Miter & Abrasive Chop Saw
The Miter Saw
A miter saw is a great choice and in many cases the most accurate tool for creating clean crosscuts on wood. There are two basic types of miter saws: the miter and the compound miter saw. The standard miter can make the clean "square" or 90 degree cut or it can cut an angle, also known as a miter. The compound miter saw can be rotated to cut an angle but also beveled (think rocked to its side) to cut a compound angle. Common uses of miter saws can be making frames or molding for a doorway.
The miter saw makes cuts by a pulling an arm attached to a spinning circular blade down onto a very small table in a short smooth motion. The piece of wood, metal or plastic is usually held again a fence, which provides a precise cutting angle. In home position this angle is 90 degrees.
Square cut
30 degree miter cut
30 degree miter cut with 30 degree bevel
How Use a Miter Saw
The Abrasive Chop Saw
The chop saw resembles the miter and compound miter saw in use and precise nature of cuts. However, a standard chop saw cannot be adjusted to cut angles. An abrasive saw, also known as a cut-off saw or metal chop saw, is a power tool which is typically used to cut hard materials, such as metals. The cutting action is performed by an abrasive disc, similar to a thin grinding wheel. Technically speaking this is not a saw, as it does not use regularly shaped
Cutting Metal Bar on an Abrasive Chop Saw
They typically use composite friction disk blades to abrasively cut through the steel. The disks are consumable items as they wear throughout the cut. The abrasive disks for these saws are typically 14 in (360 mm) in diameter and 7⁄64 in (2.8 mm) thick. Larger saws use 410 mm (16 in) diameter blades. Disks are available for steel and stainless steel.
edges (teeth) for cutting. The abrasive saw generally has a built-in vise or other clamping arrangement, and has the cutting wheel and motor mounted on a pivoting arm attached to a fixed base plate.
