How to Buy a
M
iter Saw
A miter saw is just the ticket for accurate
cuts, whether you’re building a house or
assembling a picture frame.
What is it?
Miter saws are designed for making precise crosscuts at any angle
from 0 to 45 degrees (some saws have a 60-degree capacity).
Miter saws are versatile and portable. They can be hauled to a job-
site to rough-cut boards for a deck one day and brought back to
your shop to cut delicate moldings for a furniture project the next.
The Family
There are three branches of the miter saw clan. The first is the
conventional miter saw. Designed primarily to make dead
square crosscuts and miters, these saws have been fixtures in
woodshops and at jobsites for decades. The saw head can swing
at least 45-degrees left or right of the centerline for miter cutting.
The second branch of the family is the compound miter saw.
Cutting a compound angle means cutting a bevel and an angle
at the same time. With a compound miter saw you simply set
the bevel cut by leaning the cutting head to the desired angle,
and set the miter angle on the table. A number of these
saws allow you to bevel the head left and right. Some
moldings, like crown for example, require compound
angles. On a conventional miter saw you have to prop the
molding upside down against an extra-tall auxiliary
fence. It’s a pain! A compound miter saw allows you
to make the same cut with the crown mold-
ing laying flat on the bed of the saw—a
huge advantage. A compound miter
saw is more versatile than a conven-
tional miter saw.
At the head of the family is the
sliding-compound miter saw. The
big advantage of these saws is
the huge leap in cutting capacity
made possible by the sliding head. Most of these
saws will crosscut 11-1/2 in. or wider stock, which
rivals the cutting capacity of some radial-arm saws.
But, sliding saws are safer to use than radial arms
because you push the saw through the cut instead of pulling it.
This eliminates climb cutting (cutting in the same direction as
PHOTO COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER
Craftsman 21224; $300.
A m e r i c a n Wo o d w o r k e r 2003 TOOL BUYER’S GUIDE
67
“left-hand friendly.”We recommend trying both to see what’s Quick-Acting Hold-Downs
comfortable for you.
Some saws come with hold-downs to aid in cutting large stock.
Quick-acting hold-downs are best.They work like toggle clamps
so it’s a snap to secure material to the saw. Hold-downs that work
Blade Size and Tooth Count
A 10-in. blade is the way to go. Bigger blades yield modest on a screw thread, like a C-clamp, are more poky.
capacity increases for a big price. For carpenters who need to
cut 45-degree angles on a 2x8, the bigger blades may be worth Two-Way Bevel Setting
the extra cost.Also pay attention to the tooth count of the blade If you’re considering a compound miter saw, go for one that
that comes with the saw.A 40-tooth, 10-in. combination blade bevels both left and right. It’s something no tablesaw or radial-
is great when you’re framing walls, but not so good for fram- arm saw offers and, because you can work from either side of
ing photos. Plan on spending another $50 if you need to buy a the saw, it makes it much easier to do compound cutting. An
high-tooth-count blade for your saw.
easy-to-read bevel indicator is also important.
A m e r i c a n Wo o d w o r k e r 2003 TOOL BUYER’S GUIDE
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