The miter saw is one of those tools that makes it fun to carry out DIY projects. Almost all the types of cuts you’ll make when carrying out your home improvement/DIY projects can be made with the aid of a compound miter saw. From simple crosscuts, miter cuts to more complicated bevel and compounds cuts, a compound miter saw is the best bet for the job.
However, just like every other woodworking tool which you may have in your workshop, the miter saw has some tips and tricks which you must know as a DIYer to get the most out of it.
With these tips and tricks, you’ll not only know more about your miter saw, but the quality of your DIY projects are going to improve as well.
But before we go further into the juicy part of this article. Let’s talk about something very important when handling power tools like a miter saw. That is our old friend, SAFETY.
Respect Your Miter Saw
The first thing you need to learn to do before handling any power tool and having fun with your DIY projects is to learn to respect your power tools. Else, you’re not going to have fun in the end, you might just end up in the hospital if you don’t respect your tools.
So, before plugging the power cord of your miter saw in the socket and switching it on, you need to learn all the safety measures that has been outlined by the manufacturer, in order to keep your hands and yourself safe.
One of those safety tips that come with miter saws is to never use a miter saw without a blade guard. If your miter saw don’t have a blade guard or the blade guard is not functioning properly, don’t use it, Period. Read all the safety precautions from the manufacturer and learn to respect your miter saw before using it.
With that said, let us go on then to the miter saw tips and tricks
Miter saw tips and tricks for DIYers
Replace the stock blade
Truth be told, most miter saw manufacturers don’t equip it with the best quality of blade right from the factory. It is left to you to replace it with a better blade when you purchase a new miter saw. Even the best compound miter saw will produce crooked cuts if it’s got a poor blade attached to it. So, the first thing you need to do when you get a new miter saw is to replace the blades that came with it.
One thing to note with miter saw blades is that, the more blade tooth, the finer/smoother the cuts will be. If a saw blade has less teeth, then the cuts produced with that saw blade will not be all that smooth.
Check and tune your saw for accuracy
Most miter saws, especially the cheap ones are not accurate out of the box. So, the best thing you can do for yourself when you receive your miter saw is to check for accuracy before making any cut. Make sure the blade is square with the fence. If it’s not, then tune it up until it square with the fence.
If your miter saw is not accurate, all the cuts you make will not also be accurate, which will affect the overall quality of your work. So, always make it a practice of checking the accuracy of your miter saw regularly.
Never cut through the line
When you make your mark on the lumber you want to cut, make sure you don’t cut through the line. When you cut through the line, you might actually end up with a board shorter than what you want. Which means that board is ruined.
To make sure that does not happen, cut on the other side of the line. So that even if you end up with a longer board, you can easily adjust the length to the size you want. It is better to get a longer board which can easily be adjusted than to get one too short.
Set stops for making repetitive cuts
If you carry out a lot of DIY projects, chances are that you make a lot of repetitive cuts. This can easily get tiring if you don’t set stops to make these repetitive cuts. You don’t have to take the same measurement all the time. Just set the stop on your miter saw, then you can even make a thousand more cuts like that if your project demands you to.
Those are the 4 miter saw tips and tricks every DIYer should know. I hope you find them useful.