A miter saw is a woodworking tool which is widely used in the carpentry and woodworking industry.
The miter saw is equally as important as any other saws. However, it is important to know the use of miter saw.
Every tool has its own specialty. Similarly, a miter saw has its own as well. Are you confused about what is a miter saw used for? You will get there in a while.
Working with wood might get tough and exhausting at times but with the right tools and the knowledge to handle and operate these instruments, you can make your work less stressful.
This work requires a lot of patience and consistency; giving up is not an option rather an escape. Without constant efforts you cannot master the difficult work of wood cutting.
There are a lot of old and traditional, modern and innovative saws in the market.
They all make your work convenient and easy but before getting a saw and investing a huge amount of money frequently, you should always have an idea about what type of wood cutting you usually do.
This helps you in determining a clearer side of what saw you should buy.
This article is going to be luckily beneficial for those who prefer using or are about to use miter saws and also going to help you understand the uses, as well as miter saw safety.
What Is A Miter Saw
A miter saw is a type of instrument which is miter cuts, bevel cuts, cross cuts etc.
It is quite similar to the backsaw, but it usually has a longer blade which is used to cut miter boxes and miter joints. A miter saw is also referred to as a chop saw.
It is used to make perfect miter cuts and crosscuts in a wooden piece by pulling a huge mounted circular saw blade down on the wooden piece quickly.
A carpenter uses this saw for various purposes including making any furniture, flooring cuts and other curving jobs.
A miter saw is vastly used in a woodworking place but we can say it is not the best tool. While it can complete a lot of tasks but it is not that multifaceted.
However, some people might find a miter saw extremely useful depending on the type of work they generally deal with.
Types Of Miter Saw
Just like any other saw, a miter saw also has a lot of types. Each miter saw type with its own ability and working efficiency.
Some of the types of miter saws are discussed below
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Standard Miter Saw
A standard miter saw is a powered version of miter saw which is typically developed to create accurate straight crosscuts at a wide range of angles on a wooden piece.
A standard miter saw cut is widely used to create straight cuts of 45 degrees or for framing work.
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Compound Miter Saw
A compound miter saw is a kind of miter saw with the ability to move and rotate the blade and head at a different angle.
This enables it to cut a wide range, especially cutting other than 90 degrees.
A compound miter saw also means a single compound miter saw which can only rotate at one particular direction at a time which makes the user flip the wood piece to get an angle cut on the other direction.
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Original Miter Box And Saw
This kind of saw consists of a three-sided plastic or wooden box that has a 90 degree or 45 degree slits which guide the operator to create miter cuts on the piece of wood.
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Sliding Compound Miter Saw
A sliding compound miter saw is a type of miter saw that has sliding rails and a movable head.
The head of the saw moving back and forth on a sliding rail this helps the saw in cutting straight, pull down cuts.
This saw usually make larger and wider cuts across the board due to its movable blade head.
It is necessary to pull the blade forward and then start the saw. After that push the blade back into the piece of wood to create cuts
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Dual Compound Miter Saw
This kind of saw is used in decorative trim work. A dual or double compound miter saw has a movable head that can rotate on both left and right sides when angled.
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Led Or Laser Miter Saw
We have such miter saws in the market that come with LED or laser guide. This helps create more précised and accurate cuts.
The laser is fitted with the saw blade and creates a line on which the blade will cut. Generally, many saws have a built in LED or laser light feature.
However, if you miter saw does not have a laser light you can simply separately buy a light and attach it with your saw blade for accurate cuts.
When To Use A Miter Saw
A miter saw is a unique specialized tool which is used to create and perform miter cuts or angle cuts.
A miter saw is more specialized at doing this job. This saw might not be useful enough to do a huge variety of tasks.
However, here are a few tasks for which usually a miter saw is:
- Molding work
- Trimming work
- Paneling
- Flooring work
- Roof framing work
- Safer cutting of bulk walls
- Cabinetry
- Furniture making
Compound Miter Saw Vs Standard Miter Saw
Both the compound miter saw and a standard miter saw have different purposes.
However, a compound miter saw adds innovation in the miter saw by its tilting feature of the head to cut.
A standard miter saw is created to allow you to raise and lower the head of the cutting blade on the work piece and create miter cuts by setting it to an angle.
A compound miter saw tilts the head along with it to create perfect bevel cuts on the wood.
The sliding action of a compound miter saw helps you in cutting larger and wider wooden pieces.
It also pushes the blade into the cut instead of just dropping down the blade each time.
Who Makes Best Miter Saw For Beginners
As a beginner, you should always focus on learning the proper use and mechanism of miter saw rather than trying to master it within a few uses.
A miter saw is a very technical tool that requires patience and considerations. The hurry and hassle can ruin the learning progress.
Also, the beginners who are in search of an easy and durable miter saw should go for none other than the DeWalt miter saws.
If you want a machine under your budget, you can go for Ryobi.
These are among the best miter saw machines for the beginners as they make the work convenient, results in high efficiency and excellent value of money.
However, very cheap and low priced miter saws cannot be trusted in terms of quality and durability. Always look for a mediocre priced machine rather than a very cheap one.
Who Makes The Best Miter Saws
After you are initially over with your beginner phase, it is now the time for you start doing the professional work.
For more experienced operators, DeWalt has a huge variety of high-quality miter saws that are generally used for cutting professionally.
Comparatively, DeWalt provide miter saws that are somehow budget-friendly and their quality is no less than any other miter saw brand.
DeWalt has no some fascinating features that add more value to its models such as large vertical cutting capacities and a crosscut positioning system.
DeWalt has also launched its cordless range with brushless motors. They contain a cutline blade positioning system which aids in creating different angled and bevel cuts.
These machines are a lot more portable and convenient. Their robust dropping spring system making them the best miter saw.
- Power Miter Saw
A power miter saw is a kind of miter saw which is also known as a drop saw. It is a saw which is used at a particular selected angle to create instant, perfect crosscuts across the wooden piece.
Hence, the common use of power saw is cutting off trims and moldings. Most of the power miter saws are relatively small in size and portable.
They can have about eight to twelve inches of blade. They have a circular blade that spins and cut wooden pieces short in a controlled manner.
It provides the precise cutting of angles between the plane of the larger wood piece and the plane of the blade. In standard position, this angle is usually 90 degree.
What Is A Miter Saw Used For
A miter saw is used widely for cutting various types of cuts perfectly with précised accuracy.
It is highly recommended for creating short length angle cuts which are very helpful in decorative purposes.
There are typically three kinds of tasks that a miter saw can particularly complete.
Changing saws for each of the tasks can be stressful and complicated. However, a miter saw takes over this responsibility.
- Regular Cross Cuts
If you are interested in cutting your wooden board into half, the miter saw is the best option. It is just because a miter saw is a very stable and competent machine.
It is powerful and is most likely to cut almost any kind of wooden piece into half. It is highly capable of cutting through aboard.
You usually do not have to worry about the moving of a miter saw as it is comparatively heavier, you can place it anywhere and can cut.
Some miter saws come with laser light that helps you in showing where the cut is going to be made. It is very convenient to line up the cut line through a miter saw.
After you have placed the wooden piece against the fence, you can easily move the handle and determine where the blade is going to cut.
You can easily create crosscut through a wide board with the help of sliding miter saw. A 12-inch sliding miter saw is most likely to cut around a 12 inch wider wooden pieces depended on its thickness.
- Angled Cuts
Angle cuts are somehow also known as miter cuts. A miter saw is deliberately perfect and accurate in cutting angled cuts.
The angle is typically made by turning the miter saw to one side of the other. Most of the miter saws cut around 50 degrees to the left and right side.
The cuts are always limited to the blade size and the length of cut. It is great in accomplishing any project that has angles.
It is used in a lot of furniture making cuts. It can complete all the trim work in remodeling your house or creating miter joints.
A miter saw is efficient enough in winding up the flooring work and other DIYs.
Bevel And Compound Angle Cuts
Creating bevel and compound angle cuts can make your work a little complicated but this is the right time to unleash the abilities of a miter saw. This is the right time to make use of it.
The bevel and compound angle cut is created through moving the miter saw to the left or right and then angling the path of the cut saw created.
Usually these types of cuts are used in forming complex and professional angles.
You might need to cut this type of angle quite frequently but once you have this tool, you would be so grateful to own it.
Another merit of owning a miter saw is that it can cut an angle into a wooden piece which is very wide, for instance a 1×10 piece. It is easily attainable with a sliding miter saw.
Some Other Things Miter Saw Can Do
Apart from doing all the above-mentioned tasks, a miter saw is capable of doing so many other things.
Here are some other things that are considered useful which can be easily done with the help of a miter saw:
- If you want to cut several pieces of wood, a miter saw can create repeatable cuts.
- You can build a workplace for making a perfect use of your miter saw, this will help you position and keep the wooden board firmly at a place while you cut the wood.
- It can help you in getting larger cuts. Usually people prefer sliding miter saw as it can cut across the entire board just by sliding over it.
- It can also cut basic miter joints.
How Miter Saw Can Cut Metal
While a miter saw is beneficial in cutting wood, timber, logs and planks, you can still manage a little work of cutting aluminum and steel.
The blade fitted in the miter saw makes it easy to cut non-ferrous elements and aluminum. Some high-quality blade can also manage cutting steel and stainless steel accurately.
As for cutting any other metal, you should always follow the safety instructions along with wearing protective goggles, ear muffs and maintain a safe distance to protect yourself from any injury.
Before cutting metal, cover the engine with a thin cloth over the holes and ventilation holes to prevent the engine from metal shards.
Make sure if you are cutting any sort of thin wall such an aluminum corner always consolidate with a piece of wood to support it because it might increase the chances of knife cracking on the metal.
Always check the blade guard and blade before cutting the metal as it might deviate or deform the metal.
After you are completely done setting the saw, hold down the metal piece on the machine, turn on the saw and then let the blade make its way through the metal workpiece with full swing.
Precautions While Using A Miter Saw
It is always advised to keep your safety the priority because your health and safety comes over everything.
You should always be following al the safety instructions as well as the guide provided to you by the manufacturer.
Dealing with saws can be dangerous due to its high-speed spinning blade.
However, here are some safety precautions while using a miter saw
- Always wear protective equipment such as safety glasses, hearing protection and mask whether you are cutting wood or metal.
- Maintain a suitable distance from the saw blade. Don’t get too close to it.
- Keep your face and hands at least 6 inches away from the saw blade.
- Use a blade that has many teeth for refined cutting.
- If you are working with large pieces of wood, use support as you start the process of cutting.
- Keep the workplace and the saw clean to prevent any sudden mishaps or accidents.
Conclusion
To conclude the entire topic of miter saw, its usage and safety, a miter saw is very helpful for making cuts for any decorative purposes or furniture detailing.
It can easily create simple cross cuts, angle cuts and bevel cuts. There are a lot of types of miter saws that are assigned for different purposes. However, always prioritize your safety.
FAQs
Q1. What is the purpose of miter saw?
Ans. The purpose of a miter saw is to create short length cuts. It is beneficial to cut decorative materials and detailing of the furniture. It can create 3 different types of cuts; bevel cuts, angle cuts and crosscuts.
Q2. What is a miter saw good for?
Ans. A miter saw is a kind of woodworking tool that is good for cutting various angles. You can use a miter saw for framework, crown moulding, window casing, door frames etc.
Q3. What is the difference between a miter saw and a circular saw?
Ans. A miter saw is a tool in which the blade is dropped down on the piece of wood to produce various angle cuts. However, a circular saw is a tool in which the blade is placed on the workpiece and then the work piece is fed to the blade in the backward direction.
Q4. Can you make straight cuts with a miter saw?
Ans. The miter saws are created to produce perfect and straight angle cuts. However, it can cut straight crosscuts when equipped with the correct sharpened blade.
Q5. What is the best miter saw for home use?
Ans. The best miter saw for home use are:
- Hitachi single bevel compound miter saw.
- DewaltCompound Miter Saw.
- Bosch 12 inches sliding miter saw.
- Makita 10 inches compound miter saw.
- Genesis 10 inches compound miter saw.
- Craftsman compound miter saw.
- Makita compound miter saw.
- Metabo compound miter saw
Q6. Do you really need a miter saw?
Ans. Miter saws are far from a necessity, and they are somehow great in providing crosscuts, angle cuts, bevel cuts etc.
Q7. What is the benefit of sliding miter saw?
Ans. A sliding miter saw has all the capabilities of a compound miter saw but they have an additional feature of sliding across the workpiece. It is efficient in creating bevels at any angle. It has a radial arm which allows you to move the blade all across the wood to cut it without flipping the board.
Q8. What is the best miter saw for the money?
Ans. Here is complete review of the best & top rated miter saw for the money Click Here:
- DEWALT DWS780.
- Festool Kapex KS 120.
- Hitachi C10FCG.
- Evolution Power Tools RAGE3.
- Bosch GCM12SD.
- WEN, 70712.
- DEWALT DWS709.
- Milwaukee 6955-20.