How do you cut mitered corners?

[Anthony Whitesell]

I think I dread this more than finishing. I have several option for cutting miters but can't decide which one is best.

Table saw - Tilt blade
Table saw - Angle Miter Gauge
Table Saw - Miter Sled
Bandsaw - Tilt Table
Bandsaw - Angle Miter Gauge
Router Table - 45 degree chamfer bit
Miter Saw
Circular Saw

I was thinking of using the Router Table and Chamfer bit, but I ran into two problems. First the project is on the for assembly. Secondly, the piece is red oak which I've had awful tear out with the chamfer bit in the past plus it has a groove in the center of the piece and I'll have no way to support the leading edge of the groove. I tried the bandsaw with horrible results, so I'm headed back to the table saw and hoping for better results than in the past.

How do you go about cutting miters?

P.S. This was supposed to be a poll but I forgot to click the check box. Oh well.

[Frank Drew]

Anthony,

In the shop I used my table saw with a miter gauge, or sliding table with miter gauge; in the field I first used a miter saw (Langdon Acme), then, when I got with the Twentieth Century :D, a Delta chop box. Were I to buy these days I'd probably get a sliding compound miter saw.

I've certainly used, but never owned, a radial arm saw.

Whatever method, two things are critical: That the cut itself be very accurate, and that you use stops or some other way to control length, so that the pieces are all cut to the correct length.

[glenn bradley]

Tablesaw and a small sled. No worries, always right.

[Peter Quinn]

For small work like glass stops or applied bead on face frame interiors I use a small miter sled on the TS, or two of them, one in the right slot and one in the left. For longer trim work or wide pieces I use a SCMS with a fresh sacrificial fence.

[Bill Arnold]

My Dewalt DCMS. No worries!
;)

[Clifford Mescher]

A real accurate sled on my table saw. Clifford

[Bill White]

Miter saw, RAS for really wide stuff, and TS.
Bill

[Jim Kountz]

Up until I got an Incra 1000SE I would have said table saw with a sled. Now its just the incra unless its something really wide that would require a different set up.

[Mike Henderson]

I use the miter saw, then trim with a shooting board, if needed.

Mike

[Derek Stevens]

chop saw for the majority of stuff, though if it is little stock, or I am on a jobsite with just a few miters to cut, I make up a 3/4 ply "ell" and cut opposing 45's and a 90 in the vert of the "ell" making a little miter box and I use a customized pull saw for the cut, though any dove or back saw would work.

[Bill Huber]

It all depends on what it is, if its like a frame or that type of thing I use one of those miter guides from Rockler. http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18030&filter=miter%20guage

For miters like a box I use the table saw and tilt it over to 45 degrees.

[James Reichman]

Mitre saw for any trim and mitre doors. My saw is an Omga Mec 300 st. Cuts perfect every time.

[Jim Becker]

I was just doing this today for the lid going on a tack trunk I built this weekend. I cut the mitered ends on the table saw with the blade tilted. Now, my saw is a slider so I used that utility to move the material through the cut, but it's essentially the same using a miter gage as a moving fence to control and orient the workpiece as you make the cut. When I had a cabinet saw, I typically used a sled in the same manner for these cuts, but with the blade 90º to the table and the workpiece held in the sled at the 45º angle. Of course, that only works for components that do not exceed the maximum blade hight for the saw.