Photo: sskennel / Flickr

Mitre saws are easy to use, and they’re invaluable when it comes to making accurate cuts in a piece of wood at specific angles. If you’re a beginner in the world of saws, fear not – just read on to find out all about how to use a compound mitre saw, and how to buy one.

Cutting edge

Using the saw is simple, and basically involves putting the stock in place, setting the saw’s angle, and letting it do the work. The wood is placed on a flat surface and the mitre saw – which could be described as a round saw on a moveable arm – is lowered onto the wood to slice the angle. Before you lower the saw, though, you’ll do what using a compound mitre saw allows: you’ll set both the angle and the bevel of the cut that you’re going to make.

A sliding scale

Photo: sandover / Flickr

If you don’t mind spending more, a sliding arm option is a good addition to your mitre saw. This feature will allow you to push the mitre saw deeper into a piece of wood, and so you’ll be able to cut larger pieces of wood than would be possible with a standard mitre saw.

What to look for

When shopping for a mitre saw, make sure that it has hard stops at 0, 15, 22.5, 30 and 45-degrees. Ideally you’ll want to be able to do this in both directions, so if your budget allows you should go for a double-bevel saw. It should also be able to be adjusted to any specific mitre set by the user, and you may find it useful to purchase a laser light that can be attached to the saw to show you exactly where it’ll cut. An eight-inch saw is usually the ideal size for most jobs, but your decisions should be based on your own needs and preferences.