Many people would consider the miter saw to be one of the most useful types of saws around. This is because they can accomplish a variety of tasks and are excellent in terms of cutting accuracy. With that being said, your miter saw might not always cut straight.
There are actually a few different reasons why your miter saw might not be cutting straight. Today, we’re going to take a look at all of the reasons this might be, and what you can do to correct the issue.
Do You Need to Get a New Miter Saw If Yours Is Cutting Crooked?
Generally speaking, unless there’s an absolutely major malfunction or massive amounts of damage to your miter saw, chances are that you can fix the issue of the saw not cutting straight. Most of the issues surrounding a miter saw not cutting straight can be fixed on your own and don’t require purchasing an entirely new saw.
Also, keep in mind that your miter saw might be cutting crooked due to it being misused. In other words, it’s not working right because you aren’t using it properly. The bottom line is that unless a part of the metal frame or the mechanisms that move the saw blade around is damaged, chances are that you can easily solve the issue on your own without having to purchase a new miter saw.
The reason for this is because more often than not, the issue is going to lie with the fence, the miter gauge, the blade, the bevel gauge, or even due to the fact that you just aren’t using the saw properly. These are all things that are relatively simple to solve.
5+ Reasons Your Miter Saw Is Not Cutting Straight
If your miter saw is not cutting straight, there are five main reasons why this may be the case. As you will see, we also have a sixth point listed, other possible causes. Those other causes are just very minor things, and they’re usually not the case.
However, you never really know, which is why we have included that sixth point. Let’s take a look at exactly why your miter saw isn’t cutting straight and what you can do to solve the issue.
1. The Blade is Bad
Perhaps the most common cause of your miter saw not cutting straight is the blade being bad. First of all, blades just don’t last forever. If you have a very old blade that is getting dull, then it’s going to have trouble working its way through any material. If it encounters a lot of friction due to being dull, the cuts may end up being crooked.
With heavy and prolonged use, these miter saw blades can also crack, bend, warp, or become damaged in a number of other ways. This is especially the case if you use your miter saw blade for a material that it is not designed for. For instance, if you use a blade that is designed for wood to cut metal, chances are that you are going to break off some of the teeth.
Therefore, you do want to inspect the blade to see that it is still in good condition. If it is cracked, warped, or missing teeth, or if the teeth are dull, you’re going to need to replace the blade. On that note, always make sure that you are using the proper blade for the job in question, as not using the right blade can also result in crooked cuts.
2. You Haven’t Clamped the Piece Down When Sawing Bevels
If you are using your miter saw to cut bevels in two pieces of wood and you don’t have the piece clamped down, this may also cause the cuts to be crooked.
When you make a bevel cut, the head of the saw is angled towards the angle of the bevel. When you go to lower the saw, the combination of the blade spinning with the angle of the saw will draw the workpiece into the saw blade.
Therefore, the wood may move around as you try to cut it, which will result in cuts that are not straight. Therefore, the obvious solution here is to always clamp your workpiece down. This does go further than just with bevel cuts. Generally speaking, if the piece moves around while being cut, your cut isn’t going to be straight.
3. The Bevel Gauge is Misaligned
Related to the point mentioned above, if you are making bevel cuts with your miter saw, then you are going to have to use the bevel gauge. This is the gauge that allows you to precisely angle your saw to the left or the right to make bevel cuts.
If your miter saw has been damaged, suffered a heavy impact, or has just been used a lot, the bevel gauge may not be properly aligned. Sometimes, even miter saws that are brand new out of the box may also have bevel gauges that are misaligned. Now, this is not a problem that we can easily tell you how to solve.
The reason for this is because exactly how you calibrate or adjust the bevel gauge is going to depend on the miter saw in question. Therefore, the best piece of advice we can give you here is to consult the owner’s manual, as that will most likely tell you how to adjust or calibrate the bevel gauge.
4. The Miter Gauge is Misaligned
Just like with your bevel gauge, it might also be the case that the miter gauge is misaligned. If your saw has been used a lot, has suffered some sort of damage, or you somehow accidentally managed to mess with the miter gauge, this could very well be the issue.
Once again, keep in mind that brand new saws out of the box may also suffer from this problem, especially if you buy a cheap saw. If your miter gauge is not aligned, your miter cuts are not going to be straight.
The simple solution here is to realign the miter gauge on your own. Once again, just like with the bevel gauge, exactly how to adjust it is going to depend on the miter saw in question. Therefore, the recommendation here is to consult your owner’s manual.
5. The Fence is Not Aligned with the Blade
Another possible cause of your miter saw not cutting straight is if the blade is not properly aligned with the fence. The fence should always have a 90-degree angle to the blade. If the blade is not square with the fence, all of your cuts are going to be crooked and just bad.
To test if the blade and the fence are aligned, use a T-square. You should see a perfect 90-degree angle. Just like with the previous points, how to adjust the fence is going to depend on the saw in question, so reference your owner’s manual. However, in most cases, you just need to unscrew it, adjust it, and then screw it back into place.
6. Other Possible Causes
It may also just be the case that your miter saw has been damaged in one way or another. Maybe the table that holds the workpiece is not straight anymore, which could cause it to wobble. Moreover, the head of the saw that actually holds the blade and moves it around may also be damaged.
If none of the other problems mentioned above are causing your saw to not cut straight, it could be that the saw as a whole has been damaged to the point where it can no longer make straight cuts. If this is the case, you will, unfortunately, need to replace the miter saw.
Additional Tips on Cutting Straight with a Miter Saw
Let’s just go over a few general tips on how to cut straight with a miter saw:
- Always hold the workpiece down while making cuts
- Using the right kind of blade for the material in question is going to make a huge difference
- Remember to always get the blade up to full speed before passing it through the material in question
Summary
You should hopefully now know why your miter saw is not cutting straight, as well as some possible solutions to the problem.