Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | Oct 22, 2007 05:40am | #1

   The bar should fit the miter way without any noticeable play. It's easy to fix. Place the bar on a solid surface, strike the top of the bar with a hammer. You are trying to mushroom out the edge of the bar, ever so slightly. You only need this in a couple of place along the bar. Use a metal bastard cut file to fine tune the fit. Once the bar fits and slides nicely, re-adjust the miter head stops and indicator arrow for accuracy.

   It's a good idea to add a wood bar to the miter head that reaches beyond the blade. The blade cut will give you a reference for exactly where it will cut. You can clamp stops to the bar so you can repeat specific lengths. If you glue some sandpaper to the face, it will be slip proof. Remember to always keep your hands in line with the slot, don't grab the bar for a return, use the miter head handle.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

2. 
   forestgirl | Oct 22, 2007 06:42pm | #2

   "Am I just being picky or does it really matter"  It absolutley does matter.  Any discrepancy from 90° will be magnified the longer the cut is.  While it might not make a huge different in a crosscut of 2" wide stock, if you're making a frame that's, say, 27" long, and your 45° cut is off due to the wiggle, that "small" discrepancy will really mess up the corners of your frame.  And even the small change in the 2" wide stock can mess you up if the stock is really long and counts on a 90° fit with another piece of stock.

   If you're ever played pool, you'll grasp the idea quickly!  A tiny misalignment really magnifies as it goes down the long dimension of the table, LOL!

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
3. 
   jptenberg | Oct 23, 2007 12:35am | #3

   Jack--  My advice is to take about 30 min and make yourself a dedicated miter sled.  This is a piece of plywood with home-made runners on the bottom, and then on the top, take two pieces of 3/4" stock and attach one to the sled at a 45 degree angle to the blade.  Cut into the jig part way so that the end of the"fence" gets cut off.  Then take your most accurate square and attach the other side of the fence at exactly 90 degrees to the first.

   When finished, the sled should look like an upside-down "v"  Trust me, this jig will make all your miter cutting a breeze--especially with small pieces.  If you want to, you can add toggle clamps and stop blocks to  the jig to make it easier for repetitive cuts.

   good luck.

   Peter

   www.jpswoodworking.com