Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 32

Thread: DeWalt 12 inch miter saw cuts are off

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Youngstown, Ohio
    Posts
    26

    DeWalt 12 inch miter saw cuts are off

    When i set my miter saw up using a wixey gauge for accuracy, it won't stay true.
    I set the vertical( perpendicular) at 90 degrees and bring the arm( blade) down not running i loose 0.3 to 0.4 of a degree. It won't stay at 90 degrees. If i move the blade to 45 degrees for a miter its the same.
    On a 6 inch wide board that i am trying to make a jewelery box from, corners are junk, bad miters. They are off almost 0.025 from the top to the bottom.
    I sent an email to dewalt and the response was take it to a service center.
    Does anyone have a recommendation for repairs?
    Thanks, abbey thomas

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Los Angeles, California
    Posts
    961
    The repair would be adjusting the fence. I would loosen both fences and push one out of action. Then using a framing square and a pile of scrap move the fence in and out until you can cut 90 degree cut that is clean and repeatable. Then engage the second fence so it is parallel or I guess the word might be co-planar. It should cut correct at 90 degrees. Then move the carriage to test your 45 degrees.

    I don't know of any other way to adjust a miter saw. That's how I do it, and quite frankly, I can get mine more accurate than a service center, but then again, my process takes about an hour.
    Regards,

    Tom

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,582
    Please clarify if holding the 90 degree angle is to the base or the fence. Tom's discussion above relates to the fence. If its the base there are different things to consider.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Deep South
    Posts
    3,970
    Is it correct to say that the blade does not remain perpendicular to the table as the arm descends? That is what it sounds like but I am like Pat Barry in that I am not certain as to how to interpret your description. I am also uncertain as to what is off by 0.025.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    NE OH
    Posts
    2,615
    Also, is this a slider, a compound miter, or an ordinary miter saw? Perhaps the model number would be useful too.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Trinidad, West Indies
    Posts
    458
    Consider using a table saw sled for the box making while u get this sorted out.

    MK

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Kapolei Hawaii
    Posts
    3,236
    Quote Originally Posted by Mikail Khan View Post
    Consider using a table saw sled for the box making while u get this sorted out.

    MK
    +1. Personally, I think you're asking a bit too much for a miter saw to be within .025" over a 6" span. A table saw sled would be much more accurate. Assuming of course, you have a good table saw. Just my $0.02.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by ABBEY thomas View Post
    When i set my miter saw up using a wixey gauge for accuracy, it won't stay true.
    I set the vertical( perpendicular) at 90 degrees and bring the arm( blade) down not running i loose 0.3 to 0.4 of a degree. It won't stay at 90 degrees. If i move the blade to 45 degrees for a miter its the same.
    On a 6 inch wide board that i am trying to make a jewelery box from, corners are junk, bad miters. They are off almost 0.025 from the top to the bottom.
    I sent an email to dewalt and the response was take it to a service center.
    Does anyone have a recommendation for repairs?
    Thanks, abbey thomas
    Try using actual squares for the alignment.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Peoria, IL
    Posts
    4,445
    A 12" Dewalt miter saw with a stock blade is wonderful for building decks, but not for precision boxes. If the Wixey is the type 2 with only 1 decimal place, it's not precision either. 0.1 degrees can make a huge difference. That means it can be .09 degrees off before it flashes to the next number.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Deep South
    Posts
    3,970
    Does 0.1 degree really make that much of a difference? Suppose you are cross cutting a 12 inch width plank. If the saw is 0.1 degree off, then the error will be approximately the cut width multiplied by the sine of the erroneous angle. In other words, the length of the error will be a little less than 0.021 inches. Is that really a "huge" difference? In most applications, I daresay the error will go unnoticed.
    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Coers View Post
    A 12" Dewalt miter saw with a stock blade is wonderful for building decks, but not for precision boxes. If the Wixey is the type 2 with only 1 decimal place, it's not precision either. 0.1 degrees can make a huge difference. That means it can be .09 degrees off before it flashes to the next number.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Greeley, CO
    Posts
    192
    Maybe it's time for a shooting board and a #5 handplane:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_board

  12. #12
    It's a construction tool. It's possible to get them dialed in real nicely, but at the end of the day, miter saws are engineered to a 2x4 standard. I opt for the table saw for any cuts that require real precision.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Coers View Post
    A 12" Dewalt miter saw with a stock blade is wonderful for building decks, but not for precision boxes. If the Wixey is the type 2 with only 1 decimal place, it's not precision either. 0.1 degrees can make a huge difference. That means it can be .09 degrees off before it flashes to the next number.
    That saw is capable of work precise enough for serious woodworking, if you set it up right. It's the Wixey that's only fit for building decks, IMO.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Woodstock, VA
    Posts
    1,006
    Abbey,

    Try cutting two mitered pieces and check for 90 at the corner. Do you have a good square? Once those look good I'd cut four small pieces to form a 'picture frame'. Any inaccuracies will show up in the last miter as you fit the frame together.

    As others have said a sled on a tablesaw might be the better method. Or a shooting board. But you can do it with your saw.

    When all else fails you can always use shims (blue tape, paper, etc) at the fence to nudge the workpiece the last little bit.

    Hope this helps.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Stone Mountain, GA
    Posts
    751
    The Dewalt 12" non-sliding miter saws are actually capable of very good accuracy IMO. I think something is off in the way the OP is setting up the saw- 0.025" is a huge error over 6" IMO, I bet a decent carpenter could freehand a better cut with a Skilsaw.

    If the chop arm is nice and tight (mine is pretty good, only about 0.002-0.003 deflection when I try to make it wiggle, less in actual use when I am trying to chop straight), then the issue usually is the base and/or fence.

    The biggest issue my saw had for accuracy was that the top surface of the rotating turret was a bit lower than the rest of the base, maybe 0.010" lower. This seems to be pretty typical, and makes it impossible to really dial in 90 in the vertical dimension, because the workpeice is unsupported at the blade and will want to tip down as the blade cuts. The solution is to make a custom zero clearance insert that is high enough to be at the same level as the base. A straightedge across the base should touch at each side of the base and at the insert. So when you place the workpiece on the saw it is resting on the base and the insert, spanning over the turret surface. I made my insert out of MDF and it is an improvement over the floppy plastic insert that came with the saw.

    The fence on mine was pretty good in terms of straightness and squareness, but if yours isn't you can attach MDF faces and shim them with washers/tape etc until they are.

    Once the base and fence are squared away, it is just a matter of dialing the blade angle in. I don't think a Wixey gauge is good enough. Just use a decent try square, or cut and flip method, or even a 5 cut method.

    Also keep in mind that the face and edge of your workpiece need to be flat in order to get consistent results.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •