I've been a homeowner for about 13 years, which means I've done tons of fixes/home improvement projects. Until recently, I was using an old HF miter saw that I got from my grandpa when he passed away years and years ago. Just bought a Metabo HPT compound and the left gate is off, so I've been using the right gate (which is annoying being right handed and being used to that being my "chop" hand). Went figure out how to fix it, and am now feeling very dumb that I never even considered that all saws need zero'd in and adjusted / checked periodically. Now I realize why so many of my trim projects have had horrible corners. I thought it was just a part of doing trim.... This video is awesome. I've only used my new miter saw for a couple things, but my next project is doing all the trim in the house (again). I'm also going to be redoing my whole garage, building a miter station, saw table station, new storage systems / shelves, etc. Will be really nice to know my saws are zero'd in before I start building these carts and tables that will be my workstations for hopefully the next 15 years. Great video. Very informative, straight forward, and easy to follow. I love that you give examples and explain how other saws can be adjusted, in case they don't have all the same features as the one you're using. Great job! Now to go watch you table saw adjustment/tune up video!
I'm buying my first miter saw soon and this information was extremely helpful. Using double stick tape to attach the small piece of wood to a larger piece was really a great idea not to mention and safe it made the cut. Thank you very much and may the Lord take a shinning to you.
I recently bought a Harbor Freight Hercules miter saw, which I think, is a clone of the Dewalt Miter Saw you're using. It's my first miter saw, and it's off by like 1 degree. I have tried to "dial it in" and your video is the first video that gives me several ways to try to fix the saw (not just moving the fence, which isn't working). Thank you so much. This is such a helpful video and I'm really grateful for your having shared it. Thanks so much!!
Im a Fractal Wood Burning Artist and very new to wood working so. I have wanted a good miter saw since I started. Ive made due with a home made miter sled for my 1960s craftsmans table saw but just sold every piece I had so I got The DeWALT 779 last week and my first frame with it was a little off. I didnt know I needed to a just anything or how to . Now I Do. GREAT VIDEO THANK YOU.
Video gets a B+ but is lacking the little things that will waist a whole day or 2 to finally figure out which piece is off. Using methods that compound the error many times show the really accurate saw
I had a 10" Dewalt compound miter saw for around 12 years (light duty). It still works great ruclips.net/user/postUgkxPeGkHOMe05FySypTOvYumxMn-xi39oRe but I wanted something bigger. My only complaint about the 10" was the location of the motor, and this version fixes that issue. The XPS system works well. My only request for future versions is a dust collection port (or adapter) that fits large shop vac hoses (or standard PVC pipe fittings) a little better. But that's not a complaint, just a request.
“Exceptionally” practical. I’m about to do crown moldings in our living room. Thank you so much. All these little details often get lost when you don’t live with a miter saw every day.
This is a great video that is laid out well and very informative. Jim explains a lot of good points on how to get your cuts perfect. My only issue with this video is that all his cuts were already perfect. Would be nice to see some cuts that had imperfections and then working through the steps to correct it. Other than that awesome video Jim. Thanks for sharing!
Bought a Metabo KS216 for half a price. Person I was buying it off said its cutting under angle when on 0* tilt and 90* angle, so he sold it cheaper. What guy did is unscrew the pointer for tilt scale and screw it without checking, if 0 was actual 0. Saw was off about 2-3* and thats why his cuts were off. Wont lie, as this is my first Mitre saw (and Metabo non the less), but thanks to vids like this they can help you.
You can't stake your life on the marking lines. Only the detents. And they can get dirty or wear down over hard long use. A miter saw is as accurate as the last time you tested it and gave it compound hard tests to reveal error.
Hi. Very well presented. I have a situation. I followed your instructions for squaring at 90 degrees and I came up with this problem. I put my piece against the fence and made the cut and then I put my square against the piece and I got perfect angle. But as I turned the piece to the opposite side and then check the square , I noticed a big gap. I appreciate if you instruct me as what I should do. Thanks
Thank you for this lesson full of good advice. At the end you said “reading through your manual ...” well, most manuals are just a couple of pages with more care for the liability than for the features of the machine.
My manual doesn't explain some settings that might need to change because the previous owner moved them or you did and forgot and now cant get your adjustment properly. When in doubt, take it apart and see how it works so you can make the right adjustments
Great video which has provided inspiration to get my saw "tuned up" . In particular the peg that goes into holes to lock the angle may not be doing its job like it should. Great to know how to do crown mouldings too. Many thanks and seasons greetings.
I have the same complaint as a few others, it would of been helpful if you could of actually done some adjustments. even if every saw has different mechanics of adjusting them showing actual adjustments would of made this a better video. The process of figuring if its true is good so ill give you credit on that.
I only make A2 picture frames and I'll never make anything bigger. My mitre saw is a small cheap saw that does nothing fancy, but I have got a good blade and everything is checked regularly to see if anything has come out of true. I learnt the hard way the damage using a general use blade that is less than one degree out can do, roughly add up to four degrees by the time you are finished.
Why is the cut depth set go so deep beyond the board? On a table saw you would set the teeth to get just through the wood - what’s the reason this is different? Thanks!
The video is useful but, seriously, it doesn't show anything being tuned up. It just demonstrates what a well-tuned saw looks like. I hope next time we see a messed up saw being adjusted.
Probably grease not oil but check with a phone call. Also, dirt builds up on parts and so removing and cleaning with parts cleaner, drying and prober lube should help. I guess a nut could be cranked too tight also. Good luck!
I bought a miter online and the seller said it can cut bevels. Turns out to be a simple miter saw and you to stand the piece you're cutting on its side to produce a bevel cut. Can I still cut a bevel on a crown moulding with this?
All I learned was you have a miter saw that cuts perfect. You should watch previous videos and you'll hear how many times how ( perfect ) everything you do is.
I got that too. Hate to admit my jealousy because I'm just as smart as him or smarter and there are many gotchas when you do this in real life. Did you notice the outfeed post tilt when it was tightened? It's a common design flaw in my opinion but can be fixed.
Fences that are connected on the left and right side, via that semi-circular “yoke”, like this Dewalt, are the worst. They are often not parallel and there’s no easy way to fix it. I have to put masking tape on one side of my Dewalt 7 1/4” cordless fence to compensate for about 1/64” error.
Me too! I use painters tape on the left and right side of my base. The frustrating things is that each adjustment caries in to the next and so just about close will get you after the other adjustments. To me it's a YES or NO. Accurate or not. I would like to cut a 6x6 post on his saw and then check the vertices angle of the blade or use a 10x10 inch plywood square and do the 5 cut method.
Obviously your saw is set right...but why not show a saw that's not set right and show how to fix it...I think more people would appreciate that than something that's perfect
@@Wood obviously you missed my point, whats the point of making a video about adjusting saws if you don't actually adjust the saw in front of you..and some other people voiced the same thing...
Tune your saw to death just after purchase and installing a good blade. Use the stock one for some other project like a woodworkers clock. LOL! Then build something that is probe to show your errors. Use accurate stop blocks and good technique to rule out human error with cutting the parts. Do repeat cuts several times and it's YES or NO for accuracy. Then proceed to the other tests
Do you mean it's going to deep? If that's it then there should be a depth adjustment screw. It's often overlooked. Activate the arm, unplugged and look for where its touching. I mean to look near the pivot point. That's where you will find an adjustment screw. If you mean hitting the fence, not sure if that even possible unless a part is broken. Good luck
I've been a homeowner for about 13 years, which means I've done tons of fixes/home improvement projects. Until recently, I was using an old HF miter saw that I got from my grandpa when he passed away years and years ago.
Just bought a Metabo HPT compound and the left gate is off, so I've been using the right gate (which is annoying being right handed and being used to that being my "chop" hand).
Went figure out how to fix it, and am now feeling very dumb that I never even considered that all saws need zero'd in and adjusted / checked periodically. Now I realize why so many of my trim projects have had horrible corners. I thought it was just a part of doing trim....
This video is awesome. I've only used my new miter saw for a couple things, but my next project is doing all the trim in the house (again). I'm also going to be redoing my whole garage, building a miter station, saw table station, new storage systems / shelves, etc. Will be really nice to know my saws are zero'd in before I start building these carts and tables that will be my workstations for hopefully the next 15 years.
Great video. Very informative, straight forward, and easy to follow. I love that you give examples and explain how other saws can be adjusted, in case they don't have all the same features as the one you're using. Great job! Now to go watch you table saw adjustment/tune up video!
I'm buying my first miter saw soon and this information was extremely helpful. Using double stick tape to attach the small piece of wood to a larger piece was really a great idea not to mention and safe it made the cut. Thank you very much and may the Lord take a shinning to you.
Wow. I am totally blown away by the amount of great information and techniques in this video 😮 thank you for posting this!
I recently bought a Harbor Freight Hercules miter saw, which I think, is a clone of the Dewalt Miter Saw you're using. It's my first miter saw, and it's off by like 1 degree. I have tried to "dial it in" and your video is the first video that gives me several ways to try to fix the saw (not just moving the fence, which isn't working). Thank you so much. This is such a helpful video and I'm really grateful for your having shared it. Thanks so much!!
Did you ever get it all true? What did it for you?
@@doughaber3330 I did get it pretty close to true. There are a number of places on the saw where it can be adjusted.
Today I used my machinist setup blocks and a feeler gauge. Test cuts tomorrow. It's 99.99 at least
@@outerbanksproductions_videos Nice!
Thank you so much for the information. I haven’t tried it yet, but I appreciate the confidence that you instill by your choice of words :-)
Im a Fractal Wood Burning Artist and very new to wood working so. I have wanted a good miter saw since I started. Ive made due with a home made miter sled for my 1960s craftsmans table saw but just sold every piece I had so I got The DeWALT 779 last week and my first frame with it was a little off. I didnt know I needed to a just anything or how to . Now I Do. GREAT VIDEO THANK YOU.
Finally, this guy is Yoda!!!!! Once and for all I ran into a ninja who knows and explains correctly and on the money. Thank you......
Video gets a B+ but is lacking the little things that will waist a whole day or 2 to finally figure out which piece is off. Using methods that compound the error many times show the really accurate saw
I had a 10" Dewalt compound miter saw for around 12 years (light duty). It still works great ruclips.net/user/postUgkxPeGkHOMe05FySypTOvYumxMn-xi39oRe but I wanted something bigger. My only complaint about the 10" was the location of the motor, and this version fixes that issue. The XPS system works well. My only request for future versions is a dust collection port (or adapter) that fits large shop vac hoses (or standard PVC pipe fittings) a little better. But that's not a complaint, just a request.
“Exceptionally” practical. I’m about to do crown moldings in our living room. Thank you so much. All these little details often get lost when you don’t live with a miter saw every day.
This is a great video that is laid out well and very informative. Jim explains a lot of good points on how to get your cuts perfect. My only issue with this video is that all his cuts were already perfect. Would be nice to see some cuts that had imperfections and then working through the steps to correct it. Other than that awesome video Jim. Thanks for sharing!
Exactly, was just gonna say the same thing. Making a 'how to tune up' video with a saw that's already dialed in totally defeats the purpose.
Just came on to say thanks for the tip about cutting a board and flipping it to check fir straightness.
I always enjoy your videos, because they are always straight forward and spot on every time
Now I understand those numbers. At the end of the video was the most help for me, thank you.
Wow Amazing presentation...thank you!
This guy is the ultimate woodworking ninja ...as with the table saw adjustment video it's right on the money!
Bought a Metabo KS216 for half a price. Person I was buying it off said its cutting under angle when on 0* tilt and 90* angle, so he sold it cheaper. What guy did is unscrew the pointer for tilt scale and screw it without checking, if 0 was actual 0. Saw was off about 2-3* and thats why his cuts were off. Wont lie, as this is my first Mitre saw (and Metabo non the less), but thanks to vids like this they can help you.
You can't stake your life on the marking lines. Only the detents. And they can get dirty or wear down over hard long use. A miter saw is as accurate as the last time you tested it and gave it compound hard tests to reveal error.
I want to see you do the adjustments!
Hi. Very well presented. I have a situation. I followed your instructions for squaring at 90 degrees and I came up with this problem. I put my piece against the fence and made the cut and then I put my square against the piece and I got perfect angle. But as I turned the piece to the opposite side and then check the square , I noticed a big gap. I appreciate if you instruct me as what I should do. Thanks
Thank you for the knowledge and advice. You make it easy and simple. I love it.
You are a excellent tutor and a excellent man very well done video!
You are the best Jim, excellent video terrific information. Thanks.
Excellent video and tips, great work.
Terrific video, learned a lot, never heard of the crown molding asterisk before.
Me either. Guess I never read the manual. That tip alone would have been perfect 3 weeks ago, but I've definitely learned something new. Thank you.
Thank you for this lesson full of good advice. At the end you said “reading through your manual ...” well, most manuals are just a couple of pages with more care for the liability than for the features of the machine.
My manual doesn't explain some settings that might need to change because the previous owner moved them or you did and forgot and now cant get your adjustment properly. When in doubt, take it apart and see how it works so you can make the right adjustments
Great video!! Very informative!!
I was checking out your ring as well.
I subscribed.
Graduation ring.
You said it yourself showing is better than telling .
Great video, brilliant tips thanks for posting from Garry in the UK
Very good advise thanks for posting
Great video which has provided inspiration to get my saw "tuned up" . In particular the peg that goes into holes to lock the angle may not be doing its job like it should. Great to know how to do crown mouldings too. Many thanks and seasons greetings.
Great tips, Thanks!
I have the same complaint as a few others, it would of been helpful if you could of actually done some adjustments. even if every saw has different mechanics of adjusting them showing actual adjustments would of made this a better video. The process of figuring if its true is good so ill give you credit on that.
I only make A2 picture frames and I'll never make anything bigger. My mitre saw is a small cheap saw that does nothing fancy, but I have got a good blade and everything is checked regularly to see if anything has come out of true. I learnt the hard way the damage using a general use blade that is less than one degree out can do, roughly add up to four degrees by the time you are finished.
Excellent!
I always learn some valuable information from Jim.( jwhat's the gold ring on your finger?)
I want to know as well. I paused the video to try and figure it out.
I had to laugh when he said, "That's a nice looking piece of trim". 😇
Why is the cut depth set go so deep beyond the board? On a table saw you would set the teeth to get just through the wood - what’s the reason this is different?
Thanks!
Bottom in or top in when cutting crown flat?
The video is useful but, seriously, it doesn't show anything being tuned up. It just demonstrates what a well-tuned saw looks like. I hope next time we see a messed up saw being adjusted.
sergiopereira my sentiments exactly! Not to mention the quality of saw dictates if those fine tunes aremrepeatable let alone even a reality.
What about announcing to unplug saw when tuning
We can start with mine! I'd pay him 200 bucks and a new high end blade to get my Ridgid set right again. Ever spend all day trying?
The arm/handle of my miter saw is very sticky, how do I fix that?
Lube it?
Probably grease not oil but check with a phone call. Also, dirt builds up on parts and so removing and cleaning with parts cleaner, drying and prober lube should help. I guess a nut could be cranked too tight also. Good luck!
I bought a miter online and the seller said it can cut bevels. Turns out to be a simple miter saw and you to stand the piece you're cutting on its side to produce a bevel cut. Can I still cut a bevel on a crown moulding with this?
@@Wood thank you very much!
All I learned was you have a miter saw that cuts perfect. You should watch previous videos and you'll hear how many times how ( perfect ) everything you do is.
I got that too. Hate to admit my jealousy because I'm just as smart as him or smarter and there are many gotchas when you do this in real life. Did you notice the outfeed post tilt when it was tightened? It's a common design flaw in my opinion but can be fixed.
I have a craftsman professional 12 inch miter saw, i need to know to how to make l am getting a good 10 degree cut l am making a doll high chair?
Fences that are connected on the left and right side, via that semi-circular “yoke”, like this Dewalt, are the worst. They are often not parallel and there’s no easy way to fix it. I have to put masking tape on one side of my Dewalt 7 1/4” cordless fence to compensate for about 1/64” error.
Me too! I use painters tape on the left and right side of my base. The frustrating things is that each adjustment caries in to the next and so just about close will get you after the other adjustments. To me it's a YES or NO. Accurate or not. I would like to cut a 6x6 post on his saw and then check the vertices angle of the blade or use a 10x10 inch plywood square and do the 5 cut method.
I never knew what those special stops were! Thank you so much! 👍👍👍😎🇨🇱
Loved the video and the advice however I’m no professional but I don’t like being called a hacker. Lol
My Ryobi Miter saw has a laser line on it
I have a Slide miter saw that is a 10 inch blade!
Why would you use a perfectly tuned saw on a miter saw a tune-up video?
Not much chop if you are not a Profi & your saw is not set correctly.
Be Gr8 if you put your saw out of 90 or 45 & then show us how to reset it
this video would be better if the presenter tune an out of square/45 saw.
And as always we would push it off that stop and move it back? Ya lost me please explain
You didn't set the bevel.
This is not how to tune a the saw, this is just a video about a saw that is already tuned.
Nice video, but he is just showing us how perfect his saw is. No adjustments.
Obviously your saw is set right...but why not show a saw that's not set right and show how to fix it...I think more people would appreciate that than something that's perfect
@@Wood obviously you missed my point, whats the point of making a video about adjusting saws if you don't actually adjust the saw in front of you..and some other people voiced the same thing...
Calling someone a hacker who is not as skilled and experience as you boast that you are is rude and arrogant.
Moral of the story-buy Dewalt
Tune your saw to death just after purchase and installing a good blade. Use the stock one for some other project like a woodworkers clock. LOL! Then build something that is probe to show your errors. Use accurate stop blocks and good technique to rule out human error with cutting the parts. Do repeat cuts several times and it's YES or NO for accuracy. Then proceed to the other tests
my saw blade is hitting the face plate
Do you mean it's going to deep? If that's it then there should be a depth adjustment screw. It's often overlooked. Activate the arm, unplugged and look for where its touching. I mean to look near the pivot point. That's where you will find an adjustment screw. If you mean hitting the fence, not sure if that even possible unless a part is broken. Good luck
clean your blade worse than some of mine
@3:42 hahaha yea i tend to stay away from male counterparts who swing both ways. Good rule of thumb to live by.