Miter saw

Powered miter saws also cut bevels into a work piece by adjusting the vertical tilt axis of upper portion of the machine while the table lays flat horizontally.

Some are equipped with a sliding rail system or have a pivot arm to cut wider work pieces when laid flat on the table of the saw and flush against the fence.

A chop saw is specifically meant to cut metal and is typically operated while laid flat on the ground with the blade fixed at 90° vertical.

A chop saw cannot make a miter cut unless manipulated by the operator as opposed to the function of the machine itself.

Most miter saws are relatively small and portable, with common blade sizes ranging from 200 to 300 mm (8 to 12 in).

The miter saw showcased several innovations still found today: radial arc spring action, blade braking and dust collection.

A laser guide provides a precise visual indication of where the cut will be positioned on the workpiece in the current configuration.

A dust bag connects directly to the saw, and helps to collect sawdust away from the workpiece during cutting.

Optionally, many manufacturers sell adapters to connect an industrial vacuum cleaner in lieu of a bag to capture more of the dust and simplify disposal.

A safety clamp helps to lock a workpiece into position prior to making a cut.

Also the saw head is usually drawn back, then lowered and fed forward through the material so that binding is unlikely.

Sliding compound miter saws are relatively portable, easy to set up, and robust enough to maintain accuracy even when moved around.

Most saws have an adjustable scale plate for table swiveling, with positive stops at commonly used angles.

This innovation combined all the best features of the compound miter saw with sliding tubes, allowing the cutter head to traverse for a much wider cut.