Miter saws will serve many uses in your shop since they are able to perform more advanced cuts with ease. The type of miter saw you choose to purchase will depend upon which type of work you plan on doing.
Here we will take you through miter saw uses, the applications of sliding miter saws, compound miter saws, dual-bevel compound miter saws, and standard power miter saws.
We will even throw in a couple of tricks of the trade to help you maximize the potential of your miter saw.
Are you looking for some general information on miter saws or other tools? Check out our complete resource guides on Miter Saws, Table Saws, Chainsaws, Band Saws and Circular Saws. These guides have all the information you need. You will be able to find history, the different types of the tool, top brand sold, and more!
Table of contents
Sliding Miter Saw Uses
People use the sliding miter saw primarily to cut pieces of wood at 90 degree angles. Many sliding miter saws will have a rotating table for the purpose of cutting varying angles.
In some instances, there will be a locking device in the table, you can see this in this video.
- You will see that you can angle the blade to the side. Angling the blade and the table at the same time allows users to make compound cuts. These features will give you the opportunity to make crown moldings with a sliding miter saw.
- Also, because the blade arm swings and slides, you will be able to cut wider boards than you would be able to with a basic miter saw with a rotating blade arm.
- Sliding miter saws are well-suited for making partial-depth cuts such as dados and rabbets. Check out this guide for cutting accurate joints for outdoor projects.
We recommend using a miter saw to make quick dado cuts, you can view this in the video. The woodworking expert in the video is taking advantage of one of the features we like in sliding compound miter saws such as the Festool 561287 Kapex KS 120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw.
This saw has a lever to control blade depth, which means:
- You will then be able to perform dado cuts on the by first making the cuts at the marked lines to ensure consistent depth.
- Then you will come back to each dado cut and clear out material between marked lines
The dado cuts you make will be suitable for making dado joints in cabinets and bookshelves, among other applications.
Double Bevel Compound Miter Saw Uses
The double-bevel compound miter saw removes your need to turn your work upside down, as you would have to do if you were utilizing the sliding miter saw’s one-way tilt to cut bevels.
The double-bevel compound miter saw has a design thats great for professional contractors. We recommend the double-bevel compound saw for use in:
- Decorative trim work
- Crown moldings
- Picture Frames
The feature on dual bevel compound saws that allows you to make bevel cuts into crown moldings without having to flip your work over also allows you to:
- Cut odd angles on furniture legs
- Cut odd angles on support braces
You can view some of the top-rated dual-bevel compound saws on the market.
Before investing in a dual-bevel miter saw we recommend you consider how much you will need to use the dual bevel feature. There are methods that will allow you to make such cuts on other miter saws, as long as you do not need to perform this task too frequently.
Dual bevel saws are particularly recommended for woodworking professionals and others who will need to make cuts to decorative trim work and crown molding frequently.
Compound Miter Saw Uses
Compound miter saws can complete both miter and bevel cuts with a single cut. The blades on compound miter saws pivot left and right for angled cuts.
Unlike the double bevel compound miter saw, the compound miter saw only tilts in one direction for bevel cuts. This will not be too much of an issue if you do not have perform decorative trim work or cut crown moldings often.
The compound miter saw offers the advantage of making compound cuts in one pass.
The compound miter saw is useful for:
- Crown moldings
- Picture frames
- Anything that requires angled cuts in two planes
Compound miter saws can also handle miter cuts with wider boards or stock than standard miter saws can because the board can lay flat.
You can view the top-rated compound market saws available on the market.
Power Miter Saw Uses
The standard power miter saw is the most affordable of miter saws. But don’t let its price tag fool you; its wide uses will still make it a valuable piece of equipment in your shop.
Most of your work will only require you to make simple crosscuts to boards. You will have no trouble performing this task with a basic power miter saw.
You will also be able to make simple miter cuts, which are angled cuts across the face of the board, are the types of cuts you will use when making picture frames or trimming out a door or window.
The compound angles in crown molding can make cutting miters in them difficult. However there is a method to completing this task without even having to use a compound miter saw.
This can help you save a few bucks by not having to buy a sliding, or compound miter saw, particularly if you do not need to make compound cuts often.
If you have a standard miter saw, cut the molding upside down
- This cut will be easier for you to perform if you make a “jig” to help you hold your board in place
- The “jig” consists of a couple of scrap pieces of hardwood adhered to the nonmoving portions of the saw table. You can view this here.
- This video is also a good resource to see what we are talking about.
Wrap-Up
As you can see, the applications of these saws are pretty similar. They are all capable of miter and bevel cuts and will do a great job on your molding. A big difference is the width of the board they’re able to handle, which dictates what kind of projects you can do.
Are you looking for more guides on miter saws? Check out some of our most popular guides, Best Ryobi Miter Saw 2019: Which One Should You Buy?, Home Depot Miter Saws Buying Guide: Our Top Picks, Best Chicago Electric Miter Saw – Buyer’s Guide, Best Bosch Miter Saw: See Our Top 3 Picks, and Miter Saw – Everything You Need To Know.
