Adjusting a Miter Saw for Accurate Cuts
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When starting your woodworking business, you’ll naturally have to limit the number of power tools that you’ll buy to equip your workshop. Some chose to start with a decent table saw, while other feel comfortable with a couple of power tools like a miter saw. But using a miter saw isn’t as easy as using a table saw, especially if you want to perform straight cuts. Luckily you can adjust your miter saw so that it’s more effective, precise and reliable.

So how to do this?

Read on to learn the tips of adjusting your miter saw to perform accurate cuts every time you use it.

 

Customizing the Saw Base


When operating with a miter saw, you can expect to have a small error in every wood piece that you cut. This occurs due to the factory setting of the saw parts. This power tool is made for calibrating, customizing in order to work properly. You won’t need to have that annoying offset every time you’re trying to cut a straight line. Although there are many factors that dictate how accurate your cut will be, adjusting the saw base, tightening the screws on it, or customizing it makes a big difference.

Adjusting the Slider


Slider is what a featherboard is for a table saw.

You can’t quite cut anything before you make sure that your slider is in place and firmly fixated. To make this happen, you’ll need to check its current position, realign it, and secure it.

So how to do that, exactly?

First, get a leveling tool and determine how large the offset is on your miter saw’s slider. Next, dismantle it completely and position it so that it’s perfectly aligned both horizontally and vertically. Then when you’re 100% confident that you’ve done a fine job aligning it, connect it to the miter saw table and fixate it.

Replacing the Saw


Another possible reason for the offset in your cuts might be in the saw itself. Improper use of any power tool can affect its overall performance in time. To avoid this you should always use it accordingly to the manual. However, due to a number of other reasons that can affect your precision when using a miter saw, it’s best to check the blade itself. Inspect the blade and look for any irregularities and curves along the saw’s surface.

If you do notice that it’s bent or deformed in any way, you’ll need to replace it. To do this, unplug your device, remove the base panel that’s securing the saw, remove and replace it and voila. You’ll have a fully functioning miter saw once again. Furthermore, it will most definitely improve its overall performance.

Calibrating the Saw


If you notice that you straight cuts aren’t that straight anymore, you might need to recalibrate your saw. When you buy a miter saw or any other power tool, all of the parts will be set to factory setting. Meaning that you’ll have a mediocre performance while using the tool.

Another possible reason for the need to recalibrate the saw is that the parts that hold the saw can loosen in time. To recalibrate the saw, check the manual that you got with your purchase and tighten crucial parts that hold the saw. Keep in mind that you might need to adjust it slightly, so keep that leveling tool and a steel square close to you.

Stabilizing Miter Saw’s Joint


As you use your power tool, certain parts and joints will loosen up. This will result in a significant drop in performance and effectiveness of your tool. It will affect the precision of your straight cuts, and that’s something that no carpenter wants. To avoid all this, dismantle the joint connecting the saw with the rest of the power tool, and tighten the screws holding it as well as the joint itself. Next time that you’re performing a straight cut, you’ll notice a considerable improvement in your cut.

So be sure to invest in your power tool by adjusting and tweaking them, as it’s the only way to use their full potential.