SCMS's - Not built for accuracy?

[ivan]

Some mitre saw blades have a rather thin kerf, presumably to cope with deep cuts / modest power - a good recipe for blade deflection. Fixed head saws are generally much more rigid.

If you were looking for extra accuracy on a sawbench or RAS, (which will have a much better blade clamping/stabilisation) you might also fit a blade stiffener up to 1/2 of blade diameter; bit limiting on a chop saw though.....

 

[bugbear]

I'm having to resort to cutting them over size and finishing off with a plane and shooting board.

Sounds like normal practice to me. Any half-decent plane will leave a far superior surface to any saw that I'm aware of, so this approach is to be recommended regardless of the accuracy or otherwise of your sawing.

BugBear (refugee from the handtool forum!)

 

[OPJ]

If you were looking for extra accuracy on a sawbench or RAS, (which will have a much better blade clamping/stabilisation) you might also fit a blade stiffener up to 1/2 of blade diameter; bit limiting on a chop saw though.....

Very interesting point. I've come across "Blade Stiffeners" before and made a couple of wooden ones myself once, which helped the blade to run true on my former £200 table saw. Not sure how much length there is going spare on the mitre saw arbour though.

As my workshop is small, space is limited and I've gone to the efforts of building a Mitre Saw Station, I'm not keen on radial arm saws and am aware of the problems some "lightweight" DeWalt models have. I might look out for a thicker blade though...

 

[skipdiver]

I find a good quality 60t blade fitted in my mitre saw gives an accurate mirror finish most times without need for a shooting board.I use freud blades.