Popular Woodworking 2002-10 № 130, страница 73
any case, chances are you'll be using the blade to set up your cut. Make a mark on the piece of wood where you want to make the cut. Without turning on the saw, lower the blade assembly until the guard retracts and the carbide teeth touch the wood. Adjust your piece so the blade aligns with the waste side of your pencil line. Raise the blade until the guard is again in place, while firmly holding (or clamping) the work piece in place. Start the saw and lower the blade into the wood. When the cut is complete, it's safest to leave the blade in the lowered position and release the switch to stop the blade. When stopped, raise the blade out of the way. This is safest because the waste piece can come in contact with the rising, still spinning, blade and be kicked into harm's way or destroyed. Mitered cuts use the same One benefit of a high fence on a miter saw is cutting crown moulding. With a compound miter saw, the blade can be set for miter and bevel and the piece can be cut flat on the table. But with a basic miter saw (or if you hate math) the setup at right will get you there with just the miter setting.The piece is positioned as it would be in place against the ceiling and wall, then held on the saw's table using a support board. Set the miter for 45° and you're on your way. process, but beveled cuts (with the blade beveled to one side) will need to be more carefully aligned with your pencil mark. And make sure your fence is clear of the blade when making bevel cuts. Saw manufacturers sell more replacement fences that way! If you're using a sliding miter saw, the process is basically the same, though when using the sliding feature, the blade should be pulled, fully extended toward you, before starting the saw. Then slowly push the blade assembly toward the rear, through the cut. One other crosscut worth talking about is used for fitting pieces. You may make a cut at what you expect to be the correct length, then find out it's still a little long. The easy way to take off a little at a time to get the right fit is to lower the stopped blade all the way to the table, then slide the piece against the left side of the blade. This will tell you where the cut will occur, and you can either lift the blade and scoot the piece over a bit, or you can push against the blade a bit (there's usually just enough "give" in the blade to equal about 1/32") then raise the blade and make your cut. A quick word about choosing blades is appropriate here as well. Depending on the brand and model saw you purchase, the equipped blade could be great, or just good enough to get you through your first project. For use in a miter saw, your blade should be carbide-tipped for extended life and sharpness. A 60-tooth blade will provide a smooth, clean crosscut edge. For sliding miter saws, buy a blade with the teeth ground with a negative 5° hook angle - this will prevent overfeeding and climb-cutting during slide cuts. PW PW Recommends OCCASIONAL USER • Delta MS275. Not the cheapest miter saw, but it has great features and power for $170. • Hitachi C10FCB. Hitachi has a great reputation in miter saws and this well-priced 10" saw ($240) is a great basic choice. • Craftsman 21250. Offered just last year, this 10" miter saw with laser sighting was hard to keep in the stores. At $200 it's a solid saw with a nice extra feature for a good price. SERIOUS HOME WOODWORKER • Bosch 3912. For increased capacity, we recommend moving to a 12" saw, and this model from Bosch is a good choice at $300. • DeWalt DW705s. Another 12" model that's proven itself durable on many job sites. Also at $300, it's another larger capacity option. ADVANCED WOODWORKER OR PROFESSIONAL • Makita LS1011N or LS1013. When recommending a sliding compound saw, we think first of Makita. Both of these 10" models are reliable, accurate saws that are a pleasure to use. The LS1013's features have made it a favorite in our shop. ($450 and $530). • Hitachi C8FB2. This 8V2" model is very popular at job sites. It's a lightweight portable tool, and its quality performance is only slightly offset by its reduced capacity ($460). These tools have been tested or used by the editors of PopularWoodworking and have earned their recommendation. 73 |
