How to Buy a
Miter Saw
EDITOR: DAVE MUNKITTRICK • ART DIRECTION: BRENDA CANALES • PHOTOGRAPHY: STAFF, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED
PHOTO COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER
Craftsman 21224; $300.
A miter saw is just the ticket for accurate cuts, whether you’re building a house or assembling a picture frame.
What is it?
Miter saws are designed for making precise crosscuts at any angle from 0 to 45 degrees (some saws have a
The Family
There are three branches of the miter saw clan. The first is the conventional miter saw. Designed primarily to make dead square crosscuts and miters, these saws have been fixtures in woodshops and at jobsites for decades. The saw head can swing at least
The second branch of the family is the compound miter saw. Cutting a compound angle means cutting a bevel and an angle at the same time. With a compound miter saw you simply set the bevel cut by leaning the cutting head to the desired angle, and set the miter angle on the table. A number of these saws allow you to bevel the head left and right. Some moldings, like crown for example, require compound angles. On a conventional miter saw you have to prop the molding upside down against an
tional miter saw.
At the head of the family is the
made possible by the sliding head. Most of these saws will crosscut
because you push the saw through the cut instead of pulling it. This eliminates climb cutting (cutting in the same direction as
Visit www.americanwoodworker.com for a complete list of manufacturers, models and costs.
A m e r i c a n Wo o d w o r k e r 2003 TOOL BUYER’S GUIDE | 67 |