Get more out of your chop saw

Once you've made a good amount of cuts on your chop saw, your abrasive disc starts to get smaller. Have you swapped out your chop saw abrasive disc to make a 45 degree miter cut, after you found it didn't completely sever the cut, even though the disc had plenty of life left in it for 0 degree cuts? I'll show you an easy trick on how you can get more 45 degree miter cuts out of your abrasive discs!

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Step 1: Get the work to the disc

Like I said, very simple. Just move the piece to be cut under the blade. You can do this by taking a scrap piece of square tube and putting it in the vice. Make sure you use a square tube, that isn't flimsy or bent, so it doesn't pop out when cutting. This is most helpful when going back and forth between making 45 degree cuts and 0 degree cuts, so you don't have to move the back, or "fixed" jaw of the vice.
I do most all of my metal work, and woodwork at TechShop in Menlo Park. If you haven't been to a TechShop before, check one out. Go to www.techshop.com to see if there is one close by to you. This is my chop saw that I have at home. When I use the chop saw at TechShop, the back jaw is on a slot, so it makes adjustments super easy!
Well, I hope this helps someone! I thought it was pretty cool, and saved me a bunch of time on my last project!

-BM

wilwrk4tls says: Jul 25, 2012. 9:55 AM

The same principle works on a miter saw, too. If you have molding or something that your saw just barely doesn't cut through, put a block of wood underneath it to elevate the piece you want to cut.