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Making Square and Out-of-Square Cuts

Most of the time you'll want cuts that are square, but there are situations, such as an inside or outside corner of a wall, that are out of square. If that's the case, you'll need to make adjustments in the cut to accommodate the problem. Here's how to make both cuts that are square and cuts that are out of square.

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Making Square Cuts to Length

Step One
Laying out the cut.

Lay out the cut.

Guide a pencil along a combination square to mark the entire width of the board where you want the cut to be. Put an X on the waste side of the board so you'll know which side of the line to cut.

Step Two
Make a shallow test cut.

Make a shallow test cut.

Make the cut by lowering the blade about 1/16 inch into the wood on the waste side of the line. Pull the saw back up, and check where the cut starts in relation to the line.

Step Three
Making the cut.

Make the cut.

Adjust the position of the wood as needed to align the blade and the line.  Retest by lowering the blade again and barely cutting the wood. Make the cut if the test cut aligns with the line.

Making Out-of-Square Cuts to Length

Step One
Measuring the angle.

Measure the angle.

Put a T-bevel in the corner to measure the error.

Step Two
Setting the saw to match.

Set the saw to match.

Set the saw to the angle of the T-bevel, and make the cut. For more on using a T-bevel, see "Mitering When the Corner Is Out of Square."

Step Three
Making small adjustments using a deck of cards.

Make small adjustments.

It can be hard to make very small adjustments on a miter saw. If a cut only needs to be slightly out of square, shim the board with playing cards, adding cards until you get the cut you want.

 
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