Make Consistent Miter Saw Cuts
Jimmy DiRestaIt’s very common when cutting one piece on your miter saw to want to cut multiples. And you want them exactly the same size. Rails and stiles for face frames are a great example. For the face frame to come together square, you’ve got to have stiles that are identical in length and rails that fit the same bill.
When Jimmy DiResta was in the shop, he ran into this while building his stack of drawers cabinet. He showed us a really great trick for getting two parts aligned and perfectly cut. It uses something you probably have laying around in the shop. The key to this technique is getting the boards aligned and keeping them aligned. Like many of Jimmy’s tricks, this is low tech and works like a champ. WWGOA has lots of great tips and techniques for your miter saw. Check them out!
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4 Responses to “Make Consistent Miter Saw Cuts”
Here's a little tip. If you have two pieces of wood that need to be the exact same length and cutting them on the might or saw, you want to line up the back. Will you have your clean cut, put a piece of tape across them? So now when you shift them to where you need to cut them, you can trust that they're going to be the exact same length because they're taped together and the back end is mated you perfection every time.
Obviously, using a clamp-down stop is the way to go if cutting more than one piece of identifical length. Just make sure the blade stops before you raise the saw back up or the blade might pull up the cut piece next to the stop.
Very nice video Jimmy, good idea using the tape and will start using that in the future. Thank you for sharing.
Why wouldn't you set your stop?
Are suppose to bring the blade straight down on top of the lumber like in the video? Over the years I've tended to start the blade towards me and cut with more of a pushing motion, starting on the near side. In my mind, I think it is a safety issue in that it pushes the stock against the back fence early in the cut.