Making A Mitre Cut And Compound Mitre Saw

Cutting a Mitrebetter a marking knife to mark the wood when cutting
A mitre joint is used to join two lengths of woodmitre joints. The thickness of the pencil line can make
together at a right angle. Each piece is cut at 45all the difference between a perfect mitre and one
degrees so that when they are put together theythat is lopsided.
form a 90-degree angle. You can cut mitres by hand,The problem with a mitre box is that it only enables
after marking carefully, but it is much easier to use ayou to cut a 45-degree angle. While this is great for
mitre box. This has two pairs of 45-degree slots cutputting a picture frame together or edging a doorway,
into it to guide the saw as it cuts the piece of wood.for generally wood work you will need to cut many
You are best using a tenon saw with a mitre box, as itdifferent grades.
is rigid. This makes it easier to keep parallel with theCompound Mitre Saws
work surface.In the past few years compound mitre saws have
Secure the mitre box with a vice or a couple ofbecome cheaper and cheaper, with even top brands
clamps. Once secure this will give you a free hand tolike Makita offering a saw for less that a hundred quid.
hold the piece of wood being cut. Before using theUsing a powered mitre saw makes the job of cutting
mitre box, screw a shallow piece of waste wood toangles I would say about four hundred times easier.
the inside so that the base will not be damaged byMore expensive compound mitre saws include a guide
saw cuts, Measure and mark the wood to the correctlaser. This projects a red line onto the piece of timber,
length and line up the mark with the appropriate slotsshowing you exactly where the blade is going to cut.
for the right or left mitre.A compound mitre saw also makes an excellent
Take great care that you get the mitre sloping the rightalternative to a radial arm saw, providing the panels
way and that you mark the wood on the right side. Ifyou want to cut are not too wide for the saw to cut.
you mark the outside of the frame, make sure that theSummary
mitres slope inwards. Get this wrong and you may endIf you are a DIY enthusiast, you are best just buying a
up with a piece of wood that is too short, and hencemitre box. A compound mitre saw is not worth the
useless.money, as cheap as one can be, for making two cuts
Hold the piece of wood tight against the far side of thea year. Unless you have, money to burn that is.
box and, keeping the saw parallel with the base, makeHowever if you are into woodworking tools I would
the cut through the saw guides.recommend buying a compound mitre saw today. It is
Remember to always use a sharp pencil or, evenamazing how easy they make life.