Popular Woodworking 2005-08 № 149, страница 68
A WOODWORKING MITER SAW Turn a contractor's tool into a precision woodworking machine. don't know of too many woodworking shop s, whether home or professional, that don't have a miter saw as part of their equipment. A miter saw is a fine alternative to a radial-arm saw or circular saw for rough-cutting lumber. It's also an accurate alternative to the table saw for crosscutting and squaring solid lumber. My problem with a miter saw is that it's a job-site tool that's been put to work in woodworking shops. Because of that, it has some - let's not call them deficiencies - eccentricities that aren't the best for woodworking. Miter Saw Eccentricities Because the miter saw was designed for portability, its table isn't very large and so it lacks adequate support for many woodworking activities. The fence and table capacity is actually too short to conveniently trim a table leg to length, let alone support a standard-length piece of rough lumber. The fence on a miter saw is designed for carpentry work and is usually undersized, a challenge to align and allows considerable tear-out at the back of a cut. While some saws have tables that address the tear-out problem below the board with zero-clearance throat plates, that doesn't address the fence that allows for tear-out. Then there's the question of stops. Often the work on a miter saw requires cutting a number of pieces the same length. Some manufacturers have made a nodding acknowledgement of this need and added a fairly basic stop. But again, it falls short of the precision we'd prefer for woodworking. There are dozens of plans for building carts and support stands for miter saws that address these issues. We've designed and built some ourselves. But the problem with these accessories is that they can cost as much, if not more, than the saw itself. So we've come up with an add-on for your saw that will easily and affordably take your job-site saw into the workshop with capacity and precision. by David Thiel Comments or questions? Contact David at 513'531'2690 ext. 1255 or david.thiel@fwpubs.com 66 Popular Woodworking August 2005 |
