To work on a good project you need precision machinery. And no machine is more useful than a compound miter saw. The advantage of a compound miter saw rests with its ability to cut both miter and bevel cuts at once. And that too repetitively without losing the angle set. This way you will not only save a lot of time but also keep your work clean and precise.
Benefits of a Compound Miter Saw
The standard miter saw is helpful only for cutting miter joints and other single angle cuts. This is too time consuming if you are working on more complex project like a crown molding. The great advantage of a compound miter saw is that blade assembly of the machine can be titled to one side (left) of the machine. This advanced feature facilitates a bevel cut to be made along with a miter cut.
Miter Cuts
The standard miter saws are ideal for cutting a 45 degree miter cut. The machine usually has a miter gauge. The liver hard stops at 0, 15, 22.5, 30 and 45 degree angles in both directions. This way you can lock at and cut in whatever miter angle you need.
Bevel Cuts
Bevel cuts are sloped cuts on a piece of wood or pipe. Though standard miter saws can be used to make the beveled cuts by placing the plank against the fence of the machine, this method cannot be applied to larger boards or planks. The compound miter saw eliminates the need of this struggle by enabling a tilt of the blade assembly to an angle of 45 degrees.
Compound Miter Cuts
The compound miter cuts are when the machine is oriented in a both miter and bevel angles. The most common application of this kind of cut is for joining crown molding. If you set the machine to this angle once you can cut all the corresponding pieces of the crown molding.
Variations
There are mainly two variations in the compound miter saw.
- Sliding Compound Miter Saw
The sliding compound miter saw incorporates railing on the head assembly of the machine so that it increases the “reach “of the machine. The blade assembly slides back and forth. This feature enables you to cut larger objects and much like a radian arm saw.
- Dual Compound Miter Saw
The dual compound miter saw is the most costly among the machines. This is so called because the head assembly of this saw can be tilted to both sides covering a 90 degree arc. The dual compound miter saw is a large machine. However, for complex and precision projects this machine is highly recommended.
Using a Compound Miter Saw
- Setting the fence: swing the cutting table to your desired angle and set the fence.
- Set the angle of the saw: the saw is locked to a set angle so that it doesn’t shift during a cut.
- Just lower the saw: after placing the material on the cutting table tighten the holding stock and just cut it to your desired angle.
There are many advantages of having a compound miter saw to help you work on a particular project. It not only makes the cuts easier but also reduces the time taken to cut a compound cut. But always make sure that you comply with the safety feature of the machine.
It can be hard choosing the best compound miter saw on the market, but it is well worth the hassle!
The Compound Miter Saw World 