Thread: Hand-operated COMPOUND mitre saw?

I can't recall seeing a frame for a hack saw, but I think there's something like that for Japanese saws for timber.

If you have a tilting arbor table saw with a mitre gauge you can use that. go slowly, use lots of lube and two pair of safety glasses. (In case one falls off)

Why the warning about the SCMS? (I'm curious, not disputing it, having no direct SCMS experience)

I've cut heaps of aluminium on my SCMS without drama, just take it easy and wear ear and eye protection, it screams when you cut it but the blades cope OK.
Lots of (soft) metal flying around but I never considered that a problem.

Hi strangerep,

Nobex make hand operated mitre saws that can do compound angles. Carba-Tec have them.

http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/ind...=120_8590_8630

Lee Valley also have them. Depending on postage you might find it cheaper to buy from them.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...,43836&p=32926

Hope this helps.

Sadly, I don't have a tilting table saw.

The warning about SCMS just comes from several articles in the metalwork
forum archive. Phrases were used like: "decorate your whole shed with
tinsel" and "turn your workshop into a silver-frosted wonderland". They
also emphasized the need for mouth+nose protection to prevent any
possibility of ally dust getting into your lungs (shudder). This is in addition to eye protection, ear protection, and tape around the neck of
your overalls. Sounded like one really needs total head cover if one wants to work safely.

I have neither a shed nor a workshop - only a garage. Blowing sawdust
onto the garden is ok in modest quantities, but I doubt the plants would
thank me if I fertilized them with ally dust. Not to mention what might
happen if there's a gust of wind when a child is passing nearby.

Looking at the photo of the Nobex compound mitre saw on the CarbaTec
website ($295), I don't understand how it can do bevelling unless the
fence is movable. But maybe the photo's just too small to see properly.
Ah,... Lee Valley's photo is larger, and says the fence is indeed
(re)movable. They're asking just $139.

I also see a Japanese Compound Saw Guide Kit on the CarbaTec site for
$99. But I have zero experience with Japanese saws (I merely know that
they cut on the pull stroke, not the push). Can Japanese saws be used to cut 6mm aluminium?

But hang on... what's this...? There's also a Carbatec "Large Mitre Saw"
for $65 which definitely does both bevel and mitre. A lot cheaper than
the swedish one (though presumably less well engineered). But it would
probably do what I want. OK, question answered. Thanks everyone.

BTW... what's the correct spelling: "Miter" or "Mitre"?

Originally Posted by strangerep

BTW... what's the correct spelling: "Miter" or "Mitre"?

My understanding is that it is miter in North America and mitre just about everywhere else in the English speaking world.

I believe it's also spelled "mitah" in the southern US and "howeverwebloodywellwant" in our own northern states.

But then again, they only barely scrape in to the "English speaking" category.

Originally Posted by strangerep

You know those small hand-operated mitre saws from Supercraft and the
like? Is there a variant on that kind of tool which can do a *compound* mitre cut (i.e: a cut which is both bevelled and mitred)? I tried some googling, but came up empty.

I need to do some of these cuts accurately on 6mm 50x50 angle aluminium,
but after reading the dire warnings from the metalwork forum archive,
I decided not to try and use a power compound mitre saw (due to the vast
amount of dangerous mess that technique produces).

TIA.

To get clean cuts on the aluminium you would be better with a proper aluminium blade for the saw and if you make up a false fence out of timber and clamp it to the fence on the saw and then set your saw at the required angle and cut through the timber fence and create a zero clearance fence and then you wont have any trouble with the saw grabbing the aluminium.

Originally Posted by strangerep

Sadly, I don't have a tilting table saw.

The warning about SCMS just comes from several articles in the metalwork
forum archive. Phrases were used like: "decorate your whole shed with
tinsel" and "turn your workshop into a silver-frosted wonderland". They
also emphasized the need for mouth+nose protection to prevent any
possibility of ally dust getting into your lungs (shudder). This is in addition to eye protection, ear protection, and tape around the neck of
your overalls. Sounded like one really needs total head cover if one wants to work safely."?

I have cut a lot of aluminium with me scms and yes it does produce small Al flakes, chips etc , but are no harder to contain and clean up than wood, and are thrown away from you as you cut ,
" tape around the neck of your overalls" , overkill and seams paranoid to me.
As to Al dust from cutting have never had this occur small shavings yes but not airborn dust

Originally Posted by strangerep

I have neither a shed nor a workshop - only a garage. Blowing sawdust
onto the garden is ok in modest quantities, but I doubt the plants would
thank me if I fertilized them with ally dust. Not to mention what might
happen if there's a gust of wind when a child is passing nearby.."?

Put a tarp down and cut towards a wall, then sweep or vacuum up.

Originally Posted by strangerep

Thanks everyone.
BTW... what's the correct spelling: "Miter" or "Mitre"?

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=headword>mitre</TD><TD style=" 4.5pt"></TD><TD>[IMG]res://edictres.dll/JPG/EDict_Pron_Button[/IMG]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

mi·tre [mtər]
noun , transitive verb
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 7.5pt" vAlign=top><TD></TD><TD class=DEFINITION style="PADDING- 1pt">"U.K. =" miter</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.<!--EndFragment-->

Seppo's have problems with proper 'inglish'
Z=Zee
Socks=Sox
Mitre=Miter
Holiday=Vacation
Iraq=Iraq or Iran
Iran=Iran or Iraq
Jocks=High school footy players
Scrubbers=An abrasive pad for cleaning soiled pots
Yacht=Sailboat
Aeroplane=Airplane
Emu=Emm Oooo (phonetic for best effect)

I'm sure you can come up with a few more..............

Originally Posted by Iain

Seppo's have problems with proper 'inglish'
Z=Zee
Socks=Sox
Mitre=Miter
Holiday=Vacation
Iraq=Iraq or Iran
Iran=Iran or Iraq
Jocks=High school footy players
Scrubbers=An abrasive pad for cleaning soiled pots
Yacht=Sailboat
Aeroplane=Airplane
Emu=Emm Oooo (phonetic for best effect)

I'm sure you can come up with a few more..............

You Ossies crack me up!

Originally Posted by Ashore

mi&#183;tre [mtər]
noun , transitive verb
"U.K. =" miter

HUH? :confused:

Microsoft&#174; Encarta&#174; Reference Library 2005. &#169; 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Ahhh... that explains it!

I once tried to build a miter saw, but the bishop wouldn't be in it. He ran off, muttering something about excommunication...

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

I once tried to build a miter saw, but the bishop wouldn't be in it. He ran off, muttering something about excommunication...

You miter been more tackfull as it was obviously a saw point with the bishop.

Boom boom, ashore - couldn't fit another pun in if you tried.

It is very safe to cut aluminium with a SCMS, after all if you go to places like carpal (?spelling) who are aluminium retailers, that is what they use. I have cut aluminum a few times even with a crappy saw and a standard fine tooth blade (which I dont recommend) and even that worked fine!

If you buy a good saw, use an aluminium cutting blade and have decent eye-wear there should not be a problem.

regards

Marios