Woodworker's Journal 1993-17-6, страница 29

head ff call if a fence), aiiached to a thin sleel bar thai is about Vs in. thick. 7-j in. wide and 12 to 18 in. long. The bar slides in a slot machined in the saw table, several inches from and parallel to the saw blade. The fence pivots on the bar and can be locked at any angle to it and. therefore, lo the blade. Most of the cuts 1 make are al right angles lo the blade. 1 cut a piece of scrap using the gauge and check the angle with a precision engineer's square 10 make sure the set-up is accurate.

Unlike rip fences, most of which will work just fine without modification, the standard miter gauge can easily he improved. 1 screw a wooden auxiliary fence to the miier fence to increase the length and width of the surface thai bears against the work. I usually position this auxiliary fence so the saw blade cuts through it. which supports short offcuts and reduces icaroul along the back edge of the cut pieces. You might also consider purchasing any of the numerous "aftermarket" auxiliary fences and attachments for miter gauges that are available from mail-order suppliers. Miter gauge bars often slop around a bit in the machined slot, and you can reduce the play by "dimpling" the bar's edges with a nail set. Tap the set at intervals along the bar lo raise slight bumps above the surface, thus w idening the bar. (If it's too wide, file or sand the dimples down until the fit is satisfactory.)

Making the Basic Cut: The trick, if there is one. to accurate crosscutling is holding the workpiece securely against the miter fence while you move the gauge and work steadily through the blade. (As for ripping, you won't succeed unless the edge bearing on the fence is straight to begin w ith.)

Sliding the board into place, my right hand grasps ihe fence, its fingers simultaneously pushing the work dow n on the table and pulling it into the fence (Photo M). The position of my left hand varies somewhat depending on the w idih of ihe workpiece In general, it bears on ihe leading edge of the workpiece. exerting even pressure dow n and back against the fence. Both hands are centered, as much as possible, on the line of ihe gauge bar.

November/December 1993

1

Grasp the miter gauge and workpiece firmly with your right hand, fingers pushing down on the tahie and in toward the fence. The left hand does the same on tlte front edge of the piece. Align both hands, as much as possible, on tlte center of the bar i Photo Mi. then push steadily through the cut.

making the movement in a straight line of arms, hands, miter gauge and work-piece as easy as possible.

Carefully align the cutting mark on the workpiece w ith ihe saw blade before beginning the cut. It is sometimes possible to compensate slightly lo follow a line during a cut, but il is not a good idea. Moving ihe workpiece sideways brings the already cut wood into contact with the blade, putting stres-» on the blade (and ihe operator), leading to burned wood, a burned blade, or both.

When the cut is complete, a little sideways pressure from your fingers w ill slide the workpiece away from the blade enough to allow you lo pull it and the miter gauge back or to slide the work-piece sideways and completely out of the way. Don't attempt to remove small offcuts near the spinning blade—they 're like bait set by a hand-hungry blade. Don't knock them away with a stick, eilher: inadvertently shoved into the blade, they're likely to become highspeed projectiles.

Crosscutting Large Pieces

The distance between the front of the table and the saw blade limits ihe width of pieces that can be crosscut as de-

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