Quick, accurate crosscuts, miters, bevel cuts and more — you’ll find the the “slider” to be an extremely versatile tool in a compact package.
The early miter saws (called “chop” saws) were a very handy addition to the “tool box” of contractors and carpenters. But they never really found a valuable niche in most woodworking shops. Well, I’ve found that the versatility of the sliding compound miter saw is a good reason to change that notion. With a “slider,” you can have a compact, portable tool that combines many of the functions of both a radial arm saw and a table saw.
BIG STEP.
The current evolutionary step for the miter saw is a big one. Just like the compound miter saw that preceded it, the blade can be angled in either direction, as well as tilted to make bevel cuts. But the slider borrows a trick from the radial arm saw. The motor and blade slide on a track. So you’re no longer limited to a simple up and down chop cut. The blade can be lowered and drawn across the workpiece to make crosscuts, miters, and bevel cuts.
The biggest advantage to this improvement is increased capacity of cut. A 10" compound miter saw will crosscut a 2x6 or miter a 2x4 at 45°. Compare this to a 10" slider that can crosscut a 2x12 or miter a 2x8. This is double the capacity, and more than enough to handle many of the routine cuts you’ll make when building a project.
However, the main selling point to me is the convenience and ease of use. Unlike using a table saw, the workpiece is held stationary against the fence, so control is very easy. You can quickly position a piece and make a cut without sacrificing accuracy or quality. And if you can get past the cost of a slider ($500 to $600) I don’t think you’ll have any trouble finding a hundred and one ways to put it to use.
THE BASICS.
As with any tool, to get the best use from it, you need to familiarize yourself with all its features and the basics of its operation. This will give you a good, general idea of how a slider is set up and some of the most common features you’ll find on many saws.
ANGLE AND TILT.
Of course, the way a slider works is really the key point here. And this starts with the two-way adjustability of the blade.
On most models, the blade can be angled from 0° to between 45° and 50° to the left or the right, as shown in the upper left drawing. Detents lock the blade at standard angles so crosscuts and standard miter cuts are a simple matter.
The blade can also be tilted to 45° in both directions (upper right drawing). This allows you to make bevel miter cuts on wider workpieces, as well as the compound miter cuts sometimes needed to install crown molding.
SLIDE OR CHOP.
A slider also gives you a choice of two cutting actions. When convenient, a slider can be used like a miter saw to make a quick, chopping cut. For smaller workpieces, this is a good option.
But the real advantage lies in being able to cut workpieces with a smooth, sliding cut, as shown in the lower left drawing. This gives you much more capacity and can often lead to a better quality cut.
PULL AND PUSH.
The first thing you need to master to get the most from a slider is the technique used for a basic sliding cut. Then the following pages will add a few advanced tips and techniques.
Whether you’re making a square, miter, or bevel sliding cut, the technique is the same. This is shown in the lower right drawing. Start by pulling the carriage forward above the workpiece in the raised position. Then turn the saw on, lower the blade, and push it through the cut. When the cut is complete, release the switch and hold the saw in position until the blade stops turning.
Pushing the blade through the workpiece, rather than pulling it, gives you greater control and a cleaner cut. While you’re pushing the spinning blade through the cut, its force is pushing the workpiece.
Shop Tip: Negative Hook Angle
A blade specifically designed for use on a sliding miter saw will give you the best performance. The blade shown at right is a 60-tooth, thin-kerf model. But the most important feature of this blade is the negative 5° hook angle of the alternating top bevel teeth. This makes the blade much less likely to “grab” during a cut and will produce a smoother, chip-free edge.
SLIDER TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Now let’s look at a few basic tips and techniques that make the slider such a versatile tool.
FIRST, A SOLID SETUP.
I’ll start with a simple but very helpful tip. To use a slider safely and get good results, the saw needs to be attached to a solid, stable surface. If you have the space for it, a dedicated station with auxiliary tables and fence is ideal (main photo). A small station still gives you portability, while making the saw much more convenient to use. You’ll find plans for a handy, easy-to-build miter saw station on our website.
CUTTING TO A LINE.
Now we can start talking technique. One thing you’ll frequently use your slider for is making an accurate cut to a line or layout mark. And there’s a trick to this that makes the job quicker, easier, and more accurate.
The top drawings at right illustrate the technique. The idea is to sneak up on the layout line with a series of shallow “nicks” before making a full cut. This allows you to make one accurate cut right on the line in place of making a “rough” cut and then trimming to the line.
A TRIM CUT.
When you need to shave a very small amount off the end of a workpiece, the two lower drawings above illustrate a good tip.
With the saw off, lower the blade and butt the workpiece against it using light pressure. Now raise the blade holding the workpiece in place. The slight deflection of the blade caused by pushing the workpiece against it will result in a very light trim by the following cut.
MITERS.
Accurate miter cuts are a slider’s strong suit. And the best part is there are two ways to get the job done. You can either angle the blade or tilt the blade.
When the width of the piece allows it, the easier method is to angle the blade and stand the piece on edge (left drawing below). You simply have easier control. A bevel miter on a wide piece can be cut with the blade tilted and the workpiece held flat (right drawing below). The shop tip on the opposite page shows how to handle “acute” miter cuts.
HOLD-DOWN.
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| When making a miter or bevel cut, a hold-down will prevent the workpiece from creeping. |
The technique used for miter cuts is identical to that used to make crosscuts. Pull the blade over, lower it, and then push it through. But when making a miter cut, the workpiece can be harder to control. Since the force of the cut is no longer directed straight back at the fence, the likelihood of the piece “wandering” is greater. You can avoid this by using a hold-down or clamp to keep the workpiece in place.
STOPS AND SHORT PIECES.
Stops can be very useful for accurately cutting pieces to length. This usually involves clamping a stop to an auxiliary fence attached to the saw. This allows you to cut multiples quickly and accurately.
The two drawings here show a stop block setup for safely and quickly cutting multiple short pieces to length. The trick here is to use a stop block along with a spacer. The stop block and spacer are positioned to the “cutoff” side of the blade and used to gauge the length of the cutoff. Before the cut is made, the spacer is removed. This way the cutoff is not trapped between the blade and the stop.
COMPOUND MITERS.
Sliders owe their existence to the more complex cuts needed to install crown moldings and other trim. And they can make these cuts much easier to perform. There are actually two ways to make the miter cuts needed to fit crown molding. The drawings below show the options. The easiest way to get an accurate miter is to cut the molding “in place” (left drawing).
This means the piece is angled between the table and fence in the same way it will be installed. (The molding is actually oriented in the saw upside down.)
Some moldings are too wide to cut this way. So the second option is to lay the molding flat on the table and adjust the saw to make a compound cut (right drawing). This means that the blade is both angled and tilted. The exact angles you use depend upon the type of crown molding you’re working with.
A slider is a handy addition to any shop. And once you own one of these versatile saws, I’ll guarantee you won’t want to give it up.
Shop Tip: Acute Angle Jig
If you need to make an acute miter cut (greater than the 45° capacity of the saw), you’ll want to use a jig like the one shown in the photo. Never try to make a cut like this “freehand.” The jig is made with the two faces meeting at a 30° angle. This extra 30° allows you make miter cuts of up to 75°. When using the jig, you should always clamp it securely to the saw fence (or auxiliary fence) and also use a clamp to hold the workpiece in place.
MITER SAW SAFETY
- Always wear safety glasses and hearing protection.
- Keep the blade guard in place and operating properly.
- Your hands should never be near the spinning blade. When necessary, use a hold-down or clamp to avoid this.
- Make certain the angle lock, tilt lock, or any other adjustable part is tightened down securely before making a cut.
- The workpiece should always be well supported and held firmly against the fence and table.
