Why Is My Miter Saw Chipping The Wood?

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

This can be an issue that you cause by simply dropping that blade down too fast on to your cutting piece, which as you probably already know, can lead to so many annoyances …. like wood chipping and the piece not getting cut properly, at the end of the day. In this blog, I am going to show you some things that you ought to keep in the back of your mind ( at all times, of course ) to help you avoid little annoyances like this and be a more efficient miter – saw user and owner ( which I know you want to be, of course, and I do believe in you ) . Please follow along to what I have to share, and if you like, take a few notes along the way …. got a paper and a pen on ya?

Now then first of all, I would like to just point you out to the fact that you might also be using the less – than – ideal blade for this ( depending on the kind of job you are doing, which as I always like to say, you ought to research in advance ) … yes indeed, there is a certain type of blade that is better than others for this kind of work. Try your hand at different blades, or read up on the subject, to get a better feel for the right one you need. If, on the other hand entirely, your blade happens to be FILTHY, then that can be another problem causing it to chip wood, too. So yes, in sum, having the WRONG blade or just a DIRTY blade can cause this problem. But what else can do it? Well, I am glad that you have taken the initiative to ask this question ( I’m assuming you have, he he he he heh ) , and I will now show you what else the problem might be ….

Well, if your wood lacks the proper support, this can also be causing the chipping. Heck, even if the blade is dull or has evidently NOT been sharpened in a very long time, that can also be the underlying problem. So there’s two more potential causes to think about. Did you know that you ought to sharpen your miter – saw’s blade from time to time, too? Indeed, it can get rusty, dull, and overall, ineffective, should you fail to properly maintain it as such, and you, of course, are the one who will suffer as a result.

If you are not sure how to sharpen this blade on your own, or maybe you’ve never done it, to begin with, then a good blade – smith ( or even project expert at Home Depot, Ace Hardware or Lowe’s ) can give you the right pointers to get started. Don’t be afraid to ask for their advice.