# Miter Saw Safety & Angle Cuts Demo

How a miter saw guards your hands, how to read and set the miter scale, and how 0, 22\.5 and 45 degree cuts slice a pine 2x4

By Laura Hales

Topic: Home & DIY

[Open the interactive Jig](https://ask.jig.com/j/If7gfnM33v2T)

## Transcript

### 1. Meet the miter saw

A miter saw is a circular saw on a hinged arm above a rotating table\. The board lies flat against the fence, the head comes down, and the blade crosses the board at whatever angle the table is set to\. Drag anywhere to look around the saw\.

Before adjusting anything, unplug the saw\. Wear eye and hearing protection, and keep sleeves and loose clothing tied back\.

### 2. Two guards cover the blade

The fixed upper guard covers the top of the blade all the time\. The spring\-loaded lower guard covers the teeth below it\. As you lower the head, the lower guard rides up over the board and uncovers the teeth only where they enter the wood\. As you lift the head, a spring brings the guard back over the teeth\.

Never tie, wedge or hold the lower guard open\. If it sticks or returns slowly, stop and get the saw repaired\.

### 3. Fence, clamp and the no\-hands zone

Hold the board flat on the table and tight against the fence, so it cannot twist or lift during the cut\. Use the hold\-down clamp whenever you can\. Keep your hands out of the red zone, which runs 150 mm \(6 in\) either side of the blade\. Your left hand rests on the board in the green area\.

Never reach across the blade or hold the offcut\. Short pieces should be clamped, not held\.

### 4. Reading the miter scale

Lift the miter handle to unlock the table, then turn it\. The red pointer on the table reads the angle on the scale: 0 is a square cut, and the scale counts up to the left and to the right\. At common angles the table clicks into a stop\. Lock the handle again before you cut\. Try the slider\.

This saw turns 50° to one side and 60° to the other, with stops at 0, 15, 22\.5, 31\.6 and 45°\.

### 5. Square cut at 0°

With the pointer on 0, the blade meets the fence at a right angle\. Press the trigger and let the blade reach full speed before it touches the wood\. Lower the head smoothly\. Then release the trigger and keep the head down until the blade stops, and only then raise it\.

A square cut gives a clean end for a butt joint or a board trimmed to length\.

### 6. A 22\.5° miter

The table turns to the 22\.5° stop, so the blade crosses the board at an angle and the cut end becomes longer and slanted\. Eight pieces cut like this on both ends meet to make an octagon, because 8 × 45° = 360°\.

Each joint angle is shared between two pieces, so each piece is cut at half of it\.

### 7. A 45° miter

At the 45° stop, two cut ends meet to make a 90° corner\. That is how picture frames and door trim are joined\. The cut face is about 1\.4 times the board’s width, so the blade spends longer in the wood\. Keep your hand on the board and feed slowly\.

Check the angle with a square on a scrap before cutting good stock\. A small error on each piece doubles at the corner\.

### 8. What each angle makes

Here are the three offcuts side by side\. A 0° cut gives a square end\. A 22\.5° cut gives one joint of an octagon\. A 45° cut gives a frame corner\. Every time, the saw set\-up is the same: unlock, set the angle, lock, clamp, let the blade reach full speed, cut, then wait for the blade to stop\.

Drag to look closely at the cut faces and their growth rings\.