Miter Saw Info

Miter Saw Basic Info

Miter saws are really easy to use. Since you can clearly see the blade and your cutting marks, it’s easy to make accurate cuts.

If you haven’t purchased a saw yet, here are a few things to consider:

A 10” saw will cover most of your needs. Keep in mind that a fixed 10” blade will only cut a nominal 6” board – which means about 5.5”, really.
Look for a model with support extensions. My saw doesn’t have them, and I really wish it did. You’ll need support for any boards that leave 3 to 4 feet or more to one side of the blade. You can use an external roller support, but having the support wings plus the roller stand is even better.
Make sure you get a compound miter saw. That means you can tilt the blade as well as rotate it. This allows you to cut miters for corners with the board flat. Without this feature, you’d have to stand the board on edge and rotate the blade. If you do that, you’ll probably wind up with a poor cut and a ruined board.
If you can afford it, consider a sliding compound miter saw. That will give you the ability to cut wider boards without having to flip them – and exactly match your previous cut, which can be hard to do.
Make sure you mount your miter saw in the middle of a fairly long bench or counter. That’s because you may need to cut a really long board in half. I use a 6 foot piece of old countertop with shop bench legs attached.

woodworking basics: basic compound miter saw woodworking tips: compound miter saw

Here are a few pages with more specific information:

Basic use for miter saws

Shopping for a miter saw? Check out the great Jet brand selections at Rockler.

Kevin Adam

"The Basement Woodworker"