Table Saw - Miter Gauge Basics V1.0
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- Опубліковано 12 січ 2021
- Theatre Safety Training
Short Video Series
Cal State LA
Basic use of the miter gauge on the table saw.
Operations, procedures, and safety.
When to use the miter gauge instead of the ripping fence.
Adjusting the miter gauge to an angle for a miter cut.
For clarification, this video is about how to know when to use the miter gauge instead of the ripping fence, primarily focusing on the safety factors involved. It is NOT about demonstrating how to properly cut plywood on the table saw. It is not about what blade to use to cut plywood versus the blades used when ripping solid lumber. It is not about what blades and techniques to use when cross-cutting plywood versus ripping plywood sheets. There are plenty of resources available for those tasks. This video is only about demonstrating the use of the miter gauge and knowing what kinds of cuts are safer on the miter gauge versus on the ripping fence.
In the video, I use scrap 3/4" plywood because it is an abundant remnant of the typical theatre scene shop. Small scraps of plywood are rather useless in the scene shop, so rather than throwing them away, I use them for demonstrations of power tools. They are a good reference for what sizes and shapes of lumber stock, whether plywood, laminates, or solid softwood or hardwood, are best suited to cuts made with the miter gauge. Plywood scraps are also excellent for practice cuts on the ripping fence. In theatre set construction, we use a lot of 1x pine, so that is more valuable even with the smaller scraps that accumulate. My in-person training sessions with students will focus on using scrap lumber, namely scrap 3/4" plywood, and practice in using the all of the fences and controls of the machine. Again, that is the focus of this video, basic introduction to using, adjusting, and cutting with the miter gauge on a table saw. Practices that apply to whatever stock you cut with your table saw using the miter gauge.
I rely solely on UA-cam videos 4 power tool use, instruction, & safety. I have no one 2 help me. I watch ALOT of videos. Am gaining a headful of knowledge, and am now adding experience. Just pulled the trigger and got my table saw about 2 weeks ago. I can't begin 2 tell u how much I appreciate plain & concise instruction. The more step by step, the better. Thank u very much!
What have you made so far?
I was just thinking and realized this exact thing before reading your comment. I'm no stranger to saws and power tools...but it's never been a daily job I had to use different types of saws. Therefore I don't know the dangers of them all.so instead of being a know it all I humbly come here to UA-cam and let the more experienced be my teachers! By the way thanks alot to this channel have a blessed one!
Not joking but instructions can be helpful as well!
Very simple and straightforward. I watched several videos about miter gauges, and this is the only one that helped. Thank you.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for making this video! I bought myself a table saw for over a year now still brand new because i been extremely nervous and afraid of the danger and kick backs. I freaked myself out because i watched many videos of kickbacks people had experienced. So i been making hard on myself by using either hand saw or circular saw which took lots of times to finish my DIY projects.
After watching your video i am motivated and more at ease to pull out my saw table and the first thing i am going to make is the table saw sled for protection and convenience of having a sled. And then also adjusting my miter length with wood. Thanks again! I am excited! :)😊
Very helpful, thank you. I have never used a table saw or miter gauge.
Thank you for the amazing video.
Thanx for the info and safety warnings!!
Very Helpful
I loved everything about this video except the old school super mario-ish music, hah!
Very informative overall though.
I recently bought a sawStop. Can I use any miter gauge with it? Or does sawStop make one to work tightly with their own tablesaws?
I’m not the best person to answer your question. I only have the one SawStop and haven’t used aftermarket miter gauges with it. This one does have the t-slot gauge track, which I believe is pretty standard.
We mostly do ripping of 16’ lengths of pine on the machine in the scene shop. Rarely have need for the miter gauge, not enough to invest in a better one. So you might have to confirm from some users who have had a lot of experience with alternate models of miter gauges.
If I wanted to cut some corners off the corners off a chopping board at 45°, whereby the chopping board is roughly 300mm by 300mm, would this be the right way to do it?
Yes the miter gauge is the best way to cut 45 degree corners off of something, size permitting, which it sounds like your project is within the size limitations of a typical miter gauge.
The miter gauge that comes with most machines has a very small area of support though. You might want to add an auxiliary support fence for greater control and accuracy especially if you want repeated, accurate cuts on all four corners. Something you can also attach a stop block to. Or buy an aftermarket miter gauge. Or fabricate a sled.
1:14 - Incorrect, ripping or cross-cutting for plywood isn't based on its dimension, it's based on the plywood veneer. Whatever direction the veneer is, determines whether you're ripping or cross-cutting plywood. This is evident when you attempt to cross-cut plywood with a low tooth blade, you'll end up with tearouts - this is especially true if you work with Baltic Birch.
1:52 - Also incorrect, it's not a 2:1 ratio, but a 1:1 ratio. People have gotten sloppy and tried to go past 1:1 ratio and paid for it. People have also gotten lucky and not pay for it. So go past 1:1 at your own risk.
You are missing the point of the video. The video is not about determining whether you are actually ripping lumber or crosscutting. The video is about knowing when to use the ripping fence and when to use the miter gauge.
The name, ripping fence, is misleading, which could lead one to assume that all ripping cuts use the rip fence and conversely all crosscuts should then use the miter gauge, but this is not the case. Safety considerations require one to take the shape and size of your stock into consideration to determine which of the two fences to use. It doesn't matter if you are ripping or crosscutting. One fence is always going to be the safer choice depending on the outside dimensions of your stock. They both can do crosscuts and rip cuts.
I am pretty sure in the video that I say when cutting plywood, certain cuts are "like" ripping cuts and others are "like" crosscuts, not that something was definitively one or the other. In terms of relation to the veneer surface, you are correct in what is determined a rip cut or cross cut for a finished piece of hardwood plywood. But what I say is also correct due to the perpendicular orientation of each layer of lumber, in that you are technically crosscutting and ripping with pretty much all cuts in plywoods.
This channel is also about common and standard practices in theatre production. As such, we are almost exclusively using plywood, luan, or other laminates as sheathing for platform lids, for scenic flats, for prop construction. We rarely need to be concerned about the orientation of the veneer surface with regards to our cuts on the table saw or other tools. Most things are going to get painted for stage and cover up the grain. I am demonstrating with 3/4" plywood because we use that for platform lids most frequently.
In theatrical production shops, a crosscut sled is impractical and would largely be in the way. The majority of our table saw processes is ripping 1x12 into various sizes for theatrical flats and platforms. We most likely wouldn't even be doing the cuts demonstrated in this video on the table saw because we have miter saws and radial arm saws to do so more safely. And we have a panel saw to wrangle larger sheet good cuts. But for students using the saw for the very first time, they need to know how the miter gauge works and what tasks it can do, since it's part of the bare-bones basics in operating the table saw.
Your not cutting lumber. Your cutting little scraps of wood. Lumber is eight to ten feet long and cant be safely crosscut on a table saw. Admit it; a table saw is a lousey tool for cross cutting. If you want to cross cut lumber, get a chop saw. In the alternative, if you don't want two tools with circular blades in your shop, there is one tool with a circular blade that does both cuts accurately and safely. Guess what it is.
I do want to complement you on the safety measures shown in this video. You are one of the few demonstrators that actually use the safety equipment that came with the saw.
track saw?
Even if you didn’t have access to a sliding table saw for cross cuts, I could name enough reasons why a table saw with a miter gauge or sled is by far a superior way to cross cut, but the main reason is ease of calibration control.
Good luck cutting a 5/4” piece of white oak on a 12” Bosch miter saw without it deflecting.