Handyman.net.au JULY 2018 103PICTURE
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BUILD
his accurate and heav y-duty tool
is speciically designed to make cuts
across the timber grain, called
crosscutting. It is designed for
square, mitred or bevelled sawing
of door and window trim, roof
framing, decking boards and other
long pieces of timber.
Designed to be portable, mitre
saws can be positioned on the
ground onsite for fast, repetitive and
very accurate work.
A compound mitre saw has a
circular platform that can be turned
through 90° relative to the position
of the workpiece.
he saw itself is mounted on a
springloaded arm that can be swung
down to cut the timber, with the
blade descending into a slot in the
mitre platform.
he pivot of the swing arm can
also be tilted up to 45° to one or both
sides, a feature described as single
or double action.
A sliding compound mitre saw
is more expensive, but can handle
a larger variety of section sizes. Its
swing arm is mounted on a pair of
sliding rails that extend the reach
of the saw blade, allowing the tool
to handle wider workpieces.MITRE SAW TECHNIQUES
MITRES
Unlock the mitre platform and
rotate it so the saw blade is
orientated at the required angle,
indicated on the mitre gauge.
Tighten the lock knob or the
quick-release lever, then start
the saw and cut the timber.
TIP For 45° mitres, irst cut test
pieces from scrap timber to ensure
the mitres will come together.SQUARE CUTS
Keeping the mitre platform and bevel
pivot at the default 90° setting, align
the timber so the saw blade is on the
waste side of the cut line.
Switch on the saw and let it spool up
to full revs, then push it down to theworkpiece. If your mitre saw has
a slide feature, move the saw
forward smoothly and slowly to
complete the cut.
TIP Use the integrated clamps, if
available, to hold the workpiece you
are cutting to length. ▶A table saw will cut through large
panels of timber with accuracy.MITRE SAWS