Ways to Use a Table Saw Miter Gauge

Desk saws are Preferably fitted to ripping lumber—long cuts parallel to your grain in the Wooden. Nonetheless, 1 frequent accessory that is typically provided together with your desk noticed, called a miter gauge, can make the desk noticed just as handy for making cross-cuts perpendicular to the grain in the wood at several angles, from ninety-diploma perpendicular cuts to miters of just about any angle.

Given that a desk observed's blade can be established for angles as much as forty five-levels, the miter gauge allows your observed to create lots of the compound cuts which can be Generally reserved for any compound miter saw or radial-arm noticed.

Most desk saws have miter gauges, but You will also find specialized and remarkably exact after-current market miter gauges you can buy. A superb miter gauge is often a hugely precise piece of kit which could Value numerous hundred dollars.

Prime-top quality miter gauges are precise down to fractions of the diploma.

eight Tips for Location a Beautiful Desk

How a Miter Gauge Functions

A miter gauge is made up of a protracted thin metallic manual that rides from the miter slot during the desk of your respective saw. Hooked up to this tutorial is usually a 50 percent-moon formed head that pivots on its relationship issue to the guideline. A locking system allows this pivoting area to generally be locked into any angle, from -forty five degrees to +45 degrees). Whenever a workpiece is placed from the fence on the gauge and your complete assembly (miter gauge and board) is slid ahead through the saw blade, john witherspoon Miter saw the workpiece is cut on the precise angle you referred to as for.

Some miter gauges have "constructive stops" that enable the gauge being rapidly set for the mostly employed angles (which include ninety-, forty five-, 30-, and 22 one/2-degrees).

Making Square Cross-Cuts That has a Miter Gauge

While you figure out how to utilize a desk noticed miter gauge, the simplest Slash to know is often a sq. cross-cut, the place the miter gauge is ready to ninety levels determined by the angle markings around the gauge, and the tip in the board is Reduce sq..

Although the angle settings on miter gauges are built to be as accurate as you can, frequently they are often a number of levels outside of kilter. To examine the accuracy of one's gauge:

1. Established the gauge to ninety levels (or 0 levels, based on how your gauge is marked) markings), to get a square Slash which is properly perpendicular for the miter slot on the table noticed).

2. Unplug your desk noticed's electrical wire and lift the blade as superior as it'll go.

3. Slide the gauge forward right up until it's in keeping with the front fringe of the uncovered, stationary saw blade (usually do not try this without having 1st disconnecting the observed from the facility supply).

4. Place a person square edge of a six-inch mixture sq. in opposition to the observed blade, and also the corresponding fringe of the square against the flat, ahead edge of the miter gauge. In the event the sq. aligns completely with the two the blade as well as the gauge, then your gauge's configurations are accurate.

If there are actually any gaps amongst the square and both the blade or the gauge, regulate the angle on the gauge right until miter saw black friday deals they align properly, and tighten the locking mechanism.

To produce a cross-Reduce:

one. Slide the miter gauge backwards (towards Your entire body) to the entrance fringe of the observed desk, and spot a board against the flat edge of the gauge.

two. Come up with a pencil mark about the wood in which you need john witherspoon Miter saw deals to make the cross-Slice, and align that mark Together with the saw blade (even though keeping the board flat versus the miter gauge).

three. Plug in and turn around the noticed, then slide the miter gauge—Along with the board held securely versus The pinnacle with the gauge—forward and previous the observed blade, completing the cross-Reduce.

four. If the Lower is concluded, simplicity the board along the gauge and faraway from the blade and slide The full assembly back towards the commencing placement right before turning from the saw motor.

As with all Procedure using a desk noticed, always keep your arms very well far from the table observed's blade.

Producing Angled Cross-Cuts Using a Miter Gauge

Angled cross-cuts are comparable to square cuts, apart from that the miter gauge is ready to an angle of as much as forty five degrees in advance of sliding the gauge and corresponding wood piece towards the blade to generate the Reduce. When producing an angled Slash utilizing the miter gauge, shift the gauge a bit slower than you did building a square Minimize, because the gauge's movement may well have a tendency to slip the board outside of situation as you move it throughout the blade. A small woodworking clamp can be used to secure the board towards the gauge as you make the Lower.

Compound cuts, featuring both miter and bevel angles, may be finished by environment both the angle of your miter gauge as well as bevel of your observed blade to the specified angles before sliding the gauge ahead throughout the saw blade.

Adapting a Miter Gauge

When reducing more time boards (of around 4 toes in size), you could would like to protected a sacrificial strip of wood to your confront of your miter gauge to supply additional steadiness to the board remaining Lower. Most miter gauges Use a matching list of holes in the back again by which it is possible to generate a wood screw to protected the sacrificial board for the flat facial area with the miter gauge. Some superior-high-quality miter gauges include an additional-prolonged Wooden struggling with for exactly this rationale.

Also, you'll find jigs which can be attached to your miter gauge for making specialty cuts. A person these illustration is a box joint jig for generating completely-matched box joints (or finger joints) using your desk saw as well as a stacked dado blade set.