Miter saws are one of the most popular and used power tools in the tool industry today. Due to its portability, convenient capabilities, and overall accuracy, a miter saw can be found in almost every carpentry, garage, or pickup truck. Miter saws are generally designed to produce fast and accurate cross cuts in a workpiece, typically for frame or trim applications. The workpiece is pressed against an angled guide to ensure the most accurate cutting angles as you work. The fence generally sits at a 900 angle, but can be adjusted as needed for a particular cut. While most miter saws have a miter index that allows users to precisely modify their cutting angle in one-degree increments, most also have capabilities that allow for quick and precise cut stops at common cutting angles. such as 150, 300 and 450. These precise miter cuts are made with the downward motion of a circular saw blade that rotates with the power of the tool’s motor.
There are several types of miter saws available, the standard miter saw, a compound miter saw, and a sliding or compound miter saw. The standard miter has a right-to-left blade pivot for miter cutting; However, this saw is becoming less popular as compound miter have more applications and are only slightly more expensive. Compound miters have the ability to bevel or tilt the blade to the left or right side (00 – 500). Some can bevel in both directions, allowing operators to bevel and bevel within the same cut (-500 to 500). A slide miter saw is like a compound miter saw but with extension rods that allow the saw blade and motor to move back and forth. This movement increases the cutting capacity of the blade, allowing the length of cut to be longer than the diameter of the blade. Sliding compound miter saws also have a depth cut adjustment to cut grooves in materials at a variety of depths. Slide miter saws, due to their higher capacities and more applications, tend to be more expensive than standard and compound miter saws.
Blades:
As you might think, the price of the saw, and also of the blades, tends to go up with the size of the saw and blade. The sizes of the leaves vary between twenty, ten and twelve inches; ten and twelve inches are the most popular sizes. The price of the blade not only increases with the size, but also with the number of teeth. It is important that you use the correct blade for each application. Blade changes are generally quite simple, so don’t shy away from changing blades because of inconvenience. Using the wrong blade can cost you much more in the long run than a few minutes to pop a new blade – when cutting, for a cleaner, more accurate cut, use a blade with more teeth, for a faster, rougher cut. cutting, use a blade with fewer teeth, when making cross cuts be sure to use a cross cutting blade, etc.
Blade changes:
To change the blade, you must first remove the guard and rotate the blade mounting cover, or access plate, away from the blade and remove the center nut. Be sure to turn the nut in the direction indicated on the saw, as most are reverse threaded. While this area of your saw is open, you should blow out any remaining dust or debris. Dust will collect around the center of the blade, which can affect blade alignment and consequently the accuracy of blade rotation. You should also check the security of the washer and mounting plate and if there is any residual dust or buildup. Just use any standard scouring pad to remove rust or residue.
General tips:
Miter Table Top – Not only is it important to keep dust away from the blade, it is also crucial to keep dust off the miter saw table. Keeping the surface of the saw table clean keeps it safe and ensures a cleaner, more accurate cut. It is also good practice not to grease or lubricate the table surface, as you do not want any material to slide or slip during a cut. Essentially, it is important to keep the surface of the saw table clean, but also to keep it slip-free for the safety of your materials and fingers.
Miter Guide: A good guide is crucial for precision cutting. All miter saws come with a left and right guide that connects in the middle of the saw. These standard fences are very accurate and great for perpendicular cuts. However, because they are aluminum, they can bend or break relatively easily, so be careful with the saw even when just making adjustments. Freestanding fences can also be purchased. These are very accurate and tend to produce quite commendable results.
Dust Bags – Because sawdust can be a problem with miter saws, dust bags are essential for shop cleaning and safety. They make an amazing difference in keeping your tools and parts clean, but they also prevent operators from inhaling airborne particles. The dust bag attaches directly to the miter saw and collects excess dust and debris during use. Some saws can also be attached to a shop vacuum for easier removal and better collection.
Maintenance:
Brushes – Be sure to check your brushes from time to time to see if they are worn. Keeping healthy brushes in your tools is important for performance reasons, but it also helps diagnose a problem. If you already know the state of your brushes, or you know that the brushes are in bad condition or that the problem is elsewhere.
Power cords – Check the power cords for cracks or frays. Bad cables will obviously prevent power from reaching your tools, but they also pose a safety hazard. Also, if you must use an extension cord, use the shortest length possible to reach your project.
Cleaning: Keep the tool off and its parts clean and tight. Lubricate the blade pivot joint once a year depending on the frequency of use. Clean the saw blades after each use.
Miter saws are a superior power tool to have on hand, and their precision, durability, and portability make them almost essential to many carpenters. For framing, molding, and other woodworking applications, miter saws are by most accounts the king of woodworking.