For many people, woodwork is a hobby. It helps them take a break from monotonous life. It also saves a cost of repairing or buying from a professional.
Whether to meet his hobby or to save cost for household materials or if he wants to do woodwork professionally, a person needs to invest carefully in his instruments. Buying the right instruments pays off big time when you achieve the finesse you want to achieve in your work.
And no other instruments perform wood cutting miracles like Miter saws. A miter saw is a sophisticated tool, which enables the user to meticulously shape his wood. It is a basic component in any woodworking station. Buying a miter saw could be the most important investment you will make in your woodworking.
In this article, we will discuss the miter saw and the things you need to look out for before you buy one.
Why you need a miter saw
Miter saws are essentially electrical round saws. They are used to cut woods into various shapes. Raw processing, such as- square or round pieces from stock wood are mostly done by Miter saws.
Miter saws have complicated use in creating angles for furniture, such as- picture frames, window or door frames, furniture, or even decks. The angles you see on your chair or on that door, or the favorite photo frame holding the picture of your loved ones, were probably made using one of the miter saws.
Sometimes, the furniture requires small wood pieces, for shaping convenience or aesthetics. Miter saws are handy when it comes to creating such small and precise cuts of wood.
So, the miter saw is a very powerful tool for woodworking. Which is why- what needs to happen is you need to have all the information you need before buying a miter saw.
Size of the blade
Typically, miter saw blades come in two sizes. The 10-inch size and the 12-inch size. It really depends on your choice and the type of work you want to accomplish, but the 10 inch one is more convenient compared to the 12 inch. We are going to discuss both types to make it easier for you to choose from.
The 10 inch types are best for light work. It is convenient for many reasons. Not only because the smaller size of the blade means it’s more economical, but smaller blade size also means sharpening it will not be a hassle for you. The smaller breadth of the blade means it will take less power to operate – lowering your electric bill.? You get more rotation per minute using the same amount of power.
The 12-inch types might be convenient for you, if you are into heavy stuff. The blades are bigger. Larger blade means more depth of cut than the 10-inch ones. It does consume a lot more power, but that power is converted into more efficient woodcutting. Bigger teeth means more precise cuts. Thick materials need a 12-inch miter to get the trick done properly. Tasks like deck building require these bigger 12-inch precision saws.
Buying a miter saw accompanied by laser guide
A laser is a ray of light that can be directed on to a path or on a surface. Laser lights can really help you with wood cutting. Traditionally we use pencil or marker for marking the path we want to cut on. But it creates some problems.
The ink sometimes won’t come off and leave a nasty mark. Which will either destroy the aesthetic of the furniture you are trying to build or will require a lot of work to cover up later. On the other hand, it’s not always accurate.
A laser guidance system eliminates these inefficiencies. It leaves no stain and the guiding system is pinpoint accurate. There are two things you need to keep in mind while buying laser-guided saws.
First, there will be some little extra power consumption due to the laser. Second and most importantly, lasers aren’t much effective in the presence of other lights. This is why laser-guided miter saw systems will have to be set up indoors for you to reap its full benefit.
Sliding or compounding saws: which one is better?
Just like the size of the blade, this again depends on your taste. There are two types of setting the compound and the sliding setting. Each offers a distinct type of function. We are going to lay it out in front of you.
Compound saws are perfect for smaller tasks. If you are cutting wood for an angle or creating some crown molding, compound miter saws are your best choice. These saws can pivot left and right – that makes them perfect for creating these shapes.
A sliding saw can move forwards and backward. It can also move left and right like the compound saws. Having both of these features will make the tool expensive. Having the function of moving forward and backward means, they can change the length of the cut. These types of saws can cut up to 16-inch thick wood. These are perfect for log shaping, lumber, and board cutting.
Where can you buy them
Usually, hardware stores are the perfect place to buy them. You can choose an item according to your preference and double-check if it has faults.
But online buying is convenient too. Especially considering the lockdown situation around us due to the coronavirus pandemic. You might want to do something productive in this long vacation, and you can do so by ordering online from sites like Amazon.
If you are a woodworking fan or have a random habit of doing occasional woodwork, you will need the proper equipment to get started on a project. A very handy tool in this regard could be the miter saw. But if you don’t buy the correct one for yourself, you might have adjustment problems later on. Which is why to be sure of the works you need to do and get the right machine for you.
