Woodworking Tips Index

Compound Miters on a Table Saw Crosscuts and miters are easy to cut on a table saw with the help of a miter gauge. But cutting a compound miter is a little more of a challenge. That's because you have to tilt the saw blade and then adjust the miter gauge to make this cut. Instead, I like to use a slightly easier method for cutting accurate compound miters.

I simply leave the blade at 90° and tilt the workpiece instead. The trick is holding the workpiece at the same angle that it will be in when it's assembled. To do this, I use a handy sled made out of plywood and hardboard, as you can see in the drawing at right. The sled attaches to my miter gauge. A tall fence on the back and a lip on the front of the sled helps hold the workpiece in the proper position as you make the cuts (detail a). Have a nice weekend, Brian McCallum Online Editor, Woodsmith