cutting shoe molding

[Rex Metzgar]

I had harwood floors put down and I am doing the shoe molding installation. The shoe molding is oak, I am using a 10" Makita sliding miter
saw, a thin kerf freud crosscut blade and somtimes it just shatters the piece and bounces it off the wall with some real force.

I am taking it very slowly for the cut, but I feel pretty uncomfortable doing this, It feel like I have too much horsepower for this small a piece
of wood. Does anyone have any suggestions as to a different tool or
technique to use?

Regards

Rex

[Matt Ocel]

Try one of these. You will love it.
You can get them at Woodcraft. or you can get a cheap(but decent) one at BORG.
Dozuki Saw

If you use your miter saw, Let the blade come fully up to speed and make a slow cut. Also don't cut small pieces from small pieces.

[Jim Becker]

Cutting the small pieces for returns and the like can be pretty scary with the miter saw. Something I have found that helps is to not lift/slide the blade after the cut is made until the blade is done spinning....make the cut and STOP. Release the trigger. Do not move a proverbial hair until the machine is no longer spinning the blade. That said, cutting the really small stuff with a sharp hand saw in a miter box is not a terrible idea for the intricate stuff!

[Joe Unni]

Rex,

Try clamping a sacrificial fence against the existing fence - then cut through it. You'll not only have a zero clearance backer for your molding, but you'll also have perfect cut line registration. You may have to do this a couple of time depending on the type of cuts (i.e. 90s, 45s, etc.), but you'll never get pieces flying around the shop again.

Good luck,
-joe

[Brian Peters]

The above comments are good. I use a fence, just use like 3/4" plywood, make the back 3-4" tall and bottom as wide as you require. Staple and screw it together then clamp or screw it to your saw. Go ahead and precut the fence on both 45 degree sides and straight and you're ready to go. As long as you don't lift the blade after you cut you should be fine. And as said with tiny pieces it usually happens when you lift the blade; the air/momentum will move the small piece underneath the blade and rocket it somewhere. Not good if you're doing finished work in a customer's home! Don't ask me how I know this . Live and learn..

[Robert LaPlaca]

Have to agree with some other posters, that a zero-clearance fence and table cobbled together from some MDF is the ticket from keeping smallish pieces like miter returns from being shot out of the back of the chop saw..

[Per Swenson]

I see it like this.
Time is money, If I have to get up off the floor while installing shoe I am losing money. As the old saying goes, once down stay down.
Due to the economy I can't afford to have a man on the saw right now,
so there is a easy solution. Miter Shears. Very fast.
Available from Lee Valley and elsewhere.
If you go else where, beware of the Quality.

Per

[Peter Quinn]

I use a simple plywood or mdf sacrificial fence, usually 1/2" MDF for the base and a strip of 3/4" plywood for the back. I have the same makita 10" SCMS, it has holes predrilled in the stock aluminum fences for attaching such a fence. Set the depth stop mechanism to cut just an 1/8" deep into the bottom piece and your good to go. I regularly use mine to cut glass stop and other very delicate moldings without issue. Keeps small off cuts from becoming projectiles as well.

Come to think of it I'm using a Freud thin kerf ultimate miter blade as well, great on moldings, not so good on framing material, so I switch blades as needed.