Cutting Compound Miters - RIDGID MS1060 Owner's Manual

Cutting Compound Miters

Cutting Compound Miters on Picture
Frames and Boxes
A compound miter is a cut requiring both a
miter setting and bevel setting. A com-
pound miter is used for making frames or
boxes that have sloping sides and are wide
at one end and narrow at the opposite end.
Compound miters are "tricky" to make
because the miter setting and bevel setting
are directly related to each other. Every
time the miter setting is changed the bevel
setting must also be adjusted; likewise
every adjustment to bevel requires a corre-
sponding adjustment to miter. Because it
may take several tries to obtain the desired
angle, it is advisable to make test cuts on a
scrap piece of material.
Tips for Cutting Moldings
A compound miter saw is also excellent
for cutting molding. Molding is sometimes
difficult because in order to fit correctly it
must be precisely cut.
Cutting Base Moldings
Base moldings and many other moldings
can be cut on a miter saw. The set up of
the saw depends on your molding and
your application as shown. Always make
sure moldings rest firmly against fence
and table.
Cutting Crown Moldings
Your compound miter saw does an excel-
lent job of cutting crown molding. How-
ever, in order to fit properly, crown
molding must be cut with extreme accu-
racy. Remember to plan ahead so that
you are not tempted to reach across the
saw blade to steady a newly severed
workpiece.
Two Methods of Cutting Crown Mold-
ing
Crown molding may either be cut (1) flat
on the miter saw table or (2) angled to the
table and fence. Most standard (U.S.)
crown molding has a top rear angle (angle
that fits next to the ceiling) of 52° and a
bottom rear angle (angle that fits against
wall) of 38°. Your miter saw has special
miter settings at 31.6° left and right and a
bevel setting at 33.9° to use when cutting
crown molding flat on the miter saw table.
These settings are identified with a "CM"
mark.
Remember: Even though all of these
angles are standard, rooms are very
rarely constructed so the corners are
exactly 90°. You will need to "fine
tune" these settings and make neces-
sary adjustments to the cutting angles.
Compound Cut Box
F
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Miter Saw Table
Cutting Base Molding
(Miter at 45°
Bevel at 0°)
F
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Miter Saw Table
1.Workpiece Lying
Flat
See Chart for Bevel
and Miter Settings
29
F
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Miter Saw Table
(Miter at 0°,
Bevel at 45°)
F
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38°
e
52°
Miter Saw Table
2.Workpiece Standing
Up-Side Down
(Saw at 0° Bevel/
45° Miter)