Porter-Cable Miter Saw User manual

American Woodworker 2003 TOOL BUYER’S GUIDE 67
A miter saw is just the ticket for accurate
cuts, whether you’re building a house or
assembling a picture frame.
What is it?
Miter saws are designed for making precise crosscuts at any angle
from 0 to 45 degrees (some saws have a 60-degree capacity).
Miter saws are versatile and portable.They can be hauled to a job-
site to rough-cut boards for a deck one day and brought back to
your shop to cut delicate moldings for a furniture project the next.
The Family
There are three branches of the miter saw clan. The first is the
conventional miter saw. Designed primarily to make dead
square crosscuts and miters, these saws have been fixtures in
woodshops and at jobsites for decades.The saw head can swing
at least 45-degrees left or right of the centerline for miter cutting.
The second branch of the family is the compound miter saw.
Cutting a compound angle means cutting a bevel and an angle
at the same time. With a compound miter saw you simply set
the bevel cut by leaning the cutting head to the desired angle,
and set the miter angle on the table.A number of these
saws allow you to bevel the head left and right. Some
moldings, like crown for example, require compound
angles. On a conventional miter saw you have to prop the
molding upside down against an extra-tall auxiliary
fence. It’s a pain! A compound miter saw allows you
to make the same cut with the crown mold-
ing laying flat on the bed of the saw—a
huge advantage. A compound miter
saw is more versatile than a conven-
tional miter saw.
At the head of the family is the
sliding-compound miter saw. The
big advantage of these saws is
the huge leap in cutting capacity
made possible by the sliding head. Most of these
saws will crosscut 11-1/2 in. or wider stock, which
rivals the cutting capacity of some radial-arm saws.
But, sliding saws are safer to use than radial arms
because you push the saw through the cut instead of pulling it.
This eliminates climb cutting (cutting in the same direction as
How to Buy a
M
iter Saw
EDITOR: DAVE MUNKITTRICK • ART DIRECTION: BRENDA CANALES • PHOTOGRAPHY: STAFF, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED
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Craftsman 21224; $300.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER

Double Lasers Show the Kerf
Porter-Cable and Delta have
added a new dimension to the
laser-guided miter saw. Instead
of a single laser line, these new
saws feature a double-laser sys-
tem that shows the exact line of
cut on both sides of the blade.
That means you can make cuts
from the left or right side of the
blade. That’s huge!
The factory-set lasers can be
adjusted to exactly fit
the kerf of your
blade. The lasers operate inde-
pendently of the motor so you
can activate them for position-
ing without a spinning blade to
worry about.
MITER SAWS
MITER SAWS
68 American Woodworker 2003 TOOL BUYER’S GUIDE
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the spinning blade). Like a radial-arm saw, the head can be tilted for
bevel cuts and angled for miters.Combine the tilting head with the slide
and you can bevel wide stuff like big base moldings. Unlike with a
radial-arm saw,you can’t rip or dado on a sliding-compound miter saw,
but that’s what your tablesaw is for.
Features
Positive Angle Stops
Distinct positive stops are best (Photo 1). A spring-loaded pin
firmly drops into the angle-stop recess as you’re swinging the saw
to the angle setting. These stops leave no doubt about whether
you’re on the right spot.
Easy-to-Read Angle Indicator
An easy-to-read angle indicator, like the hairline cursor in Photo 2,
makes setting the saw quick and accurate. The vernier scale allows
you to set 1/4- and 1/2-degree increments.
Fence Height
A tall fence is best because it allows you to cut 3-1/4-in. crown
molding on a conventional miter saw without having to add a
wooden sub-fence (Photo 3). The compound miter saws also ben-
efit from the increased support offered by a taller fence.
Handle Style
Handles are either horizontal or vertical. Our testing panel preferred
the horizontal style and the Hitachi and DeWalt were voted the most
Distinct positive angle stops are user-friendly.
Angle and bevel indicators should be easy to
read. Hairline cursors are the best.
HAIRLINE
CURSOR
PIN
1
2
3
A tall fence makes it easier to cut crown
molding.
ANGLE
STOP
RECESS
What’s New?
Delta 36-255L and Porter-Cable 3802L,
12-in. compound miter saws; both available fall 2002 for under $400.
VERNIER
SCALE

MITER SAWS
MITER SAWS
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American Woodworker 2003 TOOL BUYER’S GUIDE 69
“left-hand friendly.”We recommend trying both to see what’s
comfortable for you.
Blade Size and Tooth Count
A 10-in. blade is the way to go. Bigger blades yield modest
capacity increases for a big price. For carpenters who need to
cut 45-degree angles on a 2x8, the bigger blades may be worth
the extra cost.Also pay attention to the tooth count of the blade
that comes with the saw.A 40-tooth, 10-in.combination blade
is great when you’re framing walls, but not so good for fram-
ing photos. Plan on spending another $50 if you need to buy a
high-tooth-count blade for your saw.
Quick-Acting Hold-Downs
Some saws come with hold-downs to aid in cutting large stock.
Quick-acting hold-downs are best.Theyworkliketoggle clamps
so it’s a snap to secure material to the saw.Hold-downs that work
on a screw thread,likeaC-clamp, are more poky.
Two-Way Bevel Setting
If you’re considering a compound miter saw, go for one that
bevels both left and right.It’s something no tablesaw or radial-
arm saw offers and, because you can work from either side of
the saw, it makes it much easier to do compound cutting.An
easy-to-read bevel indicator is also important.

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