New miter saw

[cpowell]

So, through no efforts of my own I have inherited a Delta 10 inch miter saw. I have cleaned it up and lubed it, then changed the blade because I had a lot of tear out on the bottom. It now has a new 40 tooth blade but it didn't help but a little. Let me add that I know almost nothing about this kind of saw and perhaps you will remember my earlier thread on cutting miters on a table saw. I can see promise in this saw but there are also problems.

1. It is missing the posts that apparently are used for clamps so I have to use a C-clamps to hold the wood. My thumbs are not strong enough these days to hold the wood in place without slippage.
2. It is missing the extension/s that allow one to use the stop blocks for repetitive cuts.

I have adjusted the fence and the positive stops so it actually cuts at 90 and 45. It cuts true now.

I have also searched for accessories online but apparently Delta no longer makes miter saws and has also been taken over by Biesinger or something.

Does anyone know how to make a positive stop for it? I am going to need this for the frames. I have an idea to use dowels but don't know how to make it semi-permanent and adjustable at the same time. Anyone have ideas? Surely I'm not the only one who has faced this problem.

[Bill Wilson]

Congrats on the new saw. A miter saw sure comes in handy for making lots of cuts that other saws struggle with.

First off, let me suggest a higher tooth blade for doing cross cuts & miters. The more teeth the cleaner the cut and the less tearout you will gt on the bottom. I have a 12" Dewalt compound miter saw and I use a 96 tooth blade in it. I have a 10" radial arm saw that uses an 80 tooth blade. The cuts are very smooth and clean. No sanding and very little tearout.

Most miter saws have fairly large openings in the fence and in the insert, where the blade plunges through the table. This is to allow clearance when cutting from any angle, but it doesn't help to prevent chip out. You may want to try using a sacrificial piece of wood against the fence and on the table to provide tighter clearance, so when the blade passes through the wood you are cutting, there is support underneath and behind it to prevent it from chipping.

OK, for positive stops, what I would suggest is to build a bench, or modify an existing one, into which the saw can sit on a semi-permanent basis. The surface of the bench needs to be on the same plane as the table of your miter saw. This gives you infeed and outfeed support for longer stock. Also, you can incorporate fence extensions on both ends that will allow you to clamp stops where ever necessary. The fence must line up with the fence of the miter saw. The reason I call this a semi permanent set-up is that you need to be able to mount the saw, so that it stays in a fixed position, relative to the bench fence. If you remove the saw for any reason, you need to be able to get back in the same position, so that your fence and table stay in alignment. Google images of "miter saw bench" and you will see what I mean. A set-up like this will give you a lot more flexibility and allow you to design hold downs and a positive stop system that works for you.

Hope that helps. Good luck and have fun making sawdust!

[cpowell]

Thanks for the reply it was very helpful. I'm looking up miter saw benches right now.

[evilbadger]

I have the portable stand from Dewalt and it has the stop blocks built in. This might be a better option if you have a small shop. Here is a link for the one I have DW723 Miter Saw Stand | DEWALT Tools

I also added a couple of the support/stop blocks. So far it has worked great for me.
I also ordered another set of rails so I can switch between my 10" Hitachi and the 12" Dewalt.

Is your saw just a single miter or compound miter or compound slide miter?

[turtleteasers]

You might get an idea for a stop from my old thread Incra Jig as Stop for Miter Saw.

[cpowell]

It is a 10 inch compound I am thinking. It turns from 45 to 45, the head will also tilt but I don't remember how much. I think that makes it a compound. It does not slide which is probably good for me since I don't know what it does now much less with a slider. Oh, I know it would allow me to cut wider boards but really I have (at the moment) no intention of cutting anything over a couple of inches wide. It'll handle that. For now it is only for frame making; at least until I find out more things it does.
My policy being that "every tool must pay for itself fairly quickly" has, or will, be met so I am satisfied.
I still need help with it though. I am all open to any ideas or uses for this saw.

[tdub4ever]

This is what I do. Works pretty good. I just get my thickness, line the blade up with my mark, set my stop and cut my joints. I would imagine it will work for cutting the bevel the other way too. Just make your mark, set your stop and make all your cuts. Don

[cpowell]

Ron; thanks for the Incra info. Here's hoping I can afford one come payday. In the meantime I'll be using tdubs idea for clamping. I just bought a big C-clamp yesterday to use. Now if I can just get those measurements down right.

[tdub4ever]

cpowell, all I do to get the right measurement is use a piece of the stock I'm using to mark the thickness and you're ready to cut. Don

[wood-n-things]

cpowell, all I do to get the right measurement is use a piece of the stock I'm using to mark the thickness and you're ready to cut. Don

HUH? Could you expand on that a bit. please?