Compound Miter Saws - Precise Angled Cuts Made Easy

When you need to make a precise, compound angle cut on the end of a piece of stock, few tools are as easy to use as a compound miter saw. A compound miter saw is basically nothing more than a circular saw placed on the end of a lever. The stock is placed on a flat base against a fence, and the saw is lowered into the stock. However, the ability to precisely angle and bevel the saw before cutting into the wood gives the compound miter saw its versatility.

The Miter Gauge: A compound miter saw can be angled up to 45-degrees either to the left or right. A quality compound miter saw should have a clearly marked miter gauge (which can be easily adjusted when necessary), and hard stops at 0, 15, 22.5, 30 and 45-degrees in both directions. The woodworker should also be able to lock the saw to any specific miter angle they need.

The Bevel: The "compound" part of the name comes from the saw's ability to tilt the saw in addition to setting the miter angle. Some saws will only bevel in one direction where others will bevel up to 45-degrees either left or right. This is especially helpful when the woodworker needs to cut two angles on the same cut. Installing crown molding, for instance, becomes a much simpler procedure when two precise angles can be cut at the same time.

Blade Size: Compound Miter Saws typically come in 8", 10" or 12" blade models. Most users find the 10" model perfectly adequate, as the 8" is just not large enough to cut angles on a 6" piece of stock on a 45-degree miter, nor tall enough to accommodate the stock on edge. Conversely, a 12" model may be a bit exorbitant price-wise. However, if you can afford a quality 12" model, you'll definitely appreciate the larger blade size.

Sliding Compound Miter Saws: Some miter saws have an additional slide feature where, after sinking the saw into the material, the blade may be pushed or pulled through the wood, allowing the woodworker to cut larger pieces of stock than would be otherwise possible. The additional motion gives this type of saw a radial-arm feel. While this is a very handy feature, it can add considerably to the price of the saw.

A Handy Option: Some companies sell a laser light that can be installed onto your miter saw that will show exactly where the saw will cut. This takes any guess work out of cutting compound angles. Simply mark the spot for the cut, set the miter and bevel, place the stock firmly against the fence, line up the mark with the laser line and make the cut. It couldn't be any easier.