Woodworker's Journal 1993-17-1, страница 70

Specifications: Sliding

Blade No-load Amps Crosscut Capacity¹ Depth of Cut?

Dia. Speed @ (inches) (inches)

Make Model (in.) Arbor (rpm) 120V 90 45 45 x45 90 45'

Delia® 33-060 B'ft ^s/< 5.500 12 12 0 7j «V.» 1^J/< 1 ^s/i

Hitachi C 8FB 8¹/? ^s/« 4.900 9.5 12 B^s/i 2⁹/u 1»/»

Makita LS1011 10 ^s/» 4.600 12 12 8'⁵/h 8^1s/m 2 'Vie 1'M

Ryobi TSS-m 8'/? V« 4,500 10 12 8'Vie 8"/u 2'⁵/n I'Vu

Sears 23488 »'/i V» 5.000 10 12 8Vi 8^s/i 2'fc I³/*

¹ 90 = crosscut 45 ; miter 45145 = compound cut (miter/bevel) ^} 90 = square cut; 45' ■ bevel cut W ■ widih dI saw basfl end-to-end (without table/lence extensions). D = Maximum depth ol saw, front-to-back with sliding carnage fully extended ai rear of saw. H = overall height wilh cuffing head in down position

(and bevel scalet at the back of the saw where the carriage attaches to the turntable. Of the three rear-mounted levers, the large one on the Makita is the easiest to access and operate. To make bevel cuts on the Ryobi. you tilt the culling head only: it's attached to a trunnion on ihe front of the carriage assembly: this arrangement puts the bevel lock lever and scale toward the front of the saw, readily accessible to the operator.

Other Features: The sliding miter saws reviewed for this article have all of the modern features found on the best conventional compound miter saws: electric blade brake, spindle lock button (for one-wrench blade changing I. locking trigger switch, and retractable lower blade guard. All have a spring-loaded pin thai locks the culling head in the "down" position to facilitate transport, as well as locking knobs to prevent ihe carriage from sliding back ,ind forth when you carry the saw. The carriage lock is also used to keep the cutting head stationary when doing "chop cuis" in narrower stock and for any other cuts where ihe sliding action isn't required. The Hitachi and Ryobi have convenient carrying handles. Another feature 1 liked on ihe Makita is it's long, "full-grip" trigger switch, f the long trigger can be comfortably squeezed with the emirc handi and top-mounted switch lock button. I noticed this riehi oil because I'm left-handed. (On the other saws, ihe switch lock is located on ihe left side of ihe handle, opposite ihe switch—you lefties know what I'm lalking about.)

Accessories include side-mounted material supports/stop blocks for repetitive cuts (optional on all machines), and hold-down clamps (standard on the Makita and Sears: optional on the Hitachi ,md Ryobi). in my book, ihe hold-down damps are a vital safety feature when working with short pieces of stock The Sears was the only saw that didn't come wilh a dusi bag: instead, it has an adjustable degree elbow to direct the sawdust aw from (he operator (or toward over-curious bystanders). Another aspect of the Sear s that could he a plus or a minus, depending on how you use the saw: it's heavy c.ist-irnn base provides extra stability when cutting large stock, hut adds considerable weight to ihe tool (see chart). The other saws have lightweight aluminum bases.

B3I

IX

Table extention!material stop is optional feature on these saws.

lull-grip trigger switch and top-mounted \witch lock on the Makita is convenient: designed for left-or right-hand use.

A Few Notes On Compound Cuts

Simply defined, a compound cut is a combined miter (angle cut across the width of the workpiece) and bevel (angle cut through the lace or thickness of the workpiece). Setting up a compound cut is tricky because the miter and bevel angles are interrelated, that is. when you change the miter angle, you must also change the corresponding bevel angle, and vice versa. Once you figure out the correct angles (practice on scrap material first!), repetitive cuts are a cinch to make on a compound miter saw. The tapered box shown here is one example of the type of project that a sliding compound miter saw (remember that these saws have a larger crosscut capacity than conventional compound miter saws) is perfect for.

You'll note in the tool chart that the Delta Sidekick, Hitachi and Ryobi have positive miter stops at 31.5 or 31.6 degrees, left and right. If you've done much finish carpentry, you probably know what these stops are used for: makinQ compound cuts in standard 38 degree/52 degree crown molding. While the Sears and Makita have no miter stops at these positions, the letters ^S'CM" are marked on both the miter and bevel scales of the Sears to indicate both required settings (31.6 miter. 33.8 bevel, left and right). If you're a bit confused at this point, don't worry: the owner s manuals for all the saws provide clear instructions on how to cut inside and outside corners for standard crown moldings.

The Woodworker'¹, Journal