I need to install new baseboards in my house, but I only have a regular mitre saw (not a compound mitre.) Is there any reason I can't just stand the board upright and make the 45 degree cuts that I need? Just wandering if I need to start trying to borrow a compound saw for the job.

4/23/2007 4:16:39 PM

what kind of saw do you have that doesnt have two axes? it should be able to be adjusted, compound mitre saws are the ones with arms to cut really wide pieces (like 10-12 inches or more).

4/23/2007 7:44:43 PM

you shouldn't need compound for base molding or chair rail, only crown.

To answer your question, yes that will be fine.

4/23/2007 7:54:01 PM

i was commenting more on the safety and logic behind standing a piece of wood upright - its supposed to be able to tilt (off vertical) by using the knob in the back. cutting it upright will probably give you a shitty cut. again mitre saws have two adjustments, compound ones have an arm that lets you pull it out to cut a wider piece of wood.

4/23/2007 8:00:03 PM

^a compound miter saw refers to one which you cut a miter or a bevel. You speak of a Sliding Compound Miter Saw.

Do you have a miter box and miter saw, or an electric one?

compound miter saw:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Bench+Power+Tools&pid=00923404000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Miter+Saws&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes



[Edited on April 23, 2007 at 8:12 PM. Reason : ]

4/23/2007 8:09:19 PM

true, my mistake. still heed the warning about standing the wood up to cut

4/23/2007 9:00:55 PM

it depends, you can cut up to 5 1/2" baseboard upright with a 10" saw, 6 1/4" with 12" saw, you can cut most of the way through, flip it over, reverse the angle and complete the cut, a standard saw only swings left to right, a compound saw you can also adjust the angle of the head to cut it laying down flat, and i have even done crown with a standard miter saw, it just takes some skill and a few jigs to hold it at the right angle

4/23/2007 9:03:49 PM

you can always clamp it, which it should have, or put a 2x4 in front of it.

4/23/2007 9:04:14 PM

you are thinking of a radial arm compound mitre saw

the blade size determines the stock size that you can cut

for a normal house, you should be fine with just a compound mitre saw

4/23/2007 9:05:29 PM

Quote :

"it depends, you can cut up to 5 1/2" baseboard upright with a 10" saw, 6 1/4" with 12" saw, you can cut most of the way through, flip it over, reverse the angle and complete the cut, a standard saw only swings left to right, a compound saw you can also adjust the angle of the head to cut it laying down flat, and i have even done crown with a standard miter saw, it just takes some skill and a few jigs to hold it at the right angle "

/thread

4/23/2007 9:26:50 PM

^ yep...I think that answers it. I'm not putting any big mouldings in these two rooms that I'm working on now. They're too small for it.

4/23/2007 10:47:01 PM