A miter saw is one of the most versatile tools anyone can have in their woodworking arsenal. You’re already interested in them if you’ve found this article, so we’re going to write about all the miter saw uses you could probably need and fulfil using a miter saw. We’re also going to look through the different types of miter saws on the market that you can select from. There’s a few different factors that come into play when making your choice, so choose carefully!
Different Uses For Miter Saw
When it comes to a miter saw there a few types of cuts you can make. Each of these have their own functions, and can be very useful for making various detailed woodworking sessions.
Crosscut
A crosscut is made against the grain of a wood piece you have, and it can be accomplished with various other tools (such as chop saws, circular saws, table saws). This provides a clean and smooth cut on the wood piece.
What’s great about using a miter saw for these cuts, is the fact that they are generally quite powerful machines. You can set one down for your work, and make sure it is stable enough for you to constantly cut through various pieces with its blade.
You’ll also notice that with a circular saw, you’re most likely going to have to hold it all together in place for you to get the smooth cut. However, with many miter saws, you’ll find that they have a laser guide, and this comes in very handy when you’re trying to make the perfect cut. You can easily place the blade on your wood piece, and get to work without worry.
With sliding compound miter saws, you’ll also get the ability to make longer and deeper cuts as well. Miter saws are already available in various sizes (10 and 12 inch being the most common), but with the addition of the sliding miter, you get the ability to increase the depth and length of your cuts.
Miter Cut, Bevel Cut And Compound Cut
Miter Cut
Of course a miter saw is the best when it comes to providing you with a miter cut. These cuts are made by the use of a miter gauge that can be used to find the desired angle for your blade when working.
Bevel Cut
A bevel cut is made similarly to a miter cut, but in this instance you use a bevel gauge to tilt your blade to a certain angle, and ensure you get the desired cut. The inclusion of a bevel gauge on a miter saw, makes it a compound miter saw, and the compound cut will help with that reason.
Compound Cut
A compound cut is made with the usage of both miter and bevel gauges at the same time. They allow you to make intricate cuts on any wood piece you may have. These angled cuts become especially helpful when you’re trying to work on crown molding or any other complex work. Crown molding can be a very tough level of work to break into, but once you learn how to cut crown molding and get the hang of it, you’ll feel very satisfied with yourself!
Angled Cuts
Both miter cuts and bevel cuts are a staple when it comes to using a miter saw, and you’ll want to ensure that your miter saw can deliver when it comes to this. This is even more important for people who want to engage in higher level woodworking, as those jobs depend heavily on compound cuts. From trim work to taking on large projects, a miter saw can become a key part of your work, and learning the basics will only help you get better at woodworking and produce better finished products!
Different Miter Saw Types
We’ve already discussed the perks of attaining a miter saw; you will get clean and accurate cuts, along with the fact that you’ll be able to use this versatile equipment for multiple projects. However, you’ll also need to be familiar with the different types of miter saws that are at your disposal on the market.
Standard Miter Saw
A standard miter saw only comes with the ability to allow you to make miter cuts. While this is a great tool, you’ll often find yourself limited to the number of tasks you are able to achieve with this device. However, if you’re someone who does not need the full fledged woodworking tool, this is a great buy for you, especially because these are much cheaper than the advanced versions.
A standard miter saw however, does not come with less functionality. If you get a high quality miter saw, you’ll be treated to the same perks as any other; laser guide, ergonomic facilities, safety features and clean cuts.
Compound Miter Saw
A compound miter saw comes with the both a miter gauge and a bevel gauge. This allows you to make bevel cuts in addition to miter ones. However, this allows the compound saw to have one up on the standard version, as you can heavily increase the versatility in your work. They are also very easily available on the market in various sizes and with tons of features and perks added to them.
A compound saw with added features for improved optimization will not only give you great results, but will also allow you to save a lot of time. They also come in two other subcategories, which include a single bevel saw or a dual bevel saw. This can further increase the optimization in your work, as the dual bevel saw allows you to tilt the blade at an angle on both sides of the saw. Whereas, a single bevel saw will only allow you to tilt the blade at various angles on only one side.
Sliding Compound Miter Saw
A sliding compound saw is basically the same as a compound saw, but it allows you to move the blade further and gives you extra depth and length in every cut you make. You can use a miter saw to make numerous cuts, and this allows you to save even more time by adding that extra feature.
While you get extra length when you use a miter saw that slides, you will end up losing some of the accuracy in every cut you make. With the addition of the rails to allow your blade to move along further on your work piece, it limits how far you can move your saw, and it can cost you some accuracy in very intricate work.
Perks for A Miter Saw
A miter saw can become extremely useful if you’ve optimized it correctly, and making sure you do so may require a few perks on the miter saw itself, or the environment you work in. Compared to other tools (circular saw, table saw, chop saw, etc) in your work site, when you use a miter saw, you can easily increase the quality of your work and reduce the time taken with some help.
- A blade can easily determine the quality of your work, as you can find different types for different cuts. For example, a crosscut blade for crosscuts, rip cut blade for rip cuts, and so on.
- A laser guide can make your work much easier by making it take less time and effort to place your blade on your work piece. It’ll also help you gain a lot more accuracy in your work.
- Miter saws come with various positive stops on them. The better your miter saw, the more you’ll get. They allow for you to stop on a popular angle that is used by most users, and will allow you to make sure you always get the correct angle.
- Safety features are not to be taken lightly when conducting any form of woodworking. Even the smallest feature, such as the placement of the power button on your saw can save you from an accident. Thus, it is important to pay attention to how adequate the safety features on your saw are.
- Ergonomic features are also very important as woodworking can often take a long time. From the inclusion of an integrated workbench, to the addition of cushions on certain parts of your saw, the smallest change can help you avoid fatigue and work for a long period of time without any strain.
- Additional accessories are a common thing when you’re purchasing a miter saw. Always make sure your chosen saw comes with these attachments (such as a push stick), to help your work be of a better quality.
There is always more to find out about heavy duty woodworking tools, but these are some of the most basic things to know when you use a miter saw. They will not only help you in your work, but keep you safe from danger as well. Get your desired product, and always make the cut you want!
The Takeaway
We hope this article helped you in learning about a miter saw and also gave you some pointers on how to use a miter saw. They are very versatile tools and are a staple when it comes to anyone’s arsenal, whether they’re a DIYer or a professional. From trim work to any large scale task, use a miter saw and you’ll be sure to get a great result. Also, always make sure you know the intensity of your work before getting a miter saw, as the one you get needs to factor in the blade you’ll use, the angle you’ll be needing the most and whether or not you need to make long cuts with a sliding miter!
Hey there, my name’s Braden Smith and all my lifeI’ve been passionate about woodworking. As such, I spent more time learning about and experimenting with power tools. Over time, I learned to help spread my knowledge by articulating my words thanks to my academic knowledge in the English Language as well.