Typically mounted onto a stable, flat surface, miter saws and chop saws belong to a category called bench saws.
Similar in appearance, both miter saws and chop saws cut a wide variety of materials, including wood, metal and plastics. Although both saws slice through material with a toothed, circular blade, the saws' cuts differ in angle and breadth. Whether you're working on rough construction or finish work, an overview of miter saws and chop saws prepares you to choose a saw with features that suit your project.
Bench-Saw Basics
Both miter saws and chop saws belong to a category of power tools called bench saws. The common characteristics of all bench saws are a flat, stable base and an arm-mounted blade that hangs above the saw's base. Although many bench saws are lightweight and easy to lift, bench-saw operators always place the tool on a bench, table or flat surface before cutting. Work stations for miter saws and chop saws include custom tables in a woodworking shop, temporary supports on sawhorses or ground level on a concrete slab.
Chop Saw
A classic bench saw, the chop saw consists of a wide base plate and circular blade. The tool's blade attaches to a mobile arm that extends above the base plate. Molded into the arm's top surface, a pistol-grip handle and activation trigger control the operation of the tool's blade. A spring hinge that attaches the chop saw's arm to the base plate allows the saw's blade to extend downward, through material on the base plate, and spring back to its original position. Strictly defined, a chop saw is a bench saw that cuts only up and down. In other words, the direction of the saw's cut is fixed; it does not tilt or rotate. Chop saws accept a wide range of blades, including wood, masonry and metal-cutting blades.
Miter Saw
Equipped with a broad base plate and arm-mounted blade, the miter saw resembles the chop saw. However, whereas the chop saw performs only crosscuts, the miter saw's arm rotates to create miter cuts. The term miter refers to cuts that are angled, relative to a board's face or width. A sliding plate nested within the miter saw's base allows the saw's arm to swing back and forth and stop at precise angles. Like chop saws, miter saws accept a wide range of blades.
Compound and Sliding Saws
Compound miter saws and sliding miter saws address the limitations of the standard miter saw. The term compound miter saw refers to a bench saw that performs both miter cuts and bevel cuts. Bevel cuts are cuts angled relative to a board's thickness. Therefore, a compound miter saw's arm not only swings left and right, but also tilts. Sliding saws address the need to cut wide material. A sliding miter saw's blade not only chops downward like a chop saw, but extends away from the base toward the saw's operator. Sliding saws often cut through lumber 12 inches or wider. The most advanced miter saws feature both a compound saw's miter and bevel-cutting action, along with a sliding saw's cutting breadth.
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