Miter Saw
The miter saw (or chop saw) is a circular saw mounted on a hinge that is used to make short, straight cuts. To use the circular saw, the workpiece is pushed against the back guard, and the saw is turned on and brought down such that it cuts through the workpiece. The miter saw can be adjusted up to 50 degrees in either direction in the "yaw" direction, and up to 45 degrees in either direction in the "roll" direction. This can be used to make angled cuts, known as bevels. DO NOT cut PVC pipe on the chop saw, or materials that can be snagged by the teeth of the saw. Ask first!
Read more about the miter saw
Materials
Only wood but no short or small pieces. DO NOT CUT PVC.
Make sure to properly fixture your materials before cutting – this is critical for small pieces that are difficult to safely hold in place.
Types of cuts
The miter saw is able to make 4 different types of cuts: miter cuts, crosscuts, bevel cuts and compound cuts.
A mitre cut can be made as a left or right mitre where the blade is set at an angle other than 90° to the length of the board. This kind of cut is often used for creating joints.
A crosscut is a basic 90° angle cut to both the length and width of the board; this cut is ideal for decking and framing boards.
A bevel cut is made using a compound mitre saw that allows the blade to tilt. A single-bevel compound mitre saw will generally tilt to the left to make angled cuts less than 90° to the width of the board, whereas a dual-bevel compound mitre saw will allow the blade to tilt left or right and make angled cuts greater than 90°. Bevel cuts are ideal for window and door trim.
A compound cut (mitre and bevel) is one in which both the length and width of the board is cut at angles other than 90°. Compound mitre cuts are ideal for crown moulding.