Accurate angle gauge....

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I am in the market for an accurate angle gauge. My Delta compound miter saw seldom will set up at the same place. Even the stops have too much slop in them. I am in the market for an accurate angle gauge as I am getting ready to do some finish carpentry in our home.

[Matt Krusen]

Veritas makes a very nice bevel gauge. If you want to go electronic, look at the Wixey. Set the miter saw to 90 with a square, zero the Wixey, and tilt away!

[Bob Wingard]

I have a set of 4 or 5 of these in various lengths ... very simple to use and reliable ... ...

http://www.amazon.com/QUINT-UNBREAKABLE-Plastic-Goniometer-Increments/dp/B004TXMHJ6/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1434038818&sr=1-3&keywords=true+angle+tool

[Glenn Clabo]

Look at the Starrett Prosite Ken. I've used it and like it a lot.

[roger wiegand]

I really like my Wixey. Small enough that is stays in my pocket or tool belt and is always handy to use. Accuracy seems great--I'm sure the flex in my miter saw is more than the error in this thing. To measure miter angle you do need to cut a piece and stand it on edge on a flat surface to measure the angle. Bevel can be taken directly from the blade.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I actually ordered the plastic version of the Starrett Miter Saw Protractor.

Thanks everybody!

[ian maybury]

Hi Ken. Coming in late. It isn't a budget solution, but i suspect the large black aluminium triangle square that Brian Lamb from the Felder Owners Group does is probably the ultimate solution for saw and other machine set up: http://www.lambtoolworks.com/products.html (top of this page) The .pdf linked via the blue tab further down describes some of the many ways of using it. It has some additional features using dowel pins and fittings that allow other angles to be set, referencing off edges etc.

I have one which i keep for Sunday best. I don't use it for normal work, but instead save it mostly to set/test up other stuff like machines and squares. Or to lay out large sheets. Time will tell, but it's hard to see how one can be knocked out of calibration, while the long reference edges must significantly increase the accuracy too.

It may seem expensive, but having a reliable reference always to hand is dead nice - it takes the 'maybe' out of jobs...

Angle measurement of all things is a b****. The problem with electronic stuff and small protractors is that they actually are not very accurate. Even the fancy (cost almost $200 a few years ago) Bosch electronic angle measurement tool only goes down to 1/10 deg. Which sounds like very little - but it amounts to almost 2mm or 0.07in inaccuracy/out of line in a metre. Which is more than enough to mess up cabinet work...

[Rich Engelhardt]

Look at the Starrett Prosite Ken. I've used it and like it a lot.+1 - nice quick way to get a good rough idea of where to set the miter saw.
I also have a 4" and an 8" digital protractor to check and double check things.