A sliding compound miter saw is a kind of innovative saw that has sliding rails which can help the head of the saw moving back and forth.
This enables it to create long cuts by sliding through the piece of wood.
It essentially is a combination of all the three miter saws; basic miter saw, compound miter saw and then the sliding compound miter saw itself.
It is capable of cutting both miter cuts and bevel cuts as well as creating lengthier cuts across the board.
It is one of the greatest saws in assisting you to cut long pieces of wood without typically moving, sliding or flipping the wooden board.
A sliding compound miter saw makes your work a lot more convenient and organized.
There are a lot of miter saws introduced in the market, which makes it very difficult to select the right one you need.
In this article, I will explain to you exactly what a sliding miter saw is, how it operates and how it differs from a standard regular miter saw.
Eventually, you will be able to know the advantages of using a sliding compound miter saw over any other miter saws!
Let’s go through the article first.
Sliding Compound Miter Saw Vs Compound Miter Saw
You might get a slight idea about what a sliding compound miter saw is and what is a compound miter saw only by reading the names.
However, there are a lot more factors that differentiate both the saws from each other. Each saw is efficient in its own specific work.
Hence, always decide which type of cutting you often make so that you know which kind of saw will work better for you.
Here are a few differences between a sliding compound miter saw and a compound miter saw
One of the biggest difference in both the saws is that; a sliding compound miter saw has a sliding rail that easily lets you pull the blade forward but in a compound miter saw you have to place the wooden piece and then bring the blade down unlike a sliding compound miter saw in which the blade can typically slide across the wooden piece by the help of sliding rails that enables the saw head to move back and forth.
Compound miter saws are stationary; thus they can efficiently cut through the thick wooden pieces.
On the contrary, a sliding compound miter saw can cut through a wider diameter than the blade on the regular compound miter saw cannot reach.
10 Safety Tips When Using A Sliding Compound Miter Saw
Whether you use a regular miter saw or a sliding compound miter saw, it is essential to keep your safety a priority.
It would help if you never neglected or avoid the safety measures that are nationally imposed on a woodworker while cutting or using any saws.
They can be very dangerous at times due to the high speed of the rotating blade. Saws can cause severe and very serious injuries. It would help if you learned before-hand how to use saws.
Listed below are some of the safety tips that are needed to be followed while using a sliding compound miter saw
- Never forget to wear your safety goggles, earmuffs, dust masks or even a face shield while using a sliding compound miter saw.
- Never wear any jewellery, accessories or long loose sleeves while cutting with a sliding compound miter saw as the blade can grab you and might cause severe accidents.
- Always make sure that your hands and fingers are placed at least 6 inches away from the saw blade as your hand might get into the blade if it is kept near.
- Always turn off the saw blade before making any adjustments on the saw or before starting any repairing work.
- Even if you have a best sliding compound miter saw or you are experienced enough, never carry out any freehand cuts.
- Always keep the lower guard of the saw clean to monitor the exact movement of the blade.
- Try always using a fence against your wood piece to avoid losing control over the workpiece.
- Always use the recommended blade size with your miter saw along with making sure that it is sharp enough.
- Never create cuts on tiny pieces of wood as it makes you more exposed to sudden accidents as these pieces can be quite inconvenienced and problematic.
- If you are more likely to make adjustments to your wooden piece, ensure to let the blade completely stop before you make the adjustments. After you are done working, never leave the place without turning off the miter saw.
Things To Consider When Buying A Sliding Compound Miter Saw
There are a lot of factors that should be considered and kept in mind before buying a sliding compound miter saws.
There are plenty of reviews around the internet about a sliding compound miter saw, however, they might not be accommodating and efficient in making you take the right decisions as all the reviews are based on people’s personal preferences.
It would be best if you adequately looked at the features of the tool you need that will serve you according to your requirements.
Here are a few features that you should always consider when intending to buy a sliding compound miter saw:
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Motor Power
A motor that comes along with a sliding compound miter saw is what determines the power and capability of a saw.
Usually, the motor provided along with the sliding compound miter saw is powerful enough to create different types of cuts.
If you are going to use the miter saw frequent, always make sure that the motor power is enough to serve and fulfil all your needs.
Generally, a sliding compound miter saw has a motor power of 10 to 15 Amps. Before getting the saw, consider the motor thoroughly, that has a smooth starting mechanism and variable speeds.
Because if the motor is powered up, it can easily manage difficult tasks.
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Safety Features
A sliding compound miter saw is no doubt powerful and effective tool. It can be very dangerous at times, causing severe injuries.
Always ensure if the saw has properly installed safety features such as electric brakes and fence guards.
It is necessary to find a model that has these safety features working properly.
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Type Of Blade
First of all, the blade that comes with a miter saw usually has a standard size for creating rough cuts.
If you want to create fine cuts for your woodworking projects, select a model that is compatible of large or thick blade size or you should go for such miter saws that have a fast blade changing mechanism, so you do not have to worry about investing too much time only in changing the blades.
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Laser Guide System
The laser guide system is not compulsory to have but it is considered to be an ideal feature that aids in enhancing the work of your sliding compound miter saw.
A laser guide system helps you in creating more accurate and précised cuts. Often, this feature is used by professional woodworkers who have a different and huge variety of tasks to complete.
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Dust Management
Before getting a sliding compound miter saw make sure to buy one that has a high functional dust collecting mechanism.
Usually the miter saws have a bag to collect dust, but that is not much effective. This will keep your work area always clean and tidy, creating an organized workplace.
This will also improve your visibility while cutting crucial cuts. This is also beneficial in prolonging the life span of your saw as the dust will don’t be able to store into the miter saw reducing its efficiency.
FAQs
Q1. Can I use a sliding compound miter saw to cut stainless steel?
Ans. Apparently yes you can use a sliding compound miter saw to cut stainless steel but make sure that your blade is sharpened enough for this task. You can easily cut plastic and aluminium through a sliding compound miter saw as well.
Q2. How many teeth are there on a standard sliding compound miter saw blade?
Ans. The teeth on the blade vary on the type of blade you own as well as it will depend on the particular work you intend to carry out. Usually, the blade with many closed in teeth are ideal for getting a refined and finished cut.
Q3. Will the sliding miter saw come with a dead stop for making a dado cut?
Ans. Generally, a huge variety of miter saws come with a dead stop which is an ideal feature for creating dado cuts.
Q4. Does my miter saw come with an electric blade?
Ans. The most modern models of miter saw usually have an electric blade that is referred to as blade brake. This feature prevents accidents by turning off the machine as soon as any body part or something from the surrounding comes in contact with the blade.
Q5. Are there extension arms on all sliding compound miter saws?
Ans. This feature also depends from model to model of a miter saw. These miter saws that come with extension arms are much more convenient to use than those who do not have extension arms. This eases the work of cutting longer wood pieces.
Q6. Which brand makes the best sliding compound miter saw?
Ans. The following are some of the highly recommended brands that offer sliding miter saws.
- Bosch
- Craftsman
- Dewalt
- Hitachi
- Makita
- Ryobi
Q7. Should I get a sliding compound miter saw when I have a circular saw?
Ans. A circular saw can manage all sorts of straight cuts however, it is not as efficient as a sliding compound miter saw for cutting angular cuts.
Q8. Should I get a 10-inch miter saw or a 12-inch miter saw?
Ans. A 12-inch miter saw is capable of cutting wider and thick cuts on wooden pieces as compared to a 10-inch miter saw. If you have a large workpiece then go for a 12-inch miter saw. However, the size also depends upon personal preferences and the type of work.
Q9. What does double bevel mean?
Ans. A double bevel enables you to create cuts in different directions without moving or flipping over the wooden board. It is referred to as the ability of a miter saw to cut in different directions.
Q10. How did a chop see different tool from a sliding compound miter saw?
Ans. These both tools are entirely different. You can easily get perpendicular straight, cross cuts from a chop saw through a wide range of materials. However, a sliding compound miter saw creates angular cuts along with 90-degree cross-cuts across the entire length of the wood pieces due to its sliding rails.
Q11. How does a bevel cut differ from miter cut?
Ans. A miter cut is slicing of the wood across the width of the wood, making a cross. A bevel cut is a type of cut that is created by angled cutting along the edges of the wood.
Q12. What is the meaning of a sliding compound miter saw and a non-sliding compound miter saw?
Ans. A sliding compound miter saw is the one that has sliding rails for moving the head of the saw back and forth. While a non-sliding compound miter saw does not have any radial arms or moving rails.
Q13. How many widths can a sliding miter saw of 10 inches cut through?
Ans. A 10-inch sliding miter saw can cut through a five and a half inches (5 ½”) wider wood or materials. A 2×6 inches wood is the ideal size.
Q14. Is sliding compound miter saw better than compound miter saw?
Ans. Usually, a compound miter saw is ideal for small and light work such as DIYs, home-based work or frame making etc. At the same time, a sliding compound miter saw works with the wooden pieces that are wider. This merely depends on the type of work.
Q15. What is sliding compound miter saw used for?
Ans. They are typically used for cutting angle cuts.
Q16. Why buy a compound miter saw?
Ans. A compound miter saw is oftentimes both used for professional work DIYs. In our opinion, it is a must need for a woodworking shop. If you want to cut other précised and angled cuts, buying this tool is a must. This tool is immensely versatile.
Q17. Why choose a sliding compound miter saw?
Ans. A sliding compound miter saw is ideal for creating wider and larger cuts. It can slide across a larger diameter piece of wood. It is efficient in cutting thicker logs, lumbers and wood pieces. They can be slightly expensive than the regular miter saw, but the sliding radial arms make it worth any money spent.
Q18. What will it cost me to buy the best miter saw?
Ans. The best miter saws are usually available for $120 to $300. There are some miter saws comparatively cheaper, but they come with small sizes of miters saws as well as the blades. They can be good for cutting smaller pieces of wood and for detailed work.