Compound Sliding Miter About

Miter are saws designed to perform quick accurate crosscuts in materials such as and some plastics. The shop miter saw is a dual action compound sliding miter saw. This means that it is capable a large cuts up to 4 inches by 12 inches nominal size. The compound feature of the saw allows both miter and cuts to be made at the same time. Miter adjustments are from 50 degrees to the left of and 60 degrees to the right of square. Bevel adjustments are 45 degrees in either direction of the vertical position.

Class Goal

The goal of this class is to allow students to become certified safe operators of the tool shop miter saw. This handout along with hands on training will provide the information needed to operate the miter saw in a safe and efficient manner. You must successfully pass both the hands on training and quiz to become fully certified.

SAFETY!

Shop Safety:

• Remember to always wear closed two shoes in the shop area at ALL times. • Always make sure to have long hair tied back and loose clothing secured. • Never leave a machine running unattended. They can have a mind of their own sometimes. • Never interrupt someone while they are using a piece of equipment. • Always report any incident to the shop supervisor immediately. • Check in with the shop supervisor before using any equipment in the tool shop. • Never attempt to repair or modify any equipment. • Always cleanup work area and return to their proper locations when finished.

Miter Saw Safety:

• The miter saw should only be plugged in once the cut is ready to be made and immediately after the cut is completed. • Never defeat or remove the guard in any way. • Keep anything you wish not to be cut (like your fingers) at least 6 inches away from the blade when . • If a material is too small to be clamped, it cannot be cut! • Wait for the blade to completely stop rotating before lifting the saw after completing a cut. • Always make sure that material is positioned fully against the . • Make sure material being cut is free of any kind of metal (staples, screws, nails, etc.). • Remove any loose knots in wood before cutting. Loose knots can go flying when they come in contact with a spinning blade. • Never start the saw with the blade in contact with the material.

Terms to Know

Miter – Angled adjustment in reference to of fence to plane of blade. Bevel – Angled adjustment in reference to plane of table to plane of blade. Crosscut – A type of cut that is made against the grain. Knot – A round piece of wood that is typically loose from the rest of the wood. Blade Guard – A plastic guard that covers the blade. This will automatically raise and lower. Fence – An adjustable metal support that helps to hold material at a specific angle. Nominal Size – Refers to the called out size of material which typically is different than the actual dimensions.

Operation

Adjusting the miter angle:

1. Unlock the miter adjustment by pushing in the adjustment handle (position lock) inward and rotating 90 degrees (1/4 turn) clockwise and pressing down on the lock lever. 2. Rotate the saw base left or right to line up the angle indicator to the angle on the miter . 3. Release the lock lever and rotate the adjustment handle counter-clockwise to lock in the current position. 4. Make sure to return miter angle to 0 degrees when cut is complete.

Lock Lever Position Lock

Angle of Miter cut

Adjusting the bevel (tilt) angle:

1. Unlock the bevel adjustment by pushing the latch lever towards the back of the saw and rotating the rear lever to the right. 2. While supporting the weight of the saw, tilt over the saw until the indicator lines up with the appropriate angle on the bevel gauge. If tilting to the right, first tilt left and push in reversing button then tilt to appropriate angle. 3. While holding saw in position, rotate rear lever to the left to tighten and lock angle in position. 4. Check clearance of blade to fence and adjust upper or lower fences as needed. 5. Make sure to return bevel angle to 0 degrees when cut is complete.

Bevel Angle

Rear Lever

Release and Locking Latch

Lever

In order to reverse bevel angle direction you must push this button while pulling lever forward

Make sure the upper and lower fences are Securing the work piece: secured firmly with locking levers. 1. Position material fully against the fence.

2. Line up cut line with edge of blade. Be sure to have blade line up with the waste side of the line. You may also use the measured stops on the table for quick cuts of specific lengths. 3. Using the built in clamping system the material in position. Ideally the part side of the line should be clamped first. 4. If the material is warped or twisted, you should use a second clamp on the waste side of the material. This will help to minimize the chance of the blade binding, causing a kick back.

Clamp

Making a Cut:

1. Make sure that the saw is unplugged from power. 2. Release miter saw by pushing down on saw and pulling out lock pin 3. Adjust the miter and bevel angles as needed. 4. Secure work piece to miter saw. 5. Release slide locks. Front lock allows for up to 6 inches of travel. For cut longer than 6 inches release both front and rear slide locks. 6. Plug in power cord for the saw. 7. Open up vacuum gate. 8. Pull saw out all the way. 9. Start the saw by pushing in the release button then pulling in the trigger. 10. Lower the saw blade into the material. 11. Push saw slowly through the material until cut is complete. 12. With the saw in the down position, release the trigger and wait for the saw to come to a full stop. 13. Once the blade has stopped spinning. Raise the saw up and remove the material. 14. When all cuts are complete, make sure to clean up work area and return any tools used to their proper location.