Industrial Hand Tool: A Miter Saw Guide

Industrial hand tools are devices capable of being manually operated. It can run on mechanical force or electrical power. One of the basic industrial hand tools is a miter saw used for cutting.

An industrial hand tool is a device that is operated by hand. Such tools are used in maintenance and repairs of machines and equipments. One example is the miter saw.

Miter saws cut with a spinning circular blade. It is small and portable, having blades ranging from 8 to 12 inches in diameter. A miter saw can be a manually operated or motorized. It has 3 general models:

Miter saws - A miter saw is the least expensive and simplest model. Its motor is on the swing arm that can be turned right or left to create angled cuts. It is best used in trimming windows or doors.

Compound Miter Saws - Compound miter saws are useful in making picture frames and crown moldings. Its motor swings to the right and left. It can be tilted to get beveled cuts. It comes with 10 inches and 12 inches blades. Compound miter saws are generally more expensive than the other models.

Sliding Compound Miter Saws - It is a versatile saw that has a sliding feature similar to a radial arm saw. The saw is plunged on the work area for a narrow stock. The blade can pass through the rail for a wider cut.

Components of a Basic Miter Saw
Blade
The blade is the most important part. Sizes ranges from 8, 10 and 12 inches. Larger saw blades make longer cuts. Different blades of a miter saw are used in different applications. Common blades include:
•Steel blades - An expensive blade that works well in cutting softwood but gets dull quickly in hardwood.
•Carbide-Tipped Blades - This kind of blade stays sharp much longer than other blades. It is more expensive than steel and high-speed blades.
•High-Speed Steel Blades - It is harder than steel blade that also stays sharp longer.

Miter Index
The miter index gives flexibility to the blade. It angles the blade conveniently depending on the work area. Most miter saws enable exact one-degree incremental changes onto the miter index. It has a stop function to set the miter index to commonly used angles (15 °, 30° and 45 degrees).

Positive Stops
These are factory set points allowing a precise cut on specific angles. More positive stops create less setup time.

Self-Extracting Blade Guard
It gives a better view of the cutting line by keeping the guard far from the stock. The guard is lowered to cover the blade completely, especially when the saw is raised.

Electric Brakes
This reverses the flow of electricity when the trigger has been released. It can stop the blade in two seconds or less, especially when compared to saws without electric brakes.

Other features include:
•Shaft Locks - Immobilizes the shaft and the blade, making it easier to change.
•Table Extensions - Balances the longer stock for an accurate cut that mounts directly to the saw.
•Dust Bags - Connects directly to the saw, for collecting sawdust.
•Sliding Fences - Gives additional support to tall stock and glide out of the way to make bevel cuts.
•Portable Strands - Gives the saw a strong base for added safety measure.
•Safety clamp - Helps fasten a work piece securely.
•Laser guide - Gives a fixed visual indication in positioning the cut. Some models offer a single reference line to one side of the kerfs. Others provide two lines to reveal the total kerfs width.