# Miter saw vs. Table saw Question



## Greeneyedeagle (Feb 15, 2009)

Ok... I built a sled for my small table saw and thought it would be a lot more safe if I got a sliding miter saw to cut things wider than my regular 10" miter saw would cut. But now I'm finding that after very carefully setting up the saw, adjusting the fence, compound angle etc.... to make sure that I have a 90 degree cut both ways... I'm finding that even the slightest pressure down on the handle of the saw changes the angle just a hair and I'm not getting consistant cuts. I'm having to run them through my router table to square everything up.

Should I just stick to the sled on the table saw or maybe get a 12" miter saw that doesn't slide, to cut the width boards that I usually use which is 7.5" wide?



Thanks for your comments

Palmer


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## Birchwood (May 13, 2005)

Greeneyedeagle said:


> Ok... I built a sled for my small table saw and thought it would be a lot more safe if I got a sliding miter saw to cut things wider than my regular 10" miter saw would cut. But now I'm finding that after very carefully setting up the saw, adjusting the fence, compound angle etc.... to make sure that I have a 90 degree cut both ways... I'm finding that even the slightest pressure down on the handle of the saw changes the angle just a hair and I'm not getting consistant cuts. I'm having to run them through my router table to square everything up.
> 
> Should I just stick to the sled on the table saw or maybe get a 12" miter saw that doesn't slide, to cut the width boards that I usually use which is 7.5" wide?
> 
> ...


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Hi Palmer,

Double check to make sure it's truly aligned. Also, check to see if something has come loose. You shouldn't be getting any kind of movement. You might also want to check the blade.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Greeneyedeagle you just hit upon one difference of a great saw from a good or poor saw. 

You are correct pulling on the handle should not change the angle of the saw. It may be a flaw in the saw and many of the saws exhibit it. Some would not notice others like you notice becasue you are doing precision work. Check your saw model on the web see if people have made a work around, possibly it is not just your saw, but the model that has this as a general problem.


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

It's tough to get exactly 90.0000° on any saw, but you should be close. I'd agree that something may be off just a smidgen with the set-up, resulting in the variation you're seeing.

For tuning boards _precisely_ to length and square, I use a shooting board and a hand plane.


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## Greeneyedeagle (Feb 15, 2009)

I have checked the set up many times. I can lay a 12x12 metal square on the saw table and against the fence and push down on the handle and it will just barely touch the square. Slowly pull the handle while in the down position and it barely touches at it max sliding length. But if I apply a bit more pressure to one side or the other of the handle, as I might be doing as its cutting the wood, the blade will not go down beside the square and just barley touch as it did before. Its like more pressure makes the motor head twist to the left as pressure is appied to the right hand side of the handle. 
My 10" craftsman has been great and this is the new 7.25 sliding craftsman. I've tried the normal 40 tooth blade and even bought a thin kerf freud finishing blade..same results. I know that I should have a negative tooth angle for the sliding saws but its hard to find a good one in the 7.25 size.
I feel like the ole small table saw/ sled is better... and I should sell both miters and get a 12" miter instead.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Greeneyed Eagle,
You don't mention whether you're using the saw as a chop saw or in a miter bevel capacity.

The difference being this, 

Chop saw motion, pulling blade down onto stock. If you're using it in a chop motion the saw, for accuracy "should" be retracted to the fence and then locked in place. From this point you can cut 90° or swing the saw for whatever miter the saw is capable of.

Bevel/compound cuts, reorienting the blade from 90° vertical to whatever angle the saw provides. If you're making a bevel or compound cut the blade should be locked in the down position and pushed through the stock as if it is a TS.

Regardless of whether you have the contemporary 1" diam. dual bars or like the old 12" Maks one big honkin piece of pipe you create big time horizontal/rotational torque on the bars chopping through stock. The thicker the stock the greater the stress, to compound the error, (pun intended) you add miter and bevel angles to the stress. Maybe add extra foam to your latte by plunging at the full extension of the bars/rails. Oh one more thing, thin kerf blades deform quite easy with lateral stress.


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## Barry99 (Feb 10, 2009)

Palmer,

One thing I found that I was doing wrong with mt cuts, I did not stop the saw after I made my cut. I don't know if thats the case with your problem, but thought I would throw it out there incase.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Sounds like it's something inherent in the saw.
Just like a radial arm saw, there is going to be slop.
What model saw is it?


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## Fourleftpaws (Feb 12, 2007)

I was having somewhat the same problem as Palmer. My cuts on my miter saw were not as true as my cuts on my table saw. I spent about two hours making sure that the miter saw was at a true 90 degree with the base. Everything seemed okay - but the cuts are still somewhat off. One thing that my miter saw has - when you grab the blade (power off of course) there seems to be a slight movement (very slight) from side to side. I began wondering if this was causing my problem. Was the shaft inside the motor off somewhat? I then made a trip to Lowes and Home Depot - every saw that both of these box stores had - have the same movement in the blade. I suspect that this may have something to do with the friction between the motor and the blade (?) anyhow after all the work - the miter saw still does not cut like the table saw - my resolve is to use the miter saw for cuts that need less accuracy and for cutting lumber to length - for right on accuracy - my table saw and the sled make all cuts perfect. If you have both saws - why not use them in the manner that provides the best accuracy for what your working on. Also as Barry stated - stopping the blade before you remove your lumber will help - both for a more accurate cut and for safety. On the issue of the thin kerf blades - if I am not using a Blade Stabilizer on my 12" miter saw blade and table saw blade - I swear I can see movement in that thin blade - and I am using pretty expensive Freud blades.


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## Greeneyedeagle (Feb 15, 2009)

I really thought that a sliding miter would have been very accurate on 90 degree cuts but then again...a table saw has no moving parts other than the blade so.....


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Greeneyedeagle said:


> I really thought that a sliding miter would have been very accurate on 90 degree cuts but then again...a table saw has no moving parts other than the blade so.....


Accuracy is relative. For a crosscut/miter sled to slide in the miter track, there has to be some play within the track.


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## crquack (Oct 10, 2008)

> You are correct pulling on the handle should not change the angle of the saw. It may be a flaw in the saw and many of the saws exhibit it. Some would not notice others like you notice becasue you are doing precision work. Check your saw model on the web see if people have made a work around, possibly it is not just your saw, but the model that has this as a general problem.


I will second that. In some saw the sliding mechanism is inherently less rigid.
King=poor
Bosch=much better


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Makita = fantastic
Milwaukee = fantastic
Festool Kapex = fantastic


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