How do professinol cabinet makers cut mitres?

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

How would you cut the mitres on a box with 120mm sides?

  • Radial Arm Saw

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • SCMS or Chop Saw

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Table Saw

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other powered machine

    Votes: 1 100.0%
  • Mitre trimmer

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Plane and Shooting board

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Axe

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other hand tools

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    1
I'm no pro but I find that all the mitres I cut on the SCMS are fine straight off the saw. I made an octagonal pencil holder for the shop a couple of months ago with sides of about 120mm. As it was for the shop I didn't bother checking the angle on the saw I just set the bevel by the inbuilt scale at the back. There is a cumulative error but it's tiny and I'd be happy to sell it.
 
promhandicam":3v9mq3lx said:
Also interesting to note that no one, thus far, has voted for shooting board.

Steve

That's probably 'cos you've aimed the question firmly at the Pro shop.

Cheers

Karl
 
Karl":324fgcrh said:
promhandicam":324fgcrh said:
Also interesting to note that no one, thus far, has voted for shooting board.

Steve

That's probably 'cos you've aimed the question firmly at the Pro shop.

Cheers

Karl
Agree with Karl here, pro's would defo use a tablesaur (provided it's accurate enough) but hobbyist's would use something else...more than likely a shute - Rob
 
promhandicam":1fz4sxph said:
Also interesting to note that no one, thus far, has voted for shooting board.

As Karl has said, that's because you aimed your question at pros. I'm not a pro, so didn't respond. However, I have a supposedly good quality mitre saw which, surprisingly, my wife bought me :shock: :shock: (must have been a moment of weakness :lol: ). Wouldn't have bought it myself, because I don't find them of much use. I find it almost impossible to get it to cut accurately. I'd only ever use it to cut roughly to size and then use the shooting board.

Maybe pros have far more expensive and accurate powered mitre saws but, for me, the shooting board wins every time.

Haven't voted because I don't meet your criteria.

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
wizer":2fd51oiz said:
I'll do some tests when the Hitachi is up and running.

you won't be dissapointed if its as good as mine
scms everytime, 9" skirting no problem as long as the blade is sharp
 
Mattty":22o474mp said:
I would tilt the saw to 45 degrees and do a trial cut checking for square.

Mattty, I'm interested to hear why you prefer to tilt the saw blade... Obviously, when your stock reaches a certain length, that's all you can do to cut the mitre.

But do you generally find this is more accurate than swinging the saw around to 45°? Let's say the timber is 70mm wide (within the maximum height capacities of most saws, so you could cut the angle either way).

I find that my Makita is very good is a leave the blade set at 90° to the table and swing that around to 45°. Then again, I've only cut mitres in ex. 2x1in with it, so far... :)
 
As with most other pro makers, I use the ts with the blade tilted to the required angle - double checked with my WIXEY anglemaster :)
if the pieces are small ie; under 75mm in width and less then 10mm thick, I rough cut on my ELU 274e scms and trim to the exact size with my Morso guillotine :)
 
wobblycogs":2ct07jyd said:
I'm no pro but I find that all the mitres I cut on the SCMS are fine straight off the saw. I made an octagonal pencil holder for the shop a couple of months ago with sides of about 120mm. As it was for the shop I didn't bother checking the angle on the saw I just set the bevel by the inbuilt scale at the back. There is a cumulative error but it's tiny and I'd be happy to sell it.

In my experience a SCMS will do this but only if it is a top notch one which you would have to spend minimum of about £700 on. I've got a £250 one and it will cut a mitre of sorts but you'd need some serious filler to get it perfect :roll: :roll: :shock: :shock: :evil: :evil: :wink:

Richard
 
promhandicam":17gidkjv said:
Not quite sure that a mitre trimmer would be able to do a mitre 120mm long

Steve

Ive just added to the cast iron in my shop with this beast which can do a 170mm high mitre. I am just in the process of cleaning it up but is also shown with a 120mm piece of oak tried it tonight and it cut spot on.

trimmer.jpg

trimmer-02.jpg


I actually voted panel saw as this is how i would generally cut these mitres but can see the trimmer being useful for final fitting or just taking a gnats off to get a perfect fit.

cheers

jon
 
So guys. My new Hitachi is all ready to go now. What would be a good test to prove the theory that a SCMS is good enough to make mitres straight off the saw? Picture frame?
 
OPJ":2552mhj9 said:
Mattty":2552mhj9 said:
I would tilt the saw to 45 degrees and do a trial cut checking for square.

Mattty, I'm interested to hear why you prefer to tilt the saw blade... Obviously, when your stock reaches a certain length, that's all you can do to cut the mitre.

But do you generally find this is more accurate than swinging the saw around to 45°? Let's say the timber is 70mm wide (within the maximum height capacities of most saws, so you could cut the angle either way).

I find that my Makita is very good is a leave the blade set at 90° to the table and swing that around to 45°. Then again, I've only cut mitres in ex. 2x1in with it, so far... :)

Only because the piece described was 120mm wide, if i can i'd rotate the head.
 
wizer":1ddvsgyo said:
So guys. My new Hitachi is all ready to go now. What would be a good test to prove the theory that a SCMS is good enough to make mitres straight off the saw? Picture frame?

Yeah either a wide frame section or a deep box section- either way it's five minutes cutting when you have the stock prepared. Pics pls :wink:
 
wizer":32ahyuup said:
So guys. My new Hitachi is all ready to go now. What would be a good test to prove the theory that a SCMS is good enough to make mitres straight off the saw? Picture frame?

Yep and make it a wide one :wink: 75-100mm on the face should show up any errors, don't waste decent timber just run off a strip of MDF.

Jason
 
Then, if that goes well, you could try making a tea or serving tray with compound mitres (angled sides)!! :wink:
 
I use my table saw but if I was on site and didn't have access to it I would use my Nobex Champion and fettle as I saw fit. I wouldn't use my CSMS, it's good enough for skirting and architrave (barely) but if you need to cut 4 corners and expect them all to meet it will not do.

Simon
 
Sorry, I missed the replies here. Yeh I think I'm going to try making a picture frame to test the saw's capabilities. I can't do anything until the P/T is sorted. So might be tail end of next week. But will indeed do pics.
 
wizer":3ikntgbf said:
Sorry, I missed the replies here. Yeh I think I'm going to try making a picture frame to test the saw's capabilities. I can't do anything until the P/T is sorted. So might be tail end of next week. But will indeed do pics.

Why not just use a strip of MDF for the test, as Jason suggested? Better than buggering up good wood! :wink:
 
yeh I'll set it up with MDF or scrap, but I want to make something to prove it works IRL. ;)
 
Making 4 joints without gaps will proove it works

Making 4 poor joints with good wood will only make firewood :wink:

J
 
Back
Top