Set the miter
gauge perfectly
square to the
blade
The key to accurate right-angle
cuts is to square up the miter
gauge to the saw blade. Don’t trust the
angle indicators on the gauge; they’re
far too sloppy. Instead, go to an art supply
or woodworking store and buy a 45-
degree drafting triangle. Set one side
against the blade and align the gauge to
the other side (Photo 1). Be sure the
side of the triangle against the blade
falls between the teeth tight to the blade
“plate.” For greater accuracy, have the
blade cranked all the way up so you’re
squaring to the widest part of the blade.
Choose a straight 1x2 or 1x3 board at
least 12 in. long for the extension fence
(Photo 2). Sometimes you’ll need a
longer fence, but more on this later.
Screw the fence to the miter gauge with
the right side projecting a few inches
past the saw blade. All miter gauges
have a pair of screw holes or slots for
this purpose. Choose screws short
enough so they don’t penetrate all the
way through the wood.
Photos 4 and 5 show you how to test
the accuracy of and fine-tune your
miter gauge setting.
You’ll find
that even
tiny adjustments
have
a big effect.
TIP
Raise the blade all
the way and hold a
combination square
vertically against
the blade and the
saw table. Adjust
the blade tilt as necessary.
Don’t trust
the saw’s tilt angle
indicator. Ours was
off by two full
degrees.
Click Image to enlarge.
1. Loosen the handle on the miter gauge and square it to the saw blade with a
drafting square, then retighten the handle.
2. Screw an extension fence to the
miter gauge from the back side.
3. Start the saw and cut off the end of
the extension fence.
4. Hold a 4-in.-wide test piece against
the fence, start the saw and push the
wood through the blade. Shut off the
saw and remove the two halves.
5. Flip one half over and butt the cut
edges together against the rip fence.
A gap shows that the miter gauge is
slightly off. Adjust it and retest.
Make precise square cuts
To make precise square cuts, start by rough-cutting long
boards a few inches longer than the final length, with either
a circular or a miter saw. (Boards longer than 4 ft. are awkward
to cut on a table saw.) Then raise or lower the blade so it’s about
1/8 in. higher than the board’s thickness. Position the factory
end of the board just past the end of the extension fence so the
blade will just shave it, and then start the saw. Always recut factory ends; they’re rarely perfectly square. Hold the board snug
against the fence and slowly push it through the blade.After each
cut, slide the board away from the blade and turn off the saw
before you remove cutoff pieces.
Now mark the exact length at the other end and align that
mark with the end of the extension fence (Photo 1). Then make
the final cut.
1. Mark the board for length and align
the mark with the end of the extension
fence.
2. Start the saw, hold the board firmly
against the fence and push the board
completely past the saw blade.
3. Pull the board away from the blade,
then shut off the saw and remove
the cutoff piece from the other side.
Make accurate 45-degree miter cuts
Perfect miters are almost as easy as
crosscuts. Start by setting the miter
gauge to 45 degrees (Photo 1) using
the techniques we showed above.
Mount an extension fence, moving it
toward the blade far enough to cut
the end at a 45-degree angle (Photo
2). Then make the fine cuts on your
material. Hold your material very
tight; the saw blade will try to pull it off
line. In general, it’s best to make all your
miter cuts first, and then any square cuts
at the opposite end, where it’s easier to be
accurate.
For the kind of extreme accuracy needed
for complete squares such as picture
frames, cut two test boards, push the
miters tightly together and check the
assembly with a drafting square. If it’s not
perfect, adjust the miter gauge and repeat.
Again, it only takes very small adjustments
to make big differences.
1. Raise
the blade and
set the miter
gauge to 45
degrees, using the
drafting square.
Then mount an
extension fence to
the miter gauge as
shown in Photos 2
and 3, above.
Click Image to enlarge.
2. Hold the board very firmly against the fence and push the
board through the blade to make the cut.
Cut long boards
with support
Any board much over 4 ft. long is tougher to cut accurately
because the table on the saw will no longer support it. As
you struggle to keep it flat on the table, it often binds in the blade.
Clamp a piece of plywood or closet shelving (the slippery edge
helps the wood slide) to the top of a sawhorse. To adjust the height
of the support board, hold a level or a straightedge flat to the table
until the board is even with the table top. Resist the temptation to
have a buddy support the other end while you push it through the
blade. That’s dangerous. Avoid that dicey human element.
Click Image to enlarge.
Clamp a straight length of plywood to the side of a sawhorse
level with the saw table. Support one end of long boards on the
plywood edge while you crosscut them.
Perfect crosscuts
on thick stock
Cutting newel posts, table legs or other thick stock to
length has to be done in two steps. Set up your fence
exactly as before. A higher fence, at least two-thirds the
thickness of the wood, gives better support. Then the trick
is to make a first cut halfway through and flip the wood
over to finish the cut.
With this technique, the blade guard will block the wood
from going all the way through the blade. You’ll have to
remove it for this task, so cut with caution. Be sure to keep
your fingers well away from the blade while you make the
cuts.
Click Image to enlarge.
Raise the blade to cut just over halfway through the post.
Make one pass, then flip the post over and align the saw
kerf with the end of the fence and complete the cut.
Make multiple, identical cuts
When you’re building a cabinet, a piece of furniture or
nearly any other project, just about every component
will need a matching partner (or several partners) of identical
length. The trick is to cut the first board at exactly the right
length and then use it to establish a stop block to cut all the others.
Here are two techniques for that process, one for short
boards and the other for long ones.
Short boards
If boards will be shorter than 18 in. or so, it’s best to use a slightly
longer extension fence and clamp a stop block to the fence
(Photo 1). Cut a slight angle on the stop block. That’ll keep sawdust from accumulating between the block and the board.
Sawdust buildup will result in boards that are just a wee bit on
the short side.
Long boards
It’s impractical to have an unwieldy extra-long fence to cut long
identical boards. Instead, clamp a secondary fence above the
boards and clamp a stop block on the end of that fence as shown
in Photo 2. Select extension fence stock that’s tall enough
to handle both the thickness of the board and the clamp for the
secondary fence. A 1-1/2-in. x 3/4-in. board works well for the
secondary fence.
Click Image to enlarge.
1. Cut a board to the exact length, align one end with the
fence end and clamp an angled stop block to the fence.
Push each board against the stop block and make the cut.
Click Image to enlarge.
2. Clamp a stop block on the end of a long secondary fence.
Adjust the position of the secondary fence and clamp it to
the extension fence. Then cut long boards to length.
Safety tips
The table saw is arguably the most
dangerous power tool in the shop
even when you're using it for crosscutting.
Here are a few tips to keep
you as safe as possible.
• Always unplug the saw when you're
squaring up the blade with a drafting
square (Photo 1, "Set the miter gauge perfectly square to the blade", above).
• Make sure the safety guard support
lines up with the blade. There are
adjustments on all guards. If it's not
lined up, boards can get hung up on
the support right in the middle of a
cut.
• It's OK to just shave a little from
the end of a board. But avoid cutoffs
that are shorter than 2 in. The
blade will often catch shorter cutoffs
and send them flying.
• Never use the table saw rip
fence as a guide for cutting
wood to length. The wood will
become trapped between the
fence and the saw blade and
pose a serious kickback hazard.
Editor's Note:
You don’t need to use a stationary table saw like
we show to make nice crosscuts. An ordinary
portable table saw will do just fine for most cuts.
The size of the material you can cut will be limited
by the size of the table and the distance from the
saw blade to the miter gauge. However, make sure
to anchor the saw securely when you’re cutting
long or heavy material.
