Precision Mitering – Comp’d Miter Saw?
Crocusboy
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I’m new to this forum, so please forgive me if this same question has already been posed…
I just purchased a 12 compound miter saw – the DeWalt 706 – and am favourably impressed at this juncture. However, I’ve yet to do any serious mitering with it. As I want to make some picture frames, I’d be interested in hearing back from those of you who use such tools to make precise joints. Specifically, without purchasing the rather limited DeWalt length stop, how do you arrange a stop block to ensure all segments are the same length? Further, what saw blade do you prefer for such joints?
A fellow sawdust eater,
Marty Schlosser
Replies
I think the most accurate and repeatable miters are made with a tablesaw jig. Miter saws are basically designed for finish carpentry such as putting in molding.
Welcome Marty.
The first thing you should do is make or purchase extension tables. You need to support your stock for an accurate cut. The stop can be just a simple block clamped to the fence. I use one that is cut at a 45 degree angle to match the miter on the frame. I set the wide side of the frame to the fence. Another words, the outside of the mitered corner.
One thing, where you will lose accuracy is when you rotate the saw to cut the opposite miter. I would check all the stops on your miter saw before you start this.
Either in this months or the previous issue is a good article on making frames. You could adapt the sled table stop system to your miter saw.
Enjoy.
Len,
Thanks for your ideas; I'll look them up then get back to you once I've done so.
I should mention that I also have an old DeWalt Radial Arm Saw that I purchased new back in '74 and it still works well.
Cheers,
Marty
A couple of other tips:1. Clamp your stock. Don't try to hand hold it. Since you are cutting at an angle there are forces pulling the wood both into the fence and along the fence. A 12" blade will only make those forces greater (compared to a 10" blade) Slippage will of course mess up the mitre.2. Check your stops (what the factory says is 45* is not likely to be correct or at least off slightly). I use a drafters 45-45-90 triangle against the side of the blade (saw head locked down) - but you have to watch out that the triangle does not touch the teeth on the blade so you might have to rotate the blade a bit.3. Use a stock stop on your extension table so all pieces are the same length. (or if you are doing a rectangle, the pairs are the same length).4. Let the blade stop before backing out of the wood. I've found that a spinning blade coming out of the wood can sometimes damage the mitre (not as big a deal however if your stock is clamped well).5. And as always, measure twice, cut once :-)Hope that helps (HTH),Mark
Measure it with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, cut it with an ax.
Mark,
Good advice; much appreciated.
Marty
I was starting to add a longer reply but then read Mark's comments. He covered most of the points I was going to make. Back before I had a better TS and a dedicated 45 miter sled, I did quite a few picture framing cuts on a CMS. After a lot of trial and error, I came to most of the same conclusions as Mark. I'll just add a couple of comments to his:
2. Everything Mark said. Don't rely on the saw's angle scale or detent settings. Plus - if your CMS is like mine and wants to drop into a detent as you're trying to get that last little angle fraction set, you may have to lock the miter setting and instead loosen and adjust the fence to the blade. Also, when you've got it adjusted right, recheck it again after locking the miter setting. Sometimes locking it will cause it to shift slightly.
3. Yup - use a length stop, but if your pieces are flat and small enough, you can also tape them together (either face-to-face or back-to-back) and gang cut them. Almost impossible to get different lengths that way.
4. Let the blade stop. It does make a difference.If you build it - he will come.
Serious picture framing requires a guillotine style miter trimmer.
The ultimate check for whether your 45* setting is correct is to cut a piece of stock at 45* then roll one side over to form a right angle, then check with a square to make sure it's a perfect 90*. Actually....and even better check is to make a frame -- any discrepancy will really show up over the 4 angles, especially if the frame is a goodly size, say 16" square or so.
As to the best blade, I plan to use my Freud "Ultimate Cut-Off Blade" but the 12" version of that's pretty pricey. You'll want a hight-quality crosscut blade, not a general purpose or combo model.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Most of my work is panelled,so do lots of mitres.
I have the Dewalt mitre saw and find it first class.
Only place it needs holding is near the cut,which I do by hand.
With the adjustment locking system you can adjust to fractions of a degree.
I simply clamp a stop on the table to make pieces to same size.
Use as fine a tooth as you can get from DeWalt.
Marty,
I have a 706 and have been very pleased with it. The first thing I did was to remove the thin kerf 'finish' blade that came with it and replace it with a full kerf (1/8") 80tpi blade. The thicker blade will wobble less than a thin kerf blade.
I've found that I get perfect miters by cutting one side with the blade swung to the left and the other side with the blade swung to the right as a miter saw is designed. Of course, I checked all of the alignment points to be sure the saw was square, etc.
One important step I use is to cut a miter twice. In other words, mark your cut point but cut 1/32" to 1/16" shy of the line. Then, make your final cut on the line or against a stop block. The blade is more likely to deflect when making a full cut; if all it's doing is shaving the last increment, it's more likely to run dead-on. I've used this method on miter saws ranging from my old Craftsman to a $4000 Italian unit at a commercial shop.
Regards,
Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
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Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Here is the beast. Lion miter trimmer. For fine like a picture frame or applied molding this tool works very well.
Seemed to have problem with a post so apologies if this shows up twice.
I can only add that it might help to use some PSA sandpaper or doublestick tape and sandpaper on the table near the blade. Not the fence. This has pretty much eliminated stock creep from the blade. I've used this when the blade starts to get dull but it helps with new blades too.
But having a good sharp blade is a must as well.
Other than that the other recommendations are on the money.
BTW I use the 10" Dewalt and have used them in other shops and they seem pretty trustworthy.
I take a piece of mdf and screw it to both fences,then set to right45* and make a cut,then to right and do the same thing,now if I mark the piece I want to mitre I just put it where the cut was made on the mdf.
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