Some folks are upset that I wrote yesterday’s post a little tongue in cheek, where I said that referring to a product manual is the best first step for calibrating a miter saw or table saw.
Okay, maybe I should have elaborated a bit more. Here’s the super duper professional expert ultimate authority way of doing it:
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Step 1: Consult the user manual.
Just kidding (but not really). After a 3-day power outage and a bit of exhaustion, I’m allowing myself to be sillier than usual, sorry about that.
Miter Saw Calibration
Most miter saws (at least all I’ve used) have miter scale and bevel stop adjustments.
To square up the miter scale, reference a square off of the fence (which is locked in place – don’t leave it loose), and the blade. Be sure to reference the square off the blade body and not the teeth.
The user manual will tell you which screws to adjust if the miter scale or indicator needs to be adjusted.
Then, there’s the bevel stop or scale adjustment. For that, you reference your square off the miter saw table and the blade.
For either adjustment, there should be a pointer or indicator to adjust as well. You adjust the 0° miter and/or bevel positions, and then ensure the pointer, arrow, or other angle indicator properly reflects the angle. You won’t always have to adjust the pointer.
There could (should) also be a stop at 45° or the end of the bevel range which can also be calibrated.
Seriously – refer to the user manual for guidance. Different saws can have very different adjustment points or methods. You can sometimes get by with trial and error, if you’re experienced to know where an adjustment point might be, but that’s ill-advised for the inexperienced. Loosening the wrong fastener can create more problems.
Miter scale and bevel stop adjustment methods can be widely different, depending on the saw. The diagrams above were taken from Dewalt (left) and Bosch (right) product manuals. They really do tell you everything you need to know to square up your miter saw.
The basics are the same for most saws. The fence and table are fixed in place, and so you check the blade’s squareness against those fixed reference planes.
Now, if your fence is crooked and your table warped, squaring up the blade is going to be a lot more challenging.
Tools Required:
6″ Combination Square ($8+ on Amazon)
Or you can get a 12″ square. I have a 12″ square, but sometimes prefer smaller squares. You don’t want an itty-bitty square, but if a square is too big, it can contact blade teeth or hamper you in other ways. If it’s too small, there might not be enough contact area with the reference surface.
Tips
Don’t reference a square off the teeth on a blade, or on a saw’s kerf or clearance plate.
Hilton says
Are the liberals getting touchy again?
Good post, thanks.
Stuart says
No political jabs, please! If you must make a joke, it has to amuse everyone equally, or make everyone groan. e.g.:
A progressive traditionalist and traditional progressivist walk into a bar. They’re both okay, but was the bar made in the USA or imported?
Hilton says
I have no idea which political parties consider themselves as liberal, to me it’s more a state of mind and attitude towards the world in general.
I get your point though.
Andrew Q says
This makes your previous comment appear more ignorant to me.
Hilton says
If you insist.
John Blair says
As a luddite, I’m offended that you cover power tools. Tools were meant to be powered by hand, horse or by a water wheel, anything else is a bit too new fangled for me. It’s a slipper slope son, if you don’t change your ways, you will find yourself covering CNC mills, 3D printers and laser cutters.
Paul says
Personally, I am looking forward to telepathically controlled tools, AI replicators, and the T1000.
Yadda says
Great joke. Perfect groan moment for a day full of tension headaches.
JakeVT says
What kind of bar did they walk into? Was it rebar? cold rolled steel? crow?? Hope they didn’t get hurt 😀
Joe says
Do people reading ToolGuyd really not know how to true up a mitre or table saw ? I would think this a more sophisticated bunch of followers.
fred says
I would think that ToolGuyd readers may cover a broad spectrum of experience levels. I sense that some are newbies to woodworking – while others may have 40+ years of experience. There may also be differences between how different manufacturers provide for (or don’t) adjustments. That’s where reading the manual – or added online material may actually help.
A bit off topic – but I was the neighborhood’s bike mechanic when the kids were growing up. I recall a neighbor coming to me with a partially assembled bicycle made in Taiwan with which he was struggling. The manual (in several languages was printed in Spain. I suppose that the “English” section was translated from Chinese into English by a Spaniard. Some of it was incomprehensible on the face of it – but if you had assembled bikes and Shimano components before – it wasn’t hard.
Back on topic – Stuart said “Now, if your fence is crooked and your table warped, squaring up the blade is going to be a lot more challenging.” But as pointed out by another commenter in a prior post – the way to adjust such a saw is to return it while you still can.
Stuart says
Not necessarily.
And even if so, people have different levels of comfort with different tools.
With the Porter Cable 7518 router I bought and will be returning, https://toolguyd.com/why-im-returning-my-brand-new-porter-cable-7518-router/ , I wasn’t sure if the issue was with the tool, or my expectations of it. The 7518’s speed control is unfamiliar to me, as I’m used to trigger switches, dials, buttons, and belts to change speed, and not clunky old-timey sliding switches.
David Zeller says
There really aren’t that many decent tool blogs that aren’t just restatement of press releases, so you might find all types here. I, personally, am beginner to medium. Been around tools and workshops my whole life, can fix or create many things, but dont consider myself truly good at any of them. I come here and learn.
David
Mark Lee Shelton says
I for one would like to see more content like this. Could you maybe get a little more basic for us newbs though. I’d like to see an article on what a miter saw is, when to use it, and what the advantages of it are over say a… table saw.
Stuart says
I can add that to my list, but it will be a while until I get to it.
In short, miter saws excel at cross cuts, where you want to cut a board cross its short dimension. You can use a table saw to do so too, with a miter gauge or a sled, but a miter saw is quicker and easier. Angle adjustments and compound angles are quicker, as well as repeatable cuts if care is taken to set up a solid workpiece stop.
There is some overlap between what miter saws and table saws can do, but for most typical uses, you cannot use them interchangeable.
Let’s say you want to cut an 8-foot long 2×4 in half . That’s a lot easier and safer too I imagine, on a miter saw. Let’s say you have a length of 2×4 and want to rip it into 1-1/2″ x 3/4″ strips. There are several ways to do that, but a table saw would be easiest.
ktash says
As a woodworker, there are times I wouldn’t use a combination square. I have a couple of Products Engineering engineering squares, but recently saw this one recommended on a reputable site, a Kinex square, and it looks to be good. Less expensive than the PE line:
https://www.amazon.com/Kinex-4026-12-010-Machinist-Square-microns/dp/B06XNRZJ6K/
Good video on squares used in woodworking to set up tools, etc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu6rCPzoj4w He also recommends a drafting square as a low cost alternative but very accurate.
Yadda says
I appreciate this information. I recently moved all of my father’s woodworking tools almost 700 miles to my garage. I need to resquare all of my tools.
Yadda says
Resquare? Square up?
JakeVT says
Resquare/Squareup? Reply? or critique? Word police? You gotta say it exactly right or we are going to shame you
Nathan says
Yeah I figure it as part of a mx interval. IE check my stuff about yearly. Or – anytime I install a new blade. that also works.
Julian says
Bosch has the very best manuals. Dewalt’s are pretty good, Makita manuals suck, and Festool manuals are the worst.
Jt
glenn says
Can’t totally agree. I think Milwaukee have the worst manuals, I have tossed about 20 of them, lol.
Actually, Makita have fairly decent manuals, I have kept about a dozen of them!
In all seriousness though, check out this Makita mitre saw manual, its about as thorough as it gets.
https://www.makita.com.au/media/documents/manuals/DLS111ZU_manual.pdf
Stuart says
Festool tools have manuals and then supplemental manuals you have to download. *rolls eyes*
Kurt says
If you can find one to match the arbor of your saw, be it table, miter, or radial arm, a sanding disc makes a better reference than a blade. Here is one example:
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/woodriver-10-table-saw-sanding-disc-mounting-plate
David Zeller says
Your link for a 6″ combination square just searches Amazon for the number six.
David
Stuart says
Thanks! Fixed it. Apparently the double quote (inch mark) broke the link.
Hang Fire says
“Don’t reference a square off the teeth on a blade, or on a saw’s kerf or clearance plate.”
In some cases, this may require a notch in the square.