8 ways to use a miter saw like a pro
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- New to the miter saw? Here are some tips to get more out of this versatile tool.
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#woodworking #mitersaw #tips - Jak na to + styl
Being a newbie this has quickly become my favorite CZcams channel.
Me too!!!!
Sure you just took these words out of my mouth. Steve Ramsey is good.
Me too. Plus his hokey dad joke style cracks me up! I’ve learned a ton and laughed the whole way through!
How are you progressing? Have you made anything cool? I'm just starting now.
Same!
I love the tip about raising the board for wider cuts. Another handy thing when using a stopblock is you can use it to cut wider boards... make the first cut and flip board over, making sure to press your piece firmly against the stopblock each time.
I know this is 4 years later, but thank you...phenomenal tip!
I'd add this tip - if your mitre saw doesn't have screw holes for an extension fence (or the holes are in a bad location), you can easily drill your own. I just built the mobile workbench after signing up for Steve's course and picked up the same Ryobi Mitre saw that he suggests as a starter saw. One of the four holes is blocked by a bolt in the back... to fix, I just drilled another hole on that side (start with a tiny drill bit to minimize wandering, then a larger drill bit, then finally the bit you really want to use).
Best video I've seen on working with a 10" miter saw ! Thank you
I absolutely love your videos. They are always so helpful. This one was no different! Thanks for taking time to teach us newbies all the things!
Biggest safety tip I have: If you have it mounted on a miter station, whether portable or stationary, have it so that when you are standing at the saw, you are facing towards the main entrance to the shop. This way, if somebody comes into the shop, they won’t sneak up on you which can cause some damage if you get scared!
That is very true. I worked in a workshop many moons ago and the main rule was, never scare anyone in a workshop especially when machinery is on.
Or, use a mirror in front or near to the saw.
Stop Block Tip.... Raise it about a 1/16" above the table. This prevent sawdust from building and throwing off your cut. Or cut the bottom corner off.
i place tape on my table and mark the measurements i want and just place the end on the mark it ends up being faster for lots of tasks and things come out nicer
or cut a 45 degree notch out of the edge of the stop block..it will basically swallow the dust.
I learned this from woodworkweb
Important Tip: When squaring those ends, be sure to check for the staples that held on the tag. Even if there isn’t a tag, check anyway; the tag may have already fallen off.
True it's best, but 99% of blades are carbide and a thin staple should phase it.
@@biggstile ~Yep, but a 100mph staple fragment can go predictable places. I once had one sneak right under my safety glasses and fortunately imbed itself in the skin UNDER my eye. Bloody and not very pleasant - especially when the doc was tweezering it out.
@@biggstile Not so much a worry of what that staple will do to the blade as it is what that blade will do with the staple. As Jeff said, it could very well get shot out.
I recently had a small incident with mine. I was being careless and lazy and had to open some of that terrible plastic packaging. I was too lazy to go into the house for scissors or try to find my carpet knife, figured I was right there and my miter saw was plugged in....
Blade tore through that packaging like it wasn't even there... Which is what I intended. It did however catch a small piece of it that was already coming off from my previous attempt to open it and shot it back up at my face. And of course I wasn't wearing safety glasses at the time because I wasn't working currently.
Laziness and a fair bit of stupidity on my part came within an inch of possibly costing me my eye.
I’m not a pro, just a home user who makes stuff. This may not apply to everyone but..My tip is to purchase a sliding miter saw. I purchased my first miter saw thinking who needs the sliding one, save a few bucks. After a short time I regretted not purchasing the sliding miter saw and dealt for several years. For just a little more you can get the sliding. In fact I’d rather get a harbor freight sliding rather than a more expensive chop miter any day. Second tip, get a decent blade but no need to go high end for most. I use a Bauer or Hercules 60 tooth carbide tip and have been very pleased.
Been woodworking for a while and raising the board thing totally blew my mind
Totally agree. Never heard it before, but it's a brilliant no-brainer!
A friend shared this tip with me after I completed a project and complained how my saw could not cut the wide pieces for the table top. It was great information, even if it was a few days too late.
At work, we do something similar. Cut your piece, and then, tilt your wood piece and the blade up at the same rate, while pushing the piece of wood against the fence so it doesn't kick back at you.
Works well and is very quick. However, there is a little more danger when you do it like this compared to what Steve suggested.
+1 Figured out the other stuff on my own, or from experience cutting metal, but this one made watching the whole video worthwhile. One of those "why didn't I think of that?" moments. :)
You can also flip it over..
I recently picked up woodworking as a hobby again. One tip I learned, probably 35 years ago, was to make an "X" on the OFF piece.
That way, if I measured and marked several boards, and it wasn't obvious which side of the line I needed. The side without the "X" mark was the KEEPER.
I draw a small "V" or "check mark" when measuring. One line is perpendicular to the board (the cut) & the other line I tick off towards the "off cut" and most if not all is removed by the kerf.
I literally just today was struggling remembering which side was my off piece, thanks for the tip!
I was taught to do this too.
Ha! Funny. I was just about to leave the same comment. It’s become reflex for me, even if I’m only cutting a single board. Looks weird to me to see a board on the saw without the scrap side marked
@@heli400 Not sure if you do exactly the same as me, but my marks look like this: |
I normally agree with your tips, but skipping the end of a load of bread?!! That's the best part! 😀
THAT'S why you save them till last. Load those heels with some peanut butter and... I gotta go make a sandwich now.
"just like how to dig past the first few slices of bread to get to the GOOD bread" - Literally the most relatable thing I've ever heard in over 13 years of watching CZcams!
Upgrade Addiction Do not waste bread.
@@FulvioGa It's not a waste, Fulvio - you just save those pieces to go into the toaster where it doesn't matter if they are "fresh" or not... :)
@@FulvioGa not wasted. those pieces go to the "less worthy" family members.
@@Carl-LaFong1618 Oh that made me laugh!!
Old George Carlin line.
If your saw has a laser guide, be sure to calibrate it. The method I learned was to clamp a wide scrap onto the table and make a shallow cut - don't go all the way through. Then raise the blade back up and take a look at your cut. Is the laser shining into the slot cut by the blade? Keeping the piece clamped in place, use the adjustment screws to nudge the laser line so it meets up against one edge of the kerf. It will never be a perfect guide, but it's much more useful if you know exactly where it is relative to the cut.
I'm giving myself a gold star for having made each of those mistakes at least once ⭐ Your videos are coming in handy as I'm helping a friend get up to speed with basic woodworking. Thanks for another great video, Steve!
@Gordon Aitchison Yeah that's also the joy of posting from mobile while outside... Sometimes you miss the autocorrected mistakes that Android makes. At least it's good for flushing it the pedantic dicks who don't have anything to actually contribute to the world.
If you don't stop making such good videos I am going to max out my credit cards! Your woodworking tips are very helpful & informative. Keep those videos coming!
My tip: if you use a stop block, wait for the saw to stop *completely* before you lift the blade. The saw can grab and throw the piece trapped by the stop block, especially smaller pieces. It's dangerous and it can damage the wood.
That's what I was trying to say in a later post. ty Frank for explaining it better. Happened to me and had to buy a new blade.
I was chopping off some pieces today when my mind slipped and I raised the blade without letting it first stop. It took a huge chip out of the side of the wood and made the whole thing jolt!
Yes! I noticed how the block of wood jumped up a little bit in the video... I know Steve knows this because in his Weekend Woodworking and Powered Up classes he is careful to point this out. Is this a test to see if the safety police are paying attention? LOL... Once I absentmindedly lifted the blade using a stop-block, I did that once -- just *once* mind you! And learned how dangerous that is. It was a "Oh $#%*!!" moment as the cutoff piece violently shot out of the saw... I was lucky no damage was done, it could have been worse. This is no joking matter: For safety you have to wait for the saw to stop before lifting the blade up, don't be in a rush to save a few seconds; it's not a shortcut and it's not worth it.
Yes! You can see the risk of this at 2:25 in the video. If it doesn't just mar your wood, it could launch a piece like mad.
Stole my tip lol
Thanks, Steve!! Your vid has proven that one can really teach an old (78) dog new tricks! Keep ‘em coming!
Raise the wood up, brilliant idea!! And so simple... Thanks.
Thankyou VM S Rmsey, as ever, a big teacher for the world. Allí if Health for you , your family and country!
All the tips were good but the last one, about elevating the workpiece, was a great idea.
That last tip is brilliant
I use the "press end against saw blade" all the time for fine adjustments. There are actually TWO adjustments: for a slightly deeper end cut, push the MS blade down until the teeth are inside the base, then the wood will press against the disk. The lighter cut: leave the teeth exposed, set the wood end on the teeth. The amount of force against the blade will also give tiny variations in cut width. Most blades vibrate just a little, so the width of cut is a bit more than the edge of the teeth.
Letting the blade stop fully before lifting it up is a good tip and should be demonstrated in this video if I'm being pedantic. Love your work.
Thank you, those tips are great! Between a miter saw, router and track saw, - I’m finding that I don’t really need a table saw.
Steve, my two favs are screwing the 8 foot board to the back of the saw and using a pencil for small cuts. My left index finger thanks you. Keep these tips coming! Thanks so much!
I'm a Finish Carpenter, when using a stop block for repetitive cuts, it's good to dogear the bottom corner with a small 45 degree cut. That way the sawdust doesn't build up and affect the length of the stock your cutting.
Speaking of big box store lumber, a good tip is to always check the end of the board for staples that are holding tags, or the tag maybe gone and just the staple is left. I’ve even seen staples in the sides of boards in random locations. Save your blade and look over the whole piece before cutting.
THAT LAST TIP!!!! YES!!!!
I think the best thing about him is his charismatic way of teaching you all these tips.
I cannot tell you how many hundreds of hours I've spent on my miter saw making segmented bowls and yea... Thank you very much. Big game changer for me!
Thank you for the tips, just got my first saw. Direct and no BS. Subscribed
No long boring intro,. Straight to the point , great tips . Top man
Excellent - these are the best woodworking tips I've seen.
the last tip is the exact reason I opt for the sliding version as my first mitre saw.
I think it's better to mark the discard side of the cut while measuring, with a second line at a slight angle towards the discarded side. That way you don't have to remember on which side of the line to cut.
Why would anyone down vote this?? This guy is the man
I'm a REAL beginner, have never used a miter saw but I found your video extremely helpful. Thanks for sharing your knowledges 🙏👍
I love channels like this. Giving regular people the confidence to try some DIY in their home. Because when they screw things up i get to charge you to fix it. Keep up the advice
Just picked up my first power miter saw so these tips are very welcome.
This video should be included with every saw that is sold
I’ve been woodworking for a while and never saw the blade flex tip for micro-adjustments. Thanks for that!
The teeth of the blade usually set on the outside of the blade. It allows the blade not to bind when doing cuts.
A quality blade shouldn't flex much amd butting a board to the blade when it's down will allow you to cut just the saw set.
Hold blade down, slide piece up to blade, then lift blade, then make cut. Cuts off about 1/64". No blade bending.
I was taught this by a finish carpenter that did a lot of molding work. He got perfect joints by measuring once, cutting a little long, then sneaking up on it. When I did my flooring, I was often asked who did my molding work. I think it was because I had used this technique and it all looked so good.
That tip alone belongs in the woodworking hall of fame.
As the Chinese saying goes, "slowlee slowlee catchee monkee"
whenever I watch one of these videos from you I swear I spend the whole time going "aha! Brilliant! I love this guy! " Every single time! I do not exaggerate! Thank you! You single-handledly are making my life so much easier!
Well thank you! ❤️
All the tips I already knew...except that last one. I've used a miter saw for years, and have had my share of the "just too wide" cuts, but I NEVER thought of raising the piece on a scrap board. That will be useful in the future I'm sure.
Raising the wood a bit is a really good tip. Thanks! 😄
As a wood working teacher... You will definitely make me look more of a genius Infront of my class when I apply some of these tips.
Just got my first miter saw today and these tips are great!
Very good tips to know. Top tip. Raising the workpiece to broaden the cut! 👍
I wished I would have watched this months ago with I got my miter saw. Haha Thanks for sharing!! Very helpful!!
The last trick . never crossed my mind to rise the board . thats genius
thanks man reminded me of some things I should do
5:45 - That's a satisfying shot and a satisfying cut!
Man, the first slice of bread is the best:))
Started wood working few months ago. And out of everyone on the web to help wood workers. You are definitely the best. Keep up the great work
It's my first day to use miter saw😅, thank you so much for the useful tips. 🙏🙏🙏
As someone has just starting making sawdust in my garage, these were great tips. Thank you.
Raising the stock to make longer cuts! Awesome tip! Thanks
Ur tips are GR8 and I’ve been watching yours and other videos for almost a year now. (OCD?) I just started buying tools and supplies a few weeks ago (thank you Covid-19), and I’m still learning a lot before I start my first of many, many projects. Actually, I did se my recip saw on a fallen tree 😆. Thanks for your straight forward, easy to understand and follow videos.
Super useful! I just bought a Miter Saw just a couple days ago! I bought it at an auction for only $16.
Your remarks showed me clearly where one will find a piece of information out of books
The stop block is great and the consideration for eliminating saw dust buildup is wonderful. In a school setting students will lightly tap the block and slowly move it with just one and even two clamps. When we have done a “mass production” project (simple box as a time capsule) this was problematic. Solution = use 2-3 screws through the stop block into the fence (make a little longer piece and a triangular pattern). Check every so other for quality control.
He reminds me of Bill Nye, for woodworking :)
Hopefully Steve isn't confused by how many genders there, as Nye is.
slosol except that Steve is actually a real wood worker, unlike Bill who ain’t a real scientist.
Perfect description.
he talks exactly like Ty Burrell in Modern Family.
@Brandon S I like Bill Nye. He doesn't make absolutely everything in the world political like some people on the right do because they want to pick silly fights with liberals. Bill Nye just talks about science. Bill Nye the Good Gye. 🤣
I’ve had a circular saw for a few years now and maybe used it a handful of times. I recently bought my first miter saw, which I consider to be my first real power tool. I built a cart for it, using it. I couldn’t however for the life of me figure out how to set up a stop block for longer cuts. This was such a duh moment for me. I kept thinking I needed to build a whole miter station to achieve those results, but I’m not up to that in my tiny workshop build yet. Thank you for being amazing!
I love you for your tips! Annette, Germany
Used my Mitre saw three years never realise those holes were for an extending fence ty Great video
I ran downstairs immediately to check if the fence on my miter saw has holes to connect a straight board to it. Fortunately it does (but I would have drilled these holes myself if it hadn't). Great tips!
Thank you so much -- learned a lot! Great tips!
Rising the board just a bit to take advantage of more blade area is brilliant. Thank you so much Steve!
I want to add that this can work in combination with making your own miter saw tray. I have the same Ryobi miter saw that Steve has here and I've always had trouble handling big boards, so I decided to build a tray to solve several problems:
1) the tray has a zero clearance cut both on the bottom and back fence so I always get clean cuts.
2) I have roughly 24" of surface on each side of the blade to support boards, as opposed to the ~10 you get with the saw alone.
3) the tray has its own dust collection system, which consists of a simple mdf box built in the middle, to which I plug my vacuum and remove virtually all dust from the workspace when making cuts.
I consider this an essential upgrade to this and most miter saws I've seen, and it's a really fun project to custom build something; lots of trial and error and room for creativity. Can easily be done with scrap wood.
Great tips for miter saw skills! Love the safety aspect you talk about to help people use woodworking tools safely!
I found this video is useful for beginner like me!! Thank You!
Great comments Steve. You are DE MAN!!!!
This is what I call a Pure Protein Post. All content and no filler. Great Job!
When using an extended wooden fence, it's helpful if you cut a 1/8" x 1/8" (3 mm x 3 mm) rabbet on the bottom corner of the fence closest to you. The rabbet will help prevent sawdust from collecting against the fence itself, and throwing your measurements off.
@MoosinAround or just use the saw you would be standing at to cut a chamfer.
These tips are actually quite useful . Most videos on you tube claim to have useful info but fail to deliver. this video delivers.👍
Good tips for a mitre saw newbie! Thanks.
Nice miter saw tips Steve, thanks for the pointers.
Thank you SO MUCH for the advice on holding small pieces of wood. This was exactly what I was hoping to find on your channel.
Where has your channel been all my life, Steve?? Such incredible tips, thank you so much!!
Never thought about raising the board. Good info. Thanks Steve
Super tips, Santa delivered my first mitre saw & about to open it up & get it broken in. Many thanks, always enjoy your videos, so informative. keep it going! Happy new year from Madeira , Portugal.
As a DYEr I never knew any of these tricks and techniques. Thank you! Earned my subscription.
So so simplified. Thanks.
The raising the board tip at the end really does help! Just finished my first wood working project with my new table saw yesterday. Always been a big inspiration, thanks Steve!
Pretty awesome feeling ain't it? What'd you make?
@@jimm3370 I made floating shelf, pretty simple but I'm still getting used to my new saw.
Thank You, Thank You!! Big help to begin using saw effectively.
I just got my sliding mitre saw in today, very useful to watch this video. Thanks!
Thanks for this video. Love the fence extension!
Yet another amazing video that makes sense for pros and newbs alike.
My wife always yells at me for skipping the heels and going for the "good bread". I'll tell her this is a professional tip by Steve so it should be allowed.
Robert Wagner
I purposely do that. The heels keep the rest of the bread fresh. Like bookends😉
its not a sandwich if its nothing but crust
@Ken Fullman And I thought I was the only one to do this. 👍
Being of Irish descent we have aways called the bread the Heels A different topic altogether
I make a grill cheese sandwich with the heel in the middle with the cheese and fool my kids, they don't realize their eating the heel.
I've used a miter saw for years but I still learned something new today! (Particularly your very last tip) Thank you!
Hey Steve! You are my number one helpful woodworker on youtube! Ive been watching your videos since i became interested in woodworking back in highschool! I went to college for cabinetry and now i work quite part time out of my garage, creating! Thanks for all the help and inspiration!
Great video, useful, practical tips with to-the-point presentation. Exactly what I needed!
Thanks Steve! Learn a few more tricks today.
Steve, Thank you for the tips.
I am so thankful I found your channel. I have just started woodworking and I've learned so much from you. Also, thanks for also using metric, makes things easier for some of us
I love the term "sneak up on the cut"
Starting to love Woodworking and ALL those tips were awesome..
Will apply them all for sure.
Thank you very much.
Really great video.
I really needed this tip. I’ve always wondered how I could put a stop beyond the limit of my miter saw. Thanks
great tips ! I just started using a miter saw, and these suggestions are great! thank you!
Your videos are so good, Steve. Thank you.
The last tip raising up the work piece is great, thanks!
I really love to watch Steve’s videos very helpful
Thanks a lot