How smooth and accurate your cuts are with any saw will have a lot to do with the types of techniques you use, Here’s how to make the table even more efficient. See more ideas about miter saw, mitered, woodworking. Try this classically designed tailgate game. Tip No 4: Cut Wider Boards. Why you should let the blade come to a complete stop. It’s much easier to make a setup block than to read the scale. Check out this handy plywood storage system! The cut’s back side will be as clean as a whistle with no tear-out. Ignore the Carry Handle. Screw a subfence to your saw when you must make precise right-angle cuts. Once you learn how to use a miter saw, making angled cuts will no longer be the ordeal it is with anything less than a radial-arm saw. It starts at the board’s middle, of course. 9 / 14 Here’s how: Remove the original throat plate, and cut a plywood piece to the thickness and width of the saw’s original throat plate. Cut a back bevel on miter joints that are open in front but touching at the back. Even worse, if the blade “grabs” the workpiece, pulling it into these gaps, it can take your fingers along with it. These are the best sliding miter saws out there. Last Updated on January 1, 2021. Tip No 3: Install A Laser. Use the gauge on the front of the saw to set the miter angle, if needed, for the cut. If you have an extended fence, accurately cutting their ends requires one simple adjustment. Why you should "leave the pencil line". Watch this video to learn how to cut a wide board on a miter saw. However, this does not impact our recommendations. This tip is perfect for this classic project. Mark, drill and countersink any screw holes and install the wood throat plate. When offcuts fall into the miter saw’s throat plate, they become projectiles. Using your tablesaw, cut a 1/8-in.-wide rabbet along one edge of the board. Table of contents [ hide] Some Tips And Tricks. Now cut into the new wood throat plate with your miter saw blade to create a zero-clearance opening. by Tom Caspar. Use your miter saw to cut off one of the block’s corners so sawdust won’t be trapped between the block and your workpiece. It also prevents tear-out below and behind the cut. Stand the block on edge to adjust the blade’s tilt. Thanks to reader Darrel Ohs for putting our miter saws back to square one. That’s where your layout mark should be, rather than at the board’s edge. You can find 6-ft. or 12-ft. left-to-right or right-to-left adhesive-backed measuring tapes at woodworking stores or by searching ‘self-adhesive measuring tapes’ on the internet. Check out our favorite miter saw tips and reviews here. Make the cut, let go of the trigger and count to five. It’s good practice to check yours now and then and readjust as needed. Watch this short video for some more important safety tips. That is why you need to know some miter saw tips and tricks and get the tools in perfect condition. It is often used to cut moldings, baseboards, and trim with accuracy. Most miter saws come with a blade that’s fine for cutting 2x4s, when a bit of tear-out or a slightly rough surface really doesn’t matter. Use a stop block to ensure each piece you cut is exactly the same length. 14 Ways to Make Safe, Accurate Cuts with No Tear-Out. How to use the blade to make laser accurate miter saw cuts every time! We are delighted to share some of the best AW content here on the PW website. When you buy boards, chances are the ends aren’t in great shape. I don’t use this trick for precision, but is a great way to save some time on the job site. Try this industrial coffee maker, perfect for any day on the site. Back Up Thin Stock. Don’t use wimpy spring clamps! I can remove my saw and store it underneath, giving me a mobile workbench as well. Do you own a woodworking workshop? Only cut the parts which are damaged. Rotate the table back so it’s square to the fence. This will provide more achievement and functionality out of a compound miter saw. Plan to spend at least $70 for one; the price increases with the number of teeth. Simply place the wood on the table against the fence, set the angle and bevel, adjust the position of the board on the table, start the saw and plunge the blade into the wood. Just cut a 21-in. One of our readers sent us a pretty interesting story. So, I came up with a couple hacks so that I always have my tape measure and pencil handy at my miter saw station. plywood placed under the workpiece widens the cut by 1/2 in. Then raise the blade, pull the trigger and cut. Check out this amazing combo smoker-grill. Those scales are often divided by illegible lines and have crude cursors caked with dust. This is great for crude projects. Place the block flat on the table and cut it. Even if your mitersaw comes with a zero-clearance throat insert plate, it … To create a back-beveled cut on a standard miter saw, place a pencil under the molding. When you mark a board for length, indicate the waste side with a big X. We’ve got 36 more miter saw tips and tool reviews here. We’ve got 36 more miter saw tips and tool reviews here. Use the slot to align the layout mark on your workpiece. – Travis Larson. Once you get the feel of it, you’ll be able to adjust the pressure and the width of the shave. The backs of many fences don’t have flat spots either. This story originally appeared in American Woodworker July 2006, issue #122. There’s typically a wide gap... Safely Cut Thin Pieces with Your Miter Saw. We already covered that it can square up ends very nicely. Woodcraft Supply, (800) 225-1153, www.woodcraft.com  Toggle clamp, #143938, $12. They are also useful for remodeling and flooring works. At first glance, using a miter saw appears quite simple. high-tooth-count blade has 60 to 80 teeth; a similar 12-in. Temporary wood fences have a wide variety of uses. Step 1: Work Safe – Prepare Yourself and Your Saw. I attach a piece of 1/4-in. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Check out these 13 other dirt simple woodworking jigs. Use a dense hardwood, such as maple. The slot fits tightly around the bar of an F-style clamp. If your miter saw isn’t cutting square, the problem is easy to fix. With a circular saw you would have to mark out each angle by hand before cutting which is fine but with the miter saw it just goes faster. Make a V-shaped cradle to prevent dowel stock from rotating when the blade hits it. Using a compound miter saw is fairly straight-forward. If your saw doesn’t have these holes or they aren’t where you need them, don’t be afraid to drill some 1/4-in. I use binder clips for a lot of things around the shop, and here’s one that I thought I’d share. of some 2-in.-diameter PVC pipe and put a cap on the end, forming a cup. When “blowout” is unacceptable, set a scrap under and/or behind your workpiece for a splinter-free cut. In this article see which saw has the features you want and Tom's tips for using miter saws correctly. These hacks have made my shop time easier and more enjoyable.” — Steve Christakis. Just set it on top of the next piece, line up the ends, slide the template piece against the blade and cut. Unfortunately, most miter saws don’t have flat surfaces underneath the table to receive a clamp. piece of 3/4-in. Leaving a Line. This way, the blades’ teeth don’t interfere with the alignment check. — John Muchow. When the offcuts are actually the finished pieces – like these thin coasters – it’s not only dangerous it’s maddening! Read on for tips and tricks for how to safely and accurately cut with a compound-miter saw. My favorite precision tool for this job is a plastic drafting square. Firstly, examine the edges of the board and see where it is chipped. To align the blade with the pencil mark, keep your finger off the trigger and lower the blade until one tooth is a hair above the board. We recommend our users to update the browser. A little creep can ruin a good cut. Works like a charm! Use this technique for flat boards that are bent, too. Here are a handful of techniques and jigs, for pieces large and small, to help you make absolutely straight, splinter-free cuts right on your layout lines. When you need to trim just a smidgen off a board or molding, try this: Lower the blade of your miter saw and press the end of the workpiece against it. This FREE eGuide is loaded with helpful tricks that will help you make the most of your miter saw!. blade has 70 to 100 teeth. 8 Miter Saw pro tips & tricks Clean up board ends.. Fasten the box to your saw’s fence so it won’t move. Without full support for the workpiece, offcuts can (and will) go airborne. Check out these 13 other dirt simple woodworking jigs, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. How To Unlock A Ryobi Miter Saw. Snap off the waste piece by hand. A miter saw has a very high spinning blade so when you switch on your machine, wait until the high spinning blade is at its maximum speed before you start the process of cutting. Want another reader-submitted shop project? Buy two adhesive-backed measuring tapes (one right and one left) and trim and stick them to the tops of the fence for making cutoffs without fumbling for a tape measure. the blade cuts exactly on the mark. This will take only a few seconds. I put this first because the first thing that most people do, is carried home or lift out of the box, their sliding mitre saw, and with many saws, this can throw them out of alignment, meaning your cuts can be off by a number of degrees. Back up small pieces with a sacrificial board to prevent the cutoff from being thrown by the blade. Then buy another and align it with the end of the large base for measuring and marking miters without a standard tape measure. If your saw has a depth stop—a very handy feature—set the stop so the blade won’t cut all the way through the cradle. Now that you have this brand new throatplate, try this zero-clearance project. These are the best sliding miter saws out there. I mounted it to the side of my stand with a pipe bracket. Then, when I went back to the stand to cut something else, I would forget where I left my tape measure and pencil, and I’d have to go searching for them, which was a hassle. If you keep your miter saw on a workbench, cut a hole in the top next to the saw. One of the things I do the most with my miter saw, besides … But it’s not rocket science to figure out how to ground them: Don’t lift the blade until it stops. To make a subfence, start with a board that’s the full length of the saw’s fence. Jan 7, 2021 - Explore Hamdy Shehata's board "Miter Saw Tips and Tricks" on Pinterest. How to Use a Sliding Compound-Miter Saw Ian Worpole Every product is independently selected by our editors. Thanks to Zachary Lesko for this handy idea! See more ideas about miter saw, mitered, woodworking. Recently I needed to cut some small furniture legs on my miter saw. This box also acts as a back stop so the cutoff won’t fly away. Back up your cuts. But for getting the most of your miter saw, you should know all those little tricks that will help you mastering the miter saw. Try it out on this project. If I’m cutting a bunch of boards to roughly the same length, I mark them all at the same time. Here are some miter saw tips and tricks to think about before buying one. I’m sure you’ve already figured out that regular clamps don’t work well for this job. This year we finally got a new gas grill. Turn the board end for end and cut the opposite side. Click here for more information about installing moulding! A 10-in. If your throat plate sits too low, remove it from the saw and shim it by putting tape on the ledge underneath the plate. Subscribe ». Screw the board to your saw’s fence and cut a slot all the way through it. When I’m on a jobsite where time is money and I need to make a couple cuts on the miter saw I measure my cuts from both ends of the board. Raise the blade and finish the V shape. Sure, you can take extra time to beef up the casters-to-bin connection by bolting plywood on before attaching the casters, but it’s easier to bolt them right through the thicker, reinforced area of the bin’s bottom. This is an incredibly easy beginning to some awesome jigs. Making consistent cuts is incredibly important. To easily be able to handle working with a compound miter saw, there are a couple of things you should know and you’re good to go. Here, on this 10-in. The throat plate should be level with the table to reduce tear-out and prevent a thin piece from bending as it’s cut. Using my miter saw, I cut off a corner to shorten one of the square’s sides. Adjust the fence until you feel uniform resistance all along the frame and blade, then retighten the bolts. Cut a back bevel on miter joints that are open in front but touching at the back (acompound miter cut). Every time you have a chunk of waste to get rid of, drop it through the hole. – Will Leighton. But make sure to clamp the stop well so it won’t slip. Tip No 2: Use A Mobile Miter Saw Stand. A miter saw is a handy tool for any DIY furniture project. Raise the blade until it cuts about 3/16 in. This tip is one of the most important tips you should learn about a miter saw. Bolt swivel casters to the base of a storage bin ($6 at discount stores) and it’ll scoot right where you need it. One Blade Can Do It All. 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