Hi, folks. I’m hoping for some miter saw advice.
Here’s what I want to do: I’d like to be able to safely and maybe even enjoyably cut smallish pieces of wood to length. Pieces like you’d use for making small boxes. The stock is mostly 1/2 inch thick or less and always less than 5” wide. I need to make 45deg bevels and miters. I’d also like the saw to be able to deal with most interior trim cutting needs, if possible. And cutting stuck like pen blanks to length. Sounds basic, right?
Well, right now I’ve got the Makita 18V cordless 7 1/2” sliding miter saw (LS711D). I’m not all that happy with it. It’s a great saw and I got it because I thought I’d be using it out of the shop but I don’t. The problem is that when I make a cut I very often get wood exploding, cracking, and flying around. This is scary and feels dangerous and I’m tired of feeling like I’m going to break a finger at best and lose one at worst.
So… is there something I’m doing wrong? Would a different saw be better? I’ve been thinking that some of my problem is low batteries , some might be wood getting into the kerf, and some is a lousy hold-down clamp when I actually use it at all.
So… should I buy a 10” compound saw? I don’t think I have the bucks right now for a slider and am not sure that I need the capacity anyway. Is there a fence system I should attach.. something like an Incra fence or a Woodhaven fence? My shop is tiny. No room for a permanent dedicated miter station but I do have the beginnings of a portable station going and I could possibly use that to mount a different saw and/or fences.
Any and all advice is welcome.
Thanks
Diane