for its use, otherwise, they must work under the strict supervision of experienced personnel. In addition, the workplace must have good lighting and ventilation. Also, it must be tidy to avoid tripping.

It is essential to use the appropriate safety accessories, such as a helmet, glasses, a mask, hearing protection, gloves, comfortable clothing and metal-toed shoes to protect the toes.

Materials needed to start construction

To begin the process of building the saw table, it is important to make sure that you have all the tools and accessories at hand, in this way you will avoid delays. Some materials needed to build this table are 4 1 ½-inch screws with wing or non-slip nuts, 36 2-inch drywall screws, 32 1 ½-inch drywall screws, 32 1-inch drywall screws, and white carpenter’s glue.

The tools that we must have on hand to build the table are: tape measure, a center point, clamps or wood clamps, screwdrivers and an electric or manual saw, which is appropriate for making the cuts.

The accessories required for this project are rulers, squares, 4 swivel legs and an aluminum U-profile 50 cm long by 1 inch wide and ½ inch thick. Also, it is necessary to have 1, 1 ½ and 2 inch drywall screw bits, as well as 1 ½ inch slip nut screw bits.

The board, legs, slats and blocks used for the construction of this type of table must be strong and durable, which is why experts generally recommend the use of pine, cedar, oak or saman wood. However, chipboard, such as MDF or Plywood, is also suitable.

It is important to highlight that although we will give you specific dimensions for this table, it is always possible for you to change the measurements so that you can build one adapted to your needs. In this case, we will use 1 board of 80 x 50 x 1.5 cm, 4 slats of 60 x 8 x 1.5 cm, 4 slats of 27 x 8 x 1.5 cm, 4 square legs of 4 x 4 x 73.5 cm and 16 triangle shaped dowels 4 x 4 x 5.6 cm.

Step by step to build a circular saw table

Once you have the necessary tools, materials, wood and accessories, you can start construction. At the ends of the 4 60 cm strips and the 4 27 cm strips you must make bevel or 45º cuts. It is important that you make the cut on the side of the slats that is 1.5 cm thick, at the end they should be easily joined at their 4 corners.

Now it is time to assemble two structures as a frame, for which you must use 2 60 cm strips and 2 27 cm strips. Next, with the help of the clamps, make 3 holes to place the 2-inch drywall screws. It is important to apply glue on the joints to reinforce.

To join the 4 legs to the structure, it is necessary to use the clamps again, in this case, they will hold the legs against the slats and will allow the placement of 4 1 1/2-inch screws, two on each leg. At the end the legs should be perpendicular and level with the edge.

When assembling the legs you must also place the triangular plugs, using at least one on each leg. To fix them you must use 4 1-inch screws, 2 on each side, indicated to give greater stability and resistance to the table. A good idea to make these triangles is to use 8 cube-shaped blocks with dimensions of 4 x 4 x 4 cm, so that by dividing them diagonally you get 16 triangular blocks for best results.

For the next step, you must repeat the procedure carried out to join the legs, but in this case it will be to fix the lower part of them, for which it is necessary to place them at a distance of 20 cm from the ground. This second frame will give them greater firmness, because it will prevent them from opening due to the weight you place on the table.

The next step is to open the respective holes in each corner of the saw base, for which you can help yourself by marking the drilling location with the center point, in this way, when the metal bit is set, it does not slip or jump.

In the center of the board you must make some perpendicular lines and cross them to facilitate the placement of the base measurements. Next, draw a rectangle with the dimensions of the metal base, using length times width.

Place the base of the saw on the board, then make the marks where the holes will go for the 4 screws that will hold it. To finish, properly center the board on the structure and apply glue on it and in the area of ​​​​the board, then fix the 12 2-inch screws, placing 3 on each side. In this way, you will have a strong and functional table.