Can A Mitre Saw Cut Straight?

Author: E. Silva (aka Mr. Awesome - The Niche Specialty Expert)

Generally the intended purpose of the miter – saw ( much unlike with the basic table – saw which only cuts straight, for example ) is to cut in angles … to cut at different shorter lengths and sizes than usual. This does NOT, however, mean that the miter – saw can NOT cut straight as well. As a matter of fact, it can do this as well. Consider it a ‘side feature’ it offers, in most cases. Yes, these saws can easily make some sick cross – cuts in a straight direction and avoid all that angling, if that is, in fact, what you need them to do. This type of versatility ( being able to both make straight cuts and angled cuts ) is generally why people love these saws, at the end of the day ….

You should also take notice of this fact —- that you can make miter cuts, bevel cuts, basic cuts and so much more with miter – saws, which people also love. Now there can also be some cases in which you find that your miter – saw is having a harder time ( than usual, I suppose ) cutting straight …. or it simply won’t do it at all. If you got a model that can cut straight, but it is NOT doing so, for some odd reason, then there are a few causes behind this that you may want to keep in mind, my friend …. the first being that of a warped blade. Yup, your blade, just like a window frame in your home, can warp … and that leads to it weakening in its composition, changing form and so much else. This is not good. Your blade can also be damaged, in general, or it could even be installed incorrectly ( true story … mine was once, and that was causing the whole thing not to be able to cut straight, he he he he he heh heh …. it took me awhile to figure that out, too, which was a serious hassle ) . You might also, on the other hand, have a more complex underlying issue going on, like, for instance, that of your saw’s main bevel gauge simply not being aligned properly. A misalignment is another pain in the butt to deal with, but it can happen ( and yes, even with a bevel gauge, he he he he heh ) .

The miter gauge might be misaligned, then … hmmmm. If you do not know how to re – align it yourself, then consult your user – guide, which should usually offer photos ( or a diagram ) of how it should be correctly positioned. You might also want to think about looking at some guys as they do it on YouTube ( many experts can show you this, step – by – step, in case you’re a visually oriented learner, he he heh ) .