Hopefully by now you have read through the mitre saw reviews and you have a good idea of which model suits you. Here is a bit of information on how most mitre saws (also known as chop saws or drop saws) work. They all have their differences, but as an overview this should help.
So, you have come across a job in the house that is going to need some pretty good wood working skills or there is a lot of wood to cut. You have tried doing the job with a hand saw but the results are disastrous, one of your friends has recommended power mitre saws but how do they actually work? Well, they are a brilliant tool that allows you to work quickly and achieve high quality angled cuts for a nice finish without being a carpenter.
What Do They Cut?
Mitre saws can be used for cutting wood, plastic and other materials that a conventional saw would cut. Most people buy them to help out with wood working projects inside and outside. They are brilliant for cutting skirting boards or door surrounds and other small bits of wood that will be on show and are used to give the property a nice finish. The tight angles that are hard to achieve with a hand saw are a breeze for chop saws and with the laser guides and accurate angle adjustment you should be able to fly through jobs that look quite daunting!
How Does It Cut?
The way a mitre saw cuts is simple! You quickly set it to the angle that you wish to cut your material. The material is then clamped into place securely so that it cannot move. Then it is just a case of switching the saw on and pulling the blade down through the wood. Once you have cut through the wood, the blade is pulled back up and the job is done! The blade spins very fast and cuts through wood with ease giving a very clean cut and accurate angles. As the body of the power mitre saw is very rigid there is no room for moving the saw about when you cut, it is a simple up and down motion with no deviation from the angle you set. Any angle cut with a hand saw will always have an element of deviation which is why mitre saws are so impressive.
Safety Covers
This is a really important part of how a chop saw works. The blade spins very fast and is capable of cutting through large bits of wood with ease. We all need to be aware and concentrate when using one as they could leave you with a nasty injury. To help avoid this the manufacturers have a safety cover that goes over the blade when it is pulled up from cutting the wood. It is a very impressive feature, when the saw is switched on the safety cover surrounds the spinning blade and as you push the saw down it uncovers the blade to cut the wood.
Where To Use Them
Any power tool should be treated with care and caution and power mitre saws are no exception. Make sure that you have a clear space, preferably a work bench, where the saw can be put down securely and won’t move. The space needs to be big enough to give you plenty of room to move around freely and also big enough to comfortably fit the materials you are working on. Don’t place the saw in the middle of a pile of materials that you could trip over while you are cutting. Preparation for a job is everything. The better space you have to cut, the higher quality finish you will get and the faster the cuts will be done.
Accurate Cutting
One of the main features of mitre saws is the accuracy of the cut. When we are working on a job and think walls are straight and absolutely square we are often surprised when the angles are measured. The mitre saw can be adjusted to a very accurate angle and locked into place to ensure that the cut is spot on. The more expensive the saw, the more accurate and more robust the measuring device is likely to be. Another major factor in the accuracy is the body of the saw, the more expensive saws have very rigid bodies that mean when the saw is pulled down there is not even a fraction of a millimetre movement in the blade angle. Cutting once not twice saves a huge amount of time and means you don’t have to be an expert to get the angle correct.
Fast Cutting
For a lot of us, the speed of a job is important and the mitre saw certainly assists in this area. If you are working on a DIY project, you may have limited time and a lot of wood to cut accurately. You can whip through the job with one of these tools. For tradesmen, time is money! The more wood that you can cut and fit, the more profit you will make, so mitre saws are actually making you money as you work!
Power Source
All of the power mitre saws we have mentioned are powered by standard UK mains electricity. They have a plug that can be directly plugged into the wall or plugged into an extension lead. Most mitre saws run off mains electric but you can purchase some that have a lithium ion battery to power the unit. The more powerful saws can run the battery down pretty quickly and you have to remember to keep them charged! Ideally they are run from a mains power source to avoid any power issues.
In Summary
Basically, the power mitre saw is a fast way of cutting wood that needs accurate angles. Used a lot for small pieces of wood around the house it is a tool that will speed up jobs and save you a vast amount of time. The operation of these saws is very simple and quick to master so even the most novice user should have no problems.
With all saws you should read the specific guide lines that come with them for the operation of the saw as they all come with slightly different features.
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