I have the exact same set as you for more than a decade now. I have been wanting to build a nice stop system. This is absolutely simple and functional. You just saved me a ton of work. Well Done!
Thanks Shane - I'm glad I could help. This video has been so popular, I'm going to release a sequel with some easy upgrades to make it even better. Keep an eye out :)
I’ve been doing without this since I bought my mitre saw. Obvious and simple. Many thanks. The alternative is to use the first piece to mark off the second and so on. A bit less accurate.
Thanks James! I have a couple of ideas on how to improve the stop block part - keep an eye out for the sequel. Don't worry, it will still be dad style, quick and easy and may involve motor oil and chewing gum if I can't find the duct tape :)
I totally did almost exactly this the other day. Slight differences in the details of how I clamped and stuff, but essentially the same setup. It's good stuff!
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse hmmmm. I suppose a bandsaw (which is also on my list) with a fence might actually give me a decent enough approximation of what I’d use a table saw for that maybe that should come first… 🤔🤔🤔
It depends on what you make. Right now I have a small DeWalt table saw. Model 745 which I did a review of if your interested. I have a track saw as well which I can use to break down sheet goods. This worked really well until recently when I decided to try some higher end furniture builds. Now I am rubbing into the limitations of that saw. The first is it cannot use a dado stack and the second is the table is small. I just ordered a crosscut sled to see if I can get around those limits. I also have a router table I can use, but that has some issues with tear out on some projects. So I guess there is never ending battle about what to get next but what you want to create or do is probably the most important factor. If you tell me a little more about what you want to do in the immediate future, I’d be happy share my 2 cents :)
Thanks for this great tip, I just did it this morning and used it for many different stop measurements. (Making a small tounge and groove storage unit for the garden) It certainly saved a lot of measuring. I had to drill holes in the fence to start with as there wasn't any pre-drilled holes. On the extended wooden (fence) I fitted the wood with "threaded inserts" so it's just a matter screwing it off and on with phillips headed bolts. Once again thanks, I'm really pleased.
Good video! The only thing I do differently is to put a piece of scrap wood between the fence and clamp plus use a C clamp ( can be locked in place tighter) instead of a sliding friction clamp which I found can loosen at the wrong time. Been doing it that way for 30 years since my past shop was a bit too small for a dedicated miter saw bench and the current shop is even smaller
Dirty little secret - I use the block as well :) but when I can't find it I've used just the clamp a lot. You should try those DeWalt clamps out when you a chance. I used them all summer building a playhouse for the kids as an extra set of hands since I don't have anyone that can help and they held 2x6x10 joists without slipping no problem. I'm pretty impressed by them. Of course, the fact that I used them in the video was the that all my other clamps were on another project lol.
Hi William - a few people have commented on this and I do use them but I find it difficult to keep the accuracy I need on some projects without really focusing on making sure the wood is up against the stop the right way because of it flex and it not locking at 90 degrees. If I need anything more precise than say 1/16 I do it the way I showed in the video. What kind of work do you do. What kind of precision have you found you get on yours?
You just saved me a shed load of wasted time for 4 different cuts I need to make at various lengths (with 12-14 pieces each). Thank you so much for sharing this hack for those of us who don’t have a fancy place to do our woodworking! MANY THANKS!!!
Hi Robert - Thanks for the comment! I cut a lot of angles which is the problem. I have an idea for a quick calibration system. If it works I'm going to a follow up video.
Happy I could help Jen. I made a second miter saw video which is a little tongue in cheek on how I upgraded this based on user feedback. There are some practical upgrades in it though that might give you some ideas on how you can make this your own without spending a ton of money.
LOVE the simplicity. Thank you for doing the thinking and finding a meaningful, easily actionable solution. Super share. Really appreciate you. May your goodness return to you and all yours many many times!!
Thanks for sharing this, been wanting something like this for my miter saw a longer fence cuts, again thanks for your advice on this project.😊 ,and also I agree with others about not being wearing a long loose sleeved shirt, watching you give me some chills how close you get to the saw blade, so be more careful my friend.
Hi David, sorry for scaring you and I'm happy I was able to help. I used to wear button downs mainly for the sake of filming when it was cold out in the garage. I'm actually really far from the balde as this is a 12 inch saw, but it doesn't look that way on the video and don't want to set a bad example. Since then I have tried to make sure I only wear short sleeves when actually cutting. Safety is super important and I want to make sure that comes through so I will be more conscious. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Patrick - thanks for the comment. The built in work great for most things. I made this addition when I was working on a table. Not sure if you noticed this but the flex from extension along with the stop blocks not making a perfect 90 degree angle add a little error. Enough to make a table wobble anyway. I use this when I need that extra precision and it also easier to adjust with smaller pieces where the extension stops are too far out. The wood is also nice because you can make marks on it for things you cut commonly and not need to measure all the time. When you need it, is nice to have and it is cheap enough that you can toss the pieces or recycle them when you don’t.
Thank you! I am still trying to build a simple but effective dust shield/collector for my old DeWalt miter saw. If you have any thoughts please share! Best
I do - Here is what use. shopnationstore.com/products/dewalt-dws779-780-miter-saw-dust-collection I didn't want to build something big because I want the store to remain portable and Travis at Shop Nation did tons of R&D on this and honestly for the cost I couldn't come close if I made something myself and had to model the 3D parts. Here is a short I made showing it in action. th-cam.com/users/shortsnqIjbSohPeA It is not perfect, but it is. the perfect compromise. Also if you want a laugh take a look at this video, where I tried to include all the feedback from this one into one single build. th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html If you have any question on anything, let me know.
Good Idea.. although it does take away cutting depth for when cutting boards. And also the risk of getting warped wood untruing the perpendicularity of the miter saw. But its a great idea for when the job requires multiple cuts. It shows how sometimes ones smartness can make more use out of the tool.
All Good points Jeffrey, this is a construction trick for cutting things like studs, etc. you can actually draw a story stick on the board and just clamp as needed. If you are worried about warping you can use MDF instead of wood, and if if you are really crazy like me, check out the video where I show how to use aluminum extrusions. Happy Building!
Thanks Thomas! If you what to see my new over the top version check this out Supercharge Your Portable Miter Saw With These Easy Upgrades! th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the video. Of course it looks so simple to do, but being I have a 7 1/2 inch sliding Kobalt miter saw, I had to make adjustments to the add on so that the motor wasn’t banging into it.
Thanks so much! when I first started, I played with a section called quick fixes but they didn't catch on. I was still experimenting at the time, well I still am, maybe I should bring it back. What is cross grain wood products? Anything cool I should check out?
Very few people know about things like that. It is rarely in the instructions. Professionals share these types of tricks and I’m trying to pass them on to the garage hobbyist. I’m glad you found the video helpful.
Hello, this takes all the fun out of holding 2 boards together to make sure they are both the same length, trying to hold them down square with one hand and using the saw with the other! Thanks this was a great tip - !!
You can also add another piece of plywood under the aux fence above your throat plate( where the bottom of your board rests the “base”) and attach them together just make sure it’s at a close as u can 90.. this will make it a aux fence stop block, and zero clearance all in one which will help reduce tear out .. most of the tear out is in the unsupported areas that the blade also exits thru (bottom and rear) so this will really help with that and help with small cutoffs being lodged in your throat plate...and I’d maybe also suggest 2 fences, one for 90s and one for 45..or just use it as is without cutting a 45 into until the time comes u need a 45 then do it..it’s not feasible to have a fence for every angle but once you cut away that back support as u did u lose the tearout protection back there..love the video keep it up just trynna help 😊
Hi Fabian, I think you just wrote the sequel. Thanks for the constructive feedback and the great ideas. One idea I've been playing around with is how to make the fences interchangeable and easy to get realigned once you switch. I thought of using a standard bolt pattern and countersunk hole in the face of the fence. What I haven't figured out yet is how to re-calibrate the metal fence. That saw gets a lot of use both by me and sometimes contractor helping out with the house. I've also had to move it around the house and property for different projects. Moving those metal fences doesn't happen a ton but when it does it throws off the clearance. So far the best way I found is to push the aux fence back up against the blade. This works but it does trim a little of the fence (the difference between the body of the balde and the kerf. Not a big deal, except I'd like to add a ruler to the fence and losing a little each time would throw it off. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Nice simple solution. I would just recommend clamping a block to the fence for the stop instead of relying on the rubber foot of the clamp. It will be more accurate as the rubber can give and also the wood stop will have more friction and will be less likely to move.
Hi Conner - great recommendation. I have also had people mention putting self adhesive sandpaper on the block to increase the friction with the fence. I always meant to make a follow up video dealing with different ways to make stop blocks but never got around to it. The feedback and suggestions on improvements from everyone on this video has been awesome. Happy holidays and thanks for contributing!
Keep an eye out in the next few weeks I’m working on a portable station to try and rival the features of what some people build into the walls of their shops. It is definitely not meant to replace to trick but I thought it would be fun to try and incorporate a lot of the feedback I got on this video and try and build it without cost restrictions. The only requirement is it needed to be portable and could be easily set up in about 60 seconds.
Nice. This also works well for cutting very small pieces. Just cut the fence at the one degree you need (just 90 for example) and then you have a zero tolerance fence for cutting small pieces. Just keep your fingers away with creative use of a 10 inch stick to hold your piece against the fence.
I was thinking of doing that as a follow-up. I have an idea for a sled that goes over the aux fence, so you don't need to keep swapping. The only problem is I'm not sure what to call the video yet :P
Thanks Edmond. Originally these videos were made for family and friends - newer videos are different in how they are organized to be more friendly to the larger audience I’ve been getting. Enjoy your weekend!
You could increase your safety and functionality by adding a piece of material to each side of your fence extension. Find the center of your fence, set it on your saw, and mark where the edges of the saw's table are, on the fence. Add a piece of 1-by, starting at your marks, and extending to the ends of your fence. Pre-drill and mount the pieces to the bottom edge of the fence extension, making a "hog-trough" or "strongback". These pieces will extend the saw's table for greater infeed and outfeed support. In order to make the fence extension more secure, i would not use short wood screws. I would drill and countersink, or counterbore, mounting holes and use carriage bolts or machine screws and nuts. Make sure that mugg is snug! In order to prevent sag in either the fence or fence/table extension, you might need to add a foot or leg down to your bench or the floor. Yeah, I know. I've made the one minute fix into a five minute project. It's ok. You can handle it. I have confidence in you!
Hi Rudi - let me know what you think k of this version :) this is my non 60 second version. Building it gave me lots of ideas. I’d love to hear what you think. Supercharge Your Portable Miter Saw With These Easy Upgrades! th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html.
Hi Rob. Good point and they do, but their level of precision is not perfect and with what I was doing I needed perfect. They are great for some things, but when 1/32" off will makes the fit look off and I'm using expensive lumber like I was about to with the cabinet build, I prefer this solution. Also not everyone has a stand with those stops, so I was trying to show an alternative in that case as well.. thanks for watching and commenting!
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse I used your trick today to make a privacy screen using 2x1 inch slats cut 4 feet long on my super genius stop block - oh wow....I cant tell you how good it looks - seriously I cant thank you enough!! (Im gonna use it for everything now....even cutting slices of bread....haha)
@@SJ.77 Lol - Glad it worked out so well. Just remember slicing bread requires a very fine tooth blade with a serrated or it will just squish your Rye :)
Left out a crucial step; double checking your cuts (or clamp) every so often to ensure nothing has moved when doing more than a handful of pieces. In my experience, the longer and/or heavier the material is as well as how quickly you're trying to work greatly increase the likelihood of movement. Also (obviously) cheap clamps
Good point. I mostly use this setup for things like table legs, apron pieces, etc. so it is 4 quick cuts, check them and done. Always good to check. Did you see the video of the updated uber version?
It appears you have the dewalt stand for your saw. It has stops built into both ends that are adjustable. Bit more trouble than a clamp but they’re there and they do work.
Hi Rick - it is the Dewalt stand and i used them for a long time without any issue until i built a kitchen table for the house and all four legs were off. The stops built into the stand are not designed with high precision in mind nor do I really expect them to be as they as this system is really designed for contractor type work. The two biggest problems are the stops are not 90 degrees to the stand when you flip them up - they are obtuse. So if stack two parts and push them against the fence the top part will be longer. The second issue is there a little deflection in the metal. Depending on how hard you push up against stop you can change its length. This introduces some error into the work although it might seem minor at 1/32 to 1/16. It would never be an issue with most things, but it will drive you crazy if you are cutting multiple table legs or something like a tenon joint or half lap. There are other benefits to having the wood auxiliary fence as well as I often draw my story stick onto it and move between cuts. For a few seconds to set it up it is worth it to me. But for a lot of work, most people would never need this accuracy out of there miter saw. If you though this will help I promise :)
I'm thinking about doing a sequel where I spend $100 to pimp it out :) My channel was always about helping people get things down and learn to do things themselves so I try and show solutions with tools that the everyday DIYer might have. Glad you liked it.
Quick and easy. Nice. I know the keyboard carpenters are going to come in and yell about how easy the clamp will be to nudge off your mark. Just be careful when butting against it and I would even put a pencil mark there so you can just look to check it occasionally making sure it’s staying put. Nice tip :-)
Thanks. It was just a quick fix. Originally, I wasn't even going to make a video on this, I just did it because I needed something while i was working on a cabinet carcass. It was pouring outside and I needed more space to do the assembly on the driveway so I made the video since i couldn't do much else lol. The video is pretty popular so far, so maybe I will do a follow up on making a better stop. The clamp is not the best way, but i wanted to show people if you are careful, you make simple, accurate, repeatable cuts without spending a fortune on hardware and three days building. Some of the thoughts I have for upgrades would be captured bolts so it can be removed, maybe t-track up top and a flip fence. Let me know what you think.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse Yeah this is nice. I work for a stage company and we build our own stairs to bring on site at every height...thanks for keeping it simple and taking the time to move your camera around.
Thanks for the sub! Hopefully you find some of the other content useful. I've been creating some other quick fix videos as well. I recently uploaded one on extending pip clamps and hopefully today I'll get a video uploaded on how to undue titebond glue joints.
That Looks like Radiata Pine which is different than a standard #2 pine... either way pine will still move and contort with moisture and humidity since it's not a hard wood. This way may be effective in a one off situation but not reliable in a long term application. If that's your goal attach a base plate to it , to keep the wings straight!!
If the length of pieces I have allow it I'll just use that clamp that comes with the mitersaw to hold a block down as a stop. I can see one on his behind the fence. You paid for it so you might as well use it for something. Alternatively you can also just make a mark on your miter saw, again for shorter pieces. The mark cleans off easy enough with a bit of spit.
The nice thing about using this setup is you can customize it on site or at home for whatever you are doing. One thing I really like to do is create a story stick out of the auxiliary fence with the measurements for all my different components by writing on the wood like you said. I can then move the stop about as much as I want following the marks as I build. A good upgrade it to cut a small piece of wood and glue a small tab on one side so you can slide the stop along the fence. Then clamp the block to lock it in place. This will give you a larger reference surface on the stop.
Stop cuts are pretty common. I have built many projects using stop cuts for consistent piece cuts. It's surprising that more people don't know about these.
There isn’t much education anymore on basic tool operation. I think many schools have done away with shop classes etc. there is definitely a new creator movement on TH-cam looking for this information so I try to contribute what I can to help those looking for advice. Happy Holidays!
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse Your solution to explaining stop cuts was simple and easy. It did not cover stop cuts on the table saw though. Of course, they are possible on a radial arm saw as well, but I don't have one of those.
Yeh I was thinking depth stop cuts since we talking miter saw. I don’t do a ton of stop cuts on the table saw. Mine is just too small. I use the router table more often for that kind of work. Hoping to get a cabinet saw soon.
Mine is asking Santa for a Sawstop :). I’ve done a lot of good work on my DeWalt jobsite though and it never really limited me, it just isn’t efficient for what I want to do anymore.
? the reason the saw moves on its mounts is to use the "end Stops." the metal tabs at the ends of the ends are for support and as stops for repetition of part production of longer pieces!
Hi Forgotten Tech. The black tabs on the material supports are meant to act as end stops. However, there is too much play in them for extremely precise cuts. I'd have no problem using them to cut 2x4 for framing but not if I wanted to make sure 4 table legs are the exactly the same and not wobble. This is just a quick way to add more precision when you need it.
Great idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before but now it’s stuck in my head and I can’t wait until I need to make repeated cuts of the same length on my miter saw again. I just hope that it’s not so long that I forget about your tip. Lol. Oh by the way , you just got one more subscriber. Congratulations 🎉
Thanks so much Jerry!. You can always just set a reminder to watch every day until it is burned into your brain :). I really appreciate the subscription and I have some interesting things planned. I can't wait to see what you think.
Took we a second to figure it out. The one he is spinning in the intro in a miracle grow composter. They like helping me outside. It spins to turn the mulch. He is playing with that :)
Good question. The issue is not the fence but the stops that are built into the stand. The end stops are intended more for rough framing than for precision work. As a result there is some movement and flex in them which can cause 1/16 to 1/32 variation in the length of cut using those stops. If I was framing this would not be an issue. However, If I was building a piece of furniture this is enough to cause a rock or unevenness in the legs. This is a quick way to increase the precision when you need it.
Thanks Wayne. To answer your question, it really depends on what length of boards you typically work with and the size of the cuts. The largest material I work with is 10 feet. Mine is set up with 6 feet to left and 2 to the right. So far that has worked for me. If I need to cut small pieces off a large piece I just cut the larger piece down first. One reason example I was working on was a five foot cabinet where I cut the walls and bottom from an 8 foot plywood rip. The 5 foot floor fit to the left and if I wanted to cut the 20 inch walls first I could do it with the stop on the right. Of course if your projects are smaller you can make it much more compact.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse No your detent angles are your common cut angles that your miter saw will have knotches cut into the detent plate (the plate that shows your miter angles). Those notches are what makes your saw lock in on 0, 22.5, 45, etc. Those are your detent angles. Any angle other than those angles you have to sight in on them manually and lock your miter arm. I was just wondering is there a way to put a stop or a lock on that somehow. LIke if you had to cut a lot of 62.5 deg angles but you were also having to cut 0 degree angles as well so you're having to bounce back and forth b/w 0 and 62.5 deg cuts - is there a way to put some kind of stop or lock on the 62.5 so you're getting the exact same angle every cut in the same sense that you use a stop on 0 degree cuts. Instead of making a stop for a length your making a stop for a certain miter angle (one that is not a detent angle).
@@morokeiboethia6749 Got it - normally when hear detent someone is talking about hinges, but I get what you are talking about. So two things come to mind. 1. Put a small A-clamp on the plate to make a stop. 2. Set the angle and cut a wide piece of scrap wood to use as an alignment gig. Use the scrap to line the blade against. Just make sure the saw is unplugged when you line it up, some have hair triggers.
I prefer using my 12” radial arm saw but a chop saw works ok. I’m at a total loss of understanding why people buy a saw with 12” blades and not utilize the blade size. A 12” saw will cut through 4” thick stock but most work is done cutting each 3/4- 1 1/2” board one at a time. Why? I don’t know. Let’s say you need (6) 1x4’s cut to 47 1/4” and you have (6) boards. Set the (6) boards vertically on the saw closely aligned on the right end. Clamp the boards together and cut the first end off to square all the ends, turn the clamped stock around, measure and mark, then align with the saw blade and cut all (6). Now you have (6) boards exactly the same length with two cuts. If you are using 2x4’s you can still do it. Best wishes, Kevin
Hi Kevin, great points. I have a 12 inch in saw, but I don't think think most of the viewers I've had in the past do (though recently the channel has grown pretty significantly , so that might be changing). Thank you very much for your comment and adding to the discussion. I started this channel to share my first time DIY experiences with others and having people like you contribute to the overall knowledge base I'm trying to create is awesome. Thank you for taking the time to share! I like this technique because it works with pretty much all miter saws. It also works when you can't stack the pieces easy for a cut, such as when making a compound cut or a bevel. I also suck at measuring and I prefer to ruin 1 board at a time :)
@@KevinCoop1 More I get distracted by the little guys screaming in the playroom next door and have trouble remembering my name, let alone alone what I just read off the tape measure :) I'm also dyslexic and switch numbers in my head. I'm good when I focus.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse I’m dyslexic too, but do not have that symptom. Maybe millimeters would be easier for you to remember instead of 1/16ths and 32nds. Best wishes and happy holidays to you and your family! Kevin
@@KevinCoop1 I think it is a little different for everyone. My background is in electrical engineering, so I'm familiar with working in metric and it is easier. It is just hard going back and forth. So far I've stayed in standard for videos and demos, but maybe aI should try one in metric :) Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!
Your miter saw appears to have a hold down. One could use this hold down to hold down a bit of wood at the desired distance from the blade thus acting as a stop. Additionally the saw stand you have has flip up stops on the sliding stock supports so you in fact have one of those fancy miter saws with stops. Good solution otherwise for people who may not have the features that you do.
Hi David - you are correct. I do have those options and made this video for people who might not have those option. However the playing the stop of the stand does cause some imprecision. Don’t get me wrong you could frame a house with this system, but it you were building a piece of furniture, the little bit of flex is enough to cause wobbly legs and joints with gaps. This simple setup makes everything almost perfect even for those high precision application where the part length needs to perfect across multiple members. It is also much more portable than building a dedicated stand. If you want to see a fun build I did an updated portable stand where budget was not issue and tried to incorporate every upgrade on this thread for fun. Let’s just say it is t for the budget faint of heart :). Thanks for watching and for the comment. Happy building!
Easy repeatable cuts? Built my own mitre saw bench 40 years ago. C clamp and a block of wood, done for the next 40 years. Still have it in the shed, pull it out by hand set it on the saw horses and ready to go in five minutes for two cuts of an hundred.
Same theory, When I made this video the tip was more for working on location being able to pop something together with scrap. Simple works as you know :)
Unfortunately one screw in unstable pine with a rubberized foot on a quick clamp will only be marginally precise and will only suffice for general framing but not much more. In the setup shown, the supports on your stand also slide and have stops. They are equally imprprecise but don't even require the 60 seconds.
Before commenting you should read the other comments. These include ways to make the system more precise using blocks, MDF instead of pine,using bolts and counter sinks as well as dozens of people who shared their success stories including me who used this with no problem. All of these are better solutions then the outriggers which can be off so much they aren’t good for anything other than framing which is what they were meant to do. If you have a system that is faster and more precise I encourage you to share and help others out. Oh and it needs to cost pretty much nothing and be portable to the job site and can be put together in a minute. Those are the engineering constraints. Looking forward to your solution.
My Dewalt saw does not have holes on the right side fence and it has a molded structure on the back that is too chunky to drill through and create them. I really regret choosing this saw! Nice video though 🙂
Sorry to hear that, which saw do you own? You can try these fence clamps. amzn.to/3F1MqpB It requires a little more work to drill the hole in the fence, but it should allow you clamp the fence in place rather than using screws. You can use them with other things as well like making a sacrificial fence on a table saw. Let me know if that works or if you have any other questions.
My DeWalt is 17 years old and has holes on left and right sides of the fence. I don't know why they changed but it's a easy fix just drill the hole where you need it. I cut 22 five inch 2x4 blocks yesterday with no stop blocks they were all with in 1/32. Just do the best you can and pay attention. I'm 70 years old and have only used stop blocks when building furniture. Most production shops use them but they also use fences that are dedicated to that saw and the same brand of blades. If you want to you can gang out them to insure they are the same. Just be careful using s/blocks and make sure the blade is stopped before you lift the blade.
Hi Hank - You should be able to cut any angle your saw is capable of. The first time you cut the angle it will notch out the fence. You will no longer have zero clearance like you would if you only cut 90 degrees but I show in the video hoe I notched the entire middle to cut all angels. If you need to to reference the stop to angle side of the cut. you might need to a bigger stop. as the clamp by itself really only works when the reference 90 degrees to the fence. What you can do it glue two pieces of scrap together to form an L shape. Then bracked it from behind with a backing block to keep it square. Then clamp that to the fence to extend it out so you can register the point of any angle to it. This might be hard to visualize, so if it doesn't make sense, let me know and I will throw one together and send you a photo.
Hi Herman, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. My stand does have stops but I made the video for people that might not have a stand like that. Also personally, for anything other than framing and rougher kinds of work I find the stops on the stand have too much play and they aren't 90 degrees to the support resulting in not enough precision for me me. The way I showed in the video works really well, when I need to be spot on. It is also easier to set up for me.
Those light duty Dewalt clamps are notorious for letting go. The jaw pads aren’t very firm if the haven’t fallen off and gotten lost. Clamp a block on with an adjustable tuning screw for a stop. I use iron C clamps to secure temporary stops. Dewalt owes you for product placement.
Hi Pete - c clamps are definitely better. When I made the video I was trying to show you don’t need all the expensive green toys you see all over TH-cam to make accurate cuts. Not that there is anything wrong with that and I own a bunch, but I want to show people they can start making with whatever they might have in the garage.
If you mean Fesstool l just have the C18 drill kit ( $6C retirement gift to myself ergonomics similar to my old Makita 9.6’s) Now Ryobi I have a crate full. The adjustable screw serves another function and that’s keeping the chop saws plumes of dust from building up against the stop and shorting your work pieces
I use a block most of the time. But when I drop it and it vanishes into the rift I've used the just the clamp. This Dewalt actually works pretty well because the bumper on the pad is pretty hard. If it was a c-clap, I'd have to use the block. Thanks for pointing it out though, I should have mentioned that option in the video.
Good job. As you build confidence in presenting to a camera audience your videos will only get better. You put in work to make this, haters gonna hate, they’re just Debbie Downers. Do take their input, but reject their negativity. A shorter intro would be good. No reasonable person cares what the background looks like as long as the content is good. I for one will use your example to help make equal length cuts. Remember, keeping things concise helps, absolutely nothing wrong with being professional and to the point, which you did for the most part (dropping the handful of wood screws detracted a little). Overall, great job! Please continue doing what you’re doing!
Thank you Eric. I appreciate the comment. Sometimes I get a little goofy trying to keep myself engaged in some of these projects. These videos (even short ones) take a lot of time and effort. I started making them as a project for the kids to see the house coming together as they grow up in it. Over the years, the channel has started to grow I have tried to embrace the non-family members watching the channel and share tips and techniques I'm learning along the way. Sometimes this leads to some mixed messaging as to what the content is about and who it is targeted at. Originally the content more blog style. I think I'm still trying to figure that out as well. I'll keep making adjustments and evolve as the viewership grows, and please forgive me if I drop some nails once in awhile :)
Don't use the bare clamp, clamp a scrap block. I don't have any formal stop block coz I can always produce one in a second. Don't look forward to buying a commercial stop block, unless yours is a real production environment where repeatable cuts is a constant part of the process.
Good idea, though you don't need to pre-cut your slots as the blade will cut the slots as needed. I do think the intro is way too much and that anything that goes over 10 seconds seems excessive. Keep it tight, which adds to the production quality of the video.
Thanks Tom, this is the first shorter form video I did to test out the response - which has been pretty good overall and I think I will do more this way. Most of my previous videos are longer and have a bit of as story to them, hence the longer intro I did, which is part of my editing template. I think it is a fine line to showcasing some of the other projects in the beginning and also communicating the main intent of the video so I appreciate your feedback. Is it the pre-roll that in your opinion that makes it feel long or the teaser with the logo? In the longer videos I use the pre-roll to quickly say what the video is about and the teaser reel to promote the channel before getting into the content. I think the channel teaser runs about 25 seconds. Thanks again.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse no sir, the pre-roll is fine, and I get the function of the header, but once you've seen it once you don't get much out of it. BTW, I've got the week off so I'm thinking about implementing your miter saw trick. My miter saw setup is a bit overcomplicated, so I'll have to do something with it to make your solution workable.
@Tom Holmes Hi Tom, Mine was down and dirty, and made from scrap. I move the saw to much and actually use it on location which is why it on a stand in my garage and why I don't have a better solution in place already. Let me know how it goes. I'm thinking of doing a follow up video including some of the suggestion I've gotten in the comments. If you come up with a good fix let me know. The first upgrade I like to make is to add t-track and a metal stop to replace the clamp. I also think I will change the fence to MDF as the pine will likely warp a little over time.
This is a simple nice fence. But, you lose cutting depth (the width of the board). I have a fairly small miter saw (254 mm disk if I remember well) and taking out even 18 mm is already more than I want to sacrifice.
Check out my other miter saw video. It is meant to be over the top, but you can find some things that are pretty basic and can be adapted and don’t reduce the cut size.
Excellent idea. I'm about to make some changes to my workshop setup in order to free up some space. My mitre saw station has been great, but I don't really need it all the time, as most of the stock I cut tends to be smaller, this is the ideal solution as it can be popped away when not needed. I'll attach a link to another video I saw that is also incredibly simple when you want to make repeatable cuts in sheet material using a circular saw or a plunge saw. th-cam.com/video/al_pBf0ffzs/w-d-xo.html
Making your own track is great. Their are also some nice cutting jigs from Kreg as well. Some are really cheap compare to the price of decent plywood to make my own these days. I must confess to a dirty little secret though. I own a Festool track saw which I use for those types of cuts. It was expensive, but much cheaper than a new cabinet table saw and it takes up zero space when stored. The chop saw is definately big, but I love it. I do need to break it down when I work on bigger projects though. So this fits the bill for me like you said. It is fast and easy to set up and break down out of the way. If you want to a laugh though check out my 2024 Miter saw upgrade video. I tried to integrate every comment and suggestion from this video into it. Some worked out better than others. The disco is fun though. th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse Ditto on the cost of plywood. A lot of the jigs and gizmos you see being showcased on TH-cam might look amazing, but when you just want to get something done and don't want to spend a whole weekend making something you could just buy for less than £20 and then get on with the project at hand, well...I just bite the bullet and part with the folding. I also own a tracksaw - in my case, it's the Makita - and I use it often to make repeat rips on ply, mdf and osb. I did purchase parallel guides and the TSO railsquare to complement its functionality, and, whilst I find the railsquare excellent, I just don't use the parallel guides as they are IMHO, cumbersome, a real faff to setup, and not terribly accurate. The tutorial I put the link to, demonstrates a very simple, and very accurate method of making repeat cuts with the tracksaw using only one piece of ply, mdf or osb, ripped to the exact same width of the track. In essence, it is just as simple as your solution for the mitre saw.
Hi Ken, I’m not sure what squaring up the saw had to do with essentially creating a jobsite stop block. If your saw is out of square it depends on the manufacturer as to how to calibrate it.
Good morning Neil. I'm not sure I'm understanding, Where would you clamp the block of wood to without the fence extension? The point of the extension is to provide a reference surface to clamp a stop in place in this setup.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse ok u just answered my question without realising. For short piece cuts the wood block would be clamped to the saw's existing metal fence. For longer cuts it would be clamped to the fence extension 😉
Exactly, this is for pieces where you need to extend your reference surface. When I originally built this I was doing face frames on cabinets and needed each part to be perfect or I'd get annoying gaps. The parts were between 2 and 4 feet. This gave me the room to set those different stops.
I have the exact same set as you for more than a decade now. I have been wanting to build a nice stop system. This is absolutely simple and functional. You just saved me a ton of work. Well Done!
Thanks Shane - I'm glad I could help. This video has been so popular, I'm going to release a sequel with some easy upgrades to make it even better. Keep an eye out :)
I’ve been doing without this since I bought my mitre saw. Obvious and simple. Many thanks. The alternative is to use the first piece to mark off the second and so on. A bit less accurate.
lol - marking one piece to the next, I always seem to get creep with the last piece not being the same as the first. I needed a me proof solution :)
I’ve tried to build all those fancy things but your way is what I use simple quick and I wish I would have thought of that first, thanks for the video
Thanks James! I have a couple of ideas on how to improve the stop block part - keep an eye out for the sequel. Don't worry, it will still be dad style, quick and easy and may involve motor oil and chewing gum if I can't find the duct tape :)
I totally did almost exactly this the other day. Slight differences in the details of how I clamped and stuff, but essentially the same setup. It's good stuff!
It is such a nice easy thing for cutting long board to size that are too big for a crosscut sled.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse or when you haven't yet built a crosscut sled, because you don't yet have a table saw (hopefully soon!). 😅
That is upgrade I need to make as well, but a. Bandsaw for re-saving would also be nice :)
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse hmmmm. I suppose a bandsaw (which is also on my list) with a fence might actually give me a decent enough approximation of what I’d use a table saw for that maybe that should come first… 🤔🤔🤔
It depends on what you make. Right now I have a small DeWalt table saw. Model 745 which I did a review of if your interested. I have a track saw as well which I can use to break down sheet goods. This worked really well until recently when I decided to try some higher end furniture builds. Now I am rubbing into the limitations of that saw. The first is it cannot use a dado stack and the second is the table is small. I just ordered a crosscut sled to see if I can get around those limits. I also have a router table I can use, but that has some issues with tear out on some projects. So I guess there is never ending battle about what to get next but what you want to create or do is probably the most important factor. If you tell me a little more about what you want to do in the immediate future, I’d be happy share my 2 cents :)
Perfect!! Just what I was looking for. Thank you.
Glad I could help!
Thanks for this great tip, I just did it this morning and used it for many different stop measurements. (Making a small tounge and groove storage unit for the garden) It certainly saved a lot of measuring. I had to drill holes in the fence to start with as there wasn't any pre-drilled holes. On the extended wooden (fence) I fitted the wood with "threaded inserts" so it's just a matter screwing it off and on with phillips headed bolts. Once again thanks, I'm really pleased.
Hi Ally - way to take it to the next level. I’m so glad I was able to help and your project turned out well!
Good video! The only thing I do differently is to put a piece of scrap wood between the fence and clamp plus use a C clamp ( can be locked in place tighter) instead of a sliding friction clamp which I found can loosen at the wrong time. Been doing it that way for 30 years since my past shop was a bit too small for a dedicated miter saw bench and the current shop is even smaller
Dirty little secret - I use the block as well :) but when I can't find it I've used just the clamp a lot. You should try those DeWalt clamps out when you a chance. I used them all summer building a playhouse for the kids as an extra set of hands since I don't have anyone that can help and they held 2x6x10 joists without slipping no problem. I'm pretty impressed by them. Of course, the fact that I used them in the video was the that all my other clamps were on another project lol.
I have a similar mitre saw stand and for years I've used the roller supports at either end as saw stop for making repeat cuts.
Hi William - a few people have commented on this and I do use them but I find it difficult to keep the accuracy I need on some projects without really focusing on making sure the wood is up against the stop the right way because of it flex and it not locking at 90 degrees. If I need anything more precise than say 1/16 I do it the way I showed in the video. What kind of work do you do. What kind of precision have you found you get on yours?
@@SoWeBoughtaHouseI
You just saved me a shed load of wasted time for 4 different cuts I need to make at various lengths (with 12-14 pieces each). Thank you so much for sharing this hack for those of us who don’t have a fancy place to do our woodworking! MANY THANKS!!!
Thanks Carla. Glad I could help!
Simple and straightforward. If you keep the miter at the 90 degree setting, you know also have an accurate reference for blade location.
Hi Robert - Thanks for the comment! I cut a lot of angles which is the problem. I have an idea for a quick calibration system. If it works I'm going to a follow up video.
Awesome I’m doing my happy dance… Looked at other sites and they had me buying things attaching devices I don,t own. You’re great.
Happy I could help Jen. I made a second miter saw video which is a little tongue in cheek on how I upgraded this based on user feedback. There are some practical upgrades in it though that might give you some ideas on how you can make this your own without spending a ton of money.
Thanks, don’t know why I’ve never thought to do this. Will sort it tomorrow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sometimes the thought comes out of necessity. I was making a bunch of steps and needed to cut 60 boards to length lol.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse I’ve built around 2500 raised beds for community gardens in the last couple of years!!
This should double your productively I expect 5000 in the next few years :) I love hearing stories of people who use their skills to give back.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse I can’t lie to you I started off doing it voluntarily but it quickly turned into a small business and now work it with my son.
Small businesses still support the community :)
LOVE the simplicity. Thank you for doing the thinking and finding a meaningful, easily actionable solution. Super share. Really appreciate you. May your goodness return to you and all yours many many times!!
Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing this, been wanting something like this for my miter saw a longer fence cuts, again thanks for your advice on this project.😊 ,and also I agree with others about not being wearing a long loose sleeved shirt, watching you give me some chills how close you get to the saw blade, so be more careful my friend.
Hi David, sorry for scaring you and I'm happy I was able to help. I used to wear button downs mainly for the sake of filming when it was cold out in the garage. I'm actually really far from the balde as this is a 12 inch saw, but it doesn't look that way on the video and don't want to set a bad example. Since then I have tried to make sure I only wear short sleeves when actually cutting. Safety is super important and I want to make sure that comes through so I will be more conscious. Thanks for your comment.
I have that exact same set up. There is a built-in stop on your extension arm that works beautifully.
Hi Patrick - thanks for the comment. The built in work great for most things. I made this addition when I was working on a table. Not sure if you noticed this but the flex from extension along with the stop blocks not making a perfect 90 degree angle add a little error. Enough to make a table wobble anyway. I use this when I need that extra precision and it also easier to adjust with smaller pieces where the extension stops are too far out. The wood is also nice because you can make marks on it for things you cut commonly and not need to measure all the time. When you need it, is nice to have and it is cheap enough that you can toss the pieces or recycle them when you don’t.
Thank you!
I am still trying to build a simple but effective dust shield/collector for my old DeWalt miter saw.
If you have any thoughts please share!
Best
I do - Here is what use.
shopnationstore.com/products/dewalt-dws779-780-miter-saw-dust-collection
I didn't want to build something big because I want the store to remain portable and Travis at Shop Nation did tons of R&D on this and honestly for the cost I couldn't come close if I made something myself and had to model the 3D parts.
Here is a short I made showing it in action.
th-cam.com/users/shortsnqIjbSohPeA
It is not perfect, but it is. the perfect compromise. Also if you want a laugh take a look at this video, where I tried to include all the feedback from this one into one single build.
th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html
If you have any question on anything, let me know.
Super helpful! And you are right, not all of us have a table saw with a dado blade and a planer to create our own track fence.
Glad it was helpful!
Exactly what I was looking for! Quick and simple
Glad it helped. Let me know if you have any questions.
Simple and cheap too. Thanks for sharing this information. 👍 😊
You are very welcome. Happy New Year!
Good Idea.. although it does take away cutting depth for when cutting boards. And also the risk of getting warped wood untruing the perpendicularity of the miter saw. But its a great idea for when the job requires multiple cuts. It shows how sometimes ones smartness can make more use out of the tool.
All Good points Jeffrey, this is a construction trick for cutting things like studs, etc. you can actually draw a story stick on the board and just clamp as needed. If you are worried about warping you can use MDF instead of wood, and if if you are really crazy like me, check out the video where I show how to use aluminum extrusions. Happy Building!
Love the idea, I'll be setting that up.
Thanks Thomas! If you what to see my new over the top version check this out Supercharge Your Portable Miter Saw With These Easy Upgrades!
th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the video. Of course it looks so simple to do, but being I have a 7 1/2 inch sliding Kobalt miter saw, I had to make adjustments to the add on so that the motor wasn’t banging into it.
Sorry you had that problem. I haven’t tried this trick on smaller saws. How hard was it to modify. Did you just need to modify the fence height?
Thanks for taking the time to create this video and sharing your idea
Glad it was helpful! If you ever have any questions, let me know.
Short, sweet and helpful. Thanks
You're welcome!
You should call these short videos Tips or Tip for the week! Nicely done.
Thanks so much! when I first started, I played with a section called quick fixes but they didn't catch on. I was still experimenting at the time, well I still am, maybe I should bring it back. What is cross grain wood products? Anything cool I should check out?
🤯mind blown. This is amazing!!
/blush
I had no idea about those pre drilled holes. Such an idiot. Thank you! Game changer!
Very few people know about things like that. It is rarely in the instructions. Professionals share these types of tricks and I’m trying to pass them on to the garage hobbyist. I’m glad you found the video helpful.
Same here!
I laughed at the "60 seconds" comment, but hey - it works!
It probably should say 60 second fix you can do after listening to me talk for 4 minutes :) Hey it is TH-cam, I need to give you a reason to click!
@@SoWeBoughtaHouseHey, need to get those videos to 10 minutes and pick up a few commercials and sponsors👍!
@@dropndeal I have lots of longer videos - feel free to let them run and take a nap if I talk to much :)
Hello, this takes all the fun out of holding 2 boards together to make sure they are both the same length, trying to hold them down square with one hand and using the saw with the other! Thanks this was a great tip - !!
Sorry I ruined your day Charlie :).
Fantastic idea 💡
Thank you! Cheers!
You can also add another piece of plywood under the aux fence above your throat plate( where the bottom of your board rests the “base”) and attach them together just make sure it’s at a close as u can 90.. this will make it a aux fence stop block, and zero clearance all in one which will help reduce tear out .. most of the tear out is in the unsupported areas that the blade also exits thru (bottom and rear) so this will really help with that and help with small cutoffs being lodged in your throat plate...and I’d maybe also suggest 2 fences, one for 90s and one for 45..or just use it as is without cutting a 45 into until the time comes u need a 45 then do it..it’s not feasible to have a fence for every angle but once you cut away that back support as u did u lose the tearout protection back there..love the video keep it up just trynna help 😊
Hi Fabian, I think you just wrote the sequel. Thanks for the constructive feedback and the great ideas. One idea I've been playing around with is how to make the fences interchangeable and easy to get realigned once you switch. I thought of using a standard bolt pattern and countersunk hole in the face of the fence. What I haven't figured out yet is how to re-calibrate the metal fence. That saw gets a lot of use both by me and sometimes contractor helping out with the house. I've also had to move it around the house and property for different projects. Moving those metal fences doesn't happen a ton but when it does it throws off the clearance. So far the best way I found is to push the aux fence back up against the blade. This works but it does trim a little of the fence (the difference between the body of the balde and the kerf. Not a big deal, except I'd like to add a ruler to the fence and losing a little each time would throw it off. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Thank it solves more than one problem for me .....from Staffordshire, England
Awesome. One of the simplest, cheapest hacks for GSD :)
Great tip; anyone who has a mitersaw can use this tip to their advantage without spending a wad of cash.
Now you can spend you wad on something else :)
Nice simple solution. I would just recommend clamping a block to the fence for the stop instead of relying on the rubber foot of the clamp. It will be more accurate as the rubber can give and also the wood stop will have more friction and will be less likely to move.
Hi Conner - great recommendation. I have also had people mention putting self adhesive sandpaper on the block to increase the friction with the fence. I always meant to make a follow up video dealing with different ways to make stop blocks but never got around to it. The feedback and suggestions on improvements from everyone on this video has been awesome. Happy holidays and thanks for contributing!
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse Yes, sandpaper is a great way to add friction to the stop block.
Keep an eye out in the next few weeks I’m working on a portable station to try and rival the features of what some people build into the walls of their shops. It is definitely not meant to replace to trick but I thought it would be fun to try and incorporate a lot of the feedback I got on this video and try and build it without cost restrictions. The only requirement is it needed to be portable and could be easily set up in about 60 seconds.
A easy method, thank you!! Subscribed!! 👍
Thanks so much! Keep an eye out of “Pimp my ride” version in early 2024 :)
So simple, so good, so thank u. Greetings from Costa Rica 😊
You're so welcome!
Excellent tip mate.
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching and let me know if you have any questions!
Smart and simple. I like it.
Thanks! 👍
Nice. This also works well for cutting very small pieces. Just cut the fence at the one degree you need (just 90 for example) and then you have a zero tolerance fence for cutting small pieces. Just keep your fingers away with creative use of a 10 inch stick to hold your piece against the fence.
I was thinking of doing that as a follow-up. I have an idea for a sled that goes over the aux fence, so you don't need to keep swapping. The only problem is I'm not sure what to call the video yet :P
So simple but yet a very good idea 👍
Thank you! Cheers!
No thank you
So simple. Thanks!
You're welcome!
Enjoyed the video. Learned a new trick. Thank you. Hated the introduction.
Thanks Edmond. Originally these videos were made for family and friends - newer videos are different in how they are organized to be more friendly to the larger audience I’ve been getting. Enjoy your weekend!
This was a helpful video. Thank you.
Thanks for watching. Happy Holidays!
You could increase your safety and functionality by adding a piece of material to each side of your fence extension.
Find the center of your fence, set it on your saw, and mark where the edges of the saw's table are, on the fence. Add a piece of 1-by, starting at your marks, and extending to the ends of your fence. Pre-drill and mount the pieces to the bottom edge of the fence extension, making a "hog-trough" or "strongback". These pieces will extend the saw's table for greater infeed and outfeed support.
In order to make the fence extension more secure, i would not use short wood screws. I would drill and countersink, or counterbore, mounting holes and use carriage bolts or machine screws and nuts. Make sure that mugg is snug!
In order to prevent sag in either the fence or fence/table extension, you might need to add a foot or leg down to your bench or the floor.
Yeah, I know. I've made the one minute fix into a five minute project. It's ok. You can handle it. I have confidence in you!
Hi Rudi - let me know what you think k of this version :) this is my non 60 second version. Building it gave me lots of ideas. I’d love to hear what you think.
Supercharge Your Portable Miter Saw With These Easy Upgrades!
th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html.
Nice & simple. Thanks
You bet!
FYI the dewalt stands have stops built into the outriggers that flip up and down for quick setup
Hi Rob. Good point and they do, but their level of precision is not perfect and with what I was doing I needed perfect. They are great for some things, but when 1/32" off will makes the fit look off and I'm using expensive lumber like I was about to with the cabinet build, I prefer this solution. Also not everyone has a stand with those stops, so I was trying to show an alternative in that case as well.. thanks for watching and commenting!
Brilliant mate, thanks for this
Thanks for watching. Glad you got something from my interest ramblings :)
You sir are a genius...!
Definitely not a genius :), but I'll accept slightly above average :) Have a great week SJ and thanks for the nice comment.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse I used your trick today to make a privacy screen using 2x1 inch slats cut 4 feet long on my super genius stop block - oh wow....I cant tell you how good it looks - seriously I cant thank you enough!! (Im gonna use it for everything now....even cutting slices of bread....haha)
@@SJ.77 Lol - Glad it worked out so well. Just remember slicing bread requires a very fine tooth blade with a serrated or it will just squish your Rye :)
Left out a crucial step; double checking your cuts (or clamp) every so often to ensure nothing has moved when doing more than a handful of pieces. In my experience, the longer and/or heavier the material is as well as how quickly you're trying to work greatly increase the likelihood of movement. Also (obviously) cheap clamps
Good point. I mostly use this setup for things like table legs, apron pieces, etc. so it is 4 quick cuts, check them and done. Always good to check. Did you see the video of the updated uber version?
It appears you have the dewalt stand for your saw. It has stops built into both ends that are adjustable. Bit more trouble than a clamp but they’re there and they do work.
Hi Rick - it is the Dewalt stand and i used them for a long time without any issue until i built a kitchen table for the house and all four legs were off. The stops built into the stand are not designed with high precision in mind nor do I really expect them to be as they as this system is really designed for contractor type work. The two biggest problems are the stops are not 90 degrees to the stand when you flip them up - they are obtuse. So if stack two parts and push them against the fence the top part will be longer. The second issue is there a little deflection in the metal. Depending on how hard you push up against stop you can change its length. This introduces some error into the work although it might seem minor at 1/32 to 1/16. It would never be an issue with most things, but it will drive you crazy if you are cutting multiple table legs or something like a tenon joint or half lap. There are other benefits to having the wood auxiliary fence as well as I often draw my story stick onto it and move between cuts. For a few seconds to set it up it is worth it to me. But for a lot of work, most people would never need this accuracy out of there miter saw. If you though this will help I promise :)
Great idea, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Good idea
Thanks Dennis!
Great tip! Thanks.
Thank you for watching!
Great stuff brother! Thanks for sharing a simple deal! 💪
I'm thinking about doing a sequel where I spend $100 to pimp it out :) My channel was always about helping people get things down and learn to do things themselves so I try and show solutions with tools that the everyday DIYer might have. Glad you liked it.
Oh thanks man so helpful
It is such a simple time save. Let me know how it works out for you.
Thanks for sharing!
You are very welcome!
Nice video, bro. Keep up the good work.
Appreciate it. I got some new things in the works. I can't wait to hear what you think as the channel evolves.
Quick and easy. Nice. I know the keyboard carpenters are going to come in and yell about how easy the clamp will be to nudge off your mark. Just be careful when butting against it and I would even put a pencil mark there so you can just look to check it occasionally making sure it’s staying put. Nice tip :-)
Thanks. It was just a quick fix. Originally, I wasn't even going to make a video on this, I just did it because I needed something while i was working on a cabinet carcass. It was pouring outside and I needed more space to do the assembly on the driveway so I made the video since i couldn't do much else lol. The video is pretty popular so far, so maybe I will do a follow up on making a better stop. The clamp is not the best way, but i wanted to show people if you are careful, you make simple, accurate, repeatable cuts without spending a fortune on hardware and three days building.
Some of the thoughts I have for upgrades would be captured bolts so it can be removed, maybe t-track up top and a flip fence. Let me know what you think.
Clamps work never had a problem in 45 yrs
@@patrickarchuleta9594 Thanks Patrick - 45 years is a lot of experience, I bet you've made some really cool things in that time.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse Yeah this is nice. I work for a stage company and we build our own stairs to bring on site at every height...thanks for keeping it simple and taking the time to move your camera around.
@@ma2perdue Thanks Matt - Much appreciated and let me know if you have any questions.
Nice idea. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub! Hopefully you find some of the other content useful. I've been creating some other quick fix videos as well. I recently uploaded one on extending pip clamps and hopefully today I'll get a video uploaded on how to undue titebond glue joints.
That Looks like Radiata Pine which is different than a standard #2 pine... either way pine will still move and contort with moisture and humidity since it's not a hard wood. This way may be effective in a one off situation but not reliable in a long term application. If that's your goal attach a base plate to it , to keep the wings straight!!
It is select Pine from Home Depot whatever that means. It has worked fine for three years, no twisting. It is secured to the fence which helps.
Thanks! Now to find a good clamp or two and a straight fence board.
Sounds good, glad I could help. MDF works really well for the fence if you need something super flat, just don't get it wet :)
Good idea!!
Thanks Claude!
If the length of pieces I have allow it I'll just use that clamp that comes with the mitersaw to hold a block down as a stop. I can see one on his behind the fence. You paid for it so you might as well use it for something. Alternatively you can also just make a mark on your miter saw, again for shorter pieces. The mark cleans off easy enough with a bit of spit.
The nice thing about using this setup is you can customize it on site or at home for whatever you are doing. One thing I really like to do is create a story stick out of the auxiliary fence with the measurements for all my different components by writing on the wood like you said. I can then move the stop about as much as I want following the marks as I build. A good upgrade it to cut a small piece of wood and glue a small tab on one side so you can slide the stop along the fence. Then clamp the block to lock it in place. This will give you a larger reference surface on the stop.
Helpful. Thank you.
you are welcome!
Stop cuts are pretty common. I have built many projects using stop cuts for consistent piece cuts. It's surprising that more people don't know about these.
There isn’t much education anymore on basic tool operation. I think many schools have done away with shop classes etc. there is definitely a new creator movement on TH-cam looking for this information so I try to contribute what I can to help those looking for advice. Happy Holidays!
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse Your solution to explaining stop cuts was simple and easy. It did not cover stop cuts on the table saw though. Of course, they are possible on a radial arm saw as well, but I don't have one of those.
Yeh I was thinking depth stop cuts since we talking miter saw. I don’t do a ton of stop cuts on the table saw. Mine is just too small. I use the router table more often for that kind of work. Hoping to get a cabinet saw soon.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse I hear ya. My table saw is small too, but I have ways of expanding its capabilities.
Mine is asking Santa for a Sawstop :). I’ve done a lot of good work on my DeWalt jobsite though and it never really limited me, it just isn’t efficient for what I want to do anymore.
? the reason the saw moves on its mounts is to use the "end Stops." the metal tabs at the ends of the ends are for support and as stops for repetition of part production of longer pieces!
Hi Forgotten Tech. The black tabs on the material supports are meant to act as end stops. However, there is too much play in them for extremely precise cuts. I'd have no problem using them to cut 2x4 for framing but not if I wanted to make sure 4 table legs are the exactly the same and not wobble. This is just a quick way to add more precision when you need it.
Great idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before but now it’s stuck in my head and I can’t wait until I need to make repeated cuts of the same length on my miter saw again. I just hope that it’s not so long that I forget about your tip. Lol.
Oh by the way , you just got one more subscriber. Congratulations 🎉
Thanks so much Jerry!. You can always just set a reminder to watch every day until it is burned into your brain :). I really appreciate the subscription and I have some interesting things planned. I can't wait to see what you think.
What are those hexagonal rotating black blocks your kid was playing with? I'd love to get them for ours!
Took we a second to figure it out. The one he is spinning in the intro in a miracle grow composter. They like helping me outside. It spins to turn the mulch. He is playing with that :)
How is it better than the fence already on the saw?
Good question. The issue is not the fence but the stops that are built into the stand. The end stops are intended more for rough framing than for precision work. As a result there is some movement and flex in them which can cause 1/16 to 1/32 variation in the length of cut using those stops. If I was framing this would not be an issue. However, If I was building a piece of furniture this is enough to cause a rock or unevenness in the legs. This is a quick way to increase the precision when you need it.
Enjoyed the video. How long would you suggest to make the fence?
Thanks Wayne. To answer your question, it really depends on what length of boards you typically work with and the size of the cuts. The largest material I work with is 10 feet. Mine is set up with 6 feet to left and 2 to the right. So far that has worked for me. If I need to cut small pieces off a large piece I just cut the larger piece down first.
One reason example I was working on was a five foot cabinet where I cut the walls and bottom from an 8 foot plywood rip. The 5 foot floor fit to the left and if I wanted to cut the 20 inch walls first I could do it with the stop on the right.
Of course if your projects are smaller you can make it much more compact.
Why, thank you, kind sir
You re very welcome!
Whats a good way to make a custom miter angle stop for angles that are not detent angles?
Just to make sure I’m understanding correctly. Do you mean angles past the mechanical lockout of the saw like a 75 degree?
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse No your detent angles are your common cut angles that your miter saw will have knotches cut into the detent plate (the plate that shows your miter angles). Those notches are what makes your saw lock in on 0, 22.5, 45, etc. Those are your detent angles. Any angle other than those angles you have to sight in on them manually and lock your miter arm. I was just wondering is there a way to put a stop or a lock on that somehow. LIke if you had to cut a lot of 62.5 deg angles but you were also having to cut 0 degree angles as well so you're having to bounce back and forth b/w 0 and 62.5 deg cuts - is there a way to put some kind of stop or lock on the 62.5 so you're getting the exact same angle every cut in the same sense that you use a stop on 0 degree cuts. Instead of making a stop for a length your making a stop for a certain miter angle (one that is not a detent angle).
@@morokeiboethia6749 Got it - normally when hear detent someone is talking about hinges, but I get what you are talking about. So two things come to mind.
1. Put a small A-clamp on the plate to make a stop.
2. Set the angle and cut a wide piece of scrap wood to use as an alignment gig. Use the scrap to line the blade against. Just make sure the saw is unplugged when you line it up, some have hair triggers.
Nice
Thanks. I’m currently working on a new video of my current portable setup. This one will be pimped and portable. Keep an eye out:)
Not all mitre saws have holes in the existing fence. Mine doesn't, guess I'll have to drill some in
That is true. If it an aluminum fence you can drill the hole pretty easy. If it is steel it will be a little more of a challenge.
I prefer using my 12” radial arm saw but a chop saw works ok. I’m at a total loss of understanding why people buy a saw with 12” blades and not utilize the blade size. A 12” saw will cut through 4” thick stock but most work is done cutting each 3/4- 1 1/2” board one at a time. Why? I don’t know.
Let’s say you need (6) 1x4’s cut to 47 1/4” and you have (6) boards. Set the (6) boards vertically on the saw closely aligned on the right end. Clamp the boards together and cut the first end off to square all the ends, turn the clamped stock around, measure and mark, then align with the saw blade and cut all (6). Now you have (6) boards exactly the same length with two cuts. If you are using 2x4’s you can still do it.
Best wishes, Kevin
Hi Kevin, great points. I have a 12 inch in saw, but I don't think think most of the viewers I've had in the past do (though recently the channel has grown pretty significantly , so that might be changing).
Thank you very much for your comment and adding to the discussion. I started this channel to share my first time DIY experiences with others and having people like you contribute to the overall knowledge base I'm trying to create is awesome. Thank you for taking the time to share!
I like this technique because it works with pretty much all miter saws. It also works when you can't stack the pieces easy for a cut, such as when making a compound cut or a bevel.
I also suck at measuring and I prefer to ruin 1 board at a time :)
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse How so do you suck at measuring? You forget what you measured or you have trouble with the 1/16” 1/8” marks on the measure?
@@KevinCoop1 More I get distracted by the little guys screaming in the playroom next door and have trouble remembering my name, let alone alone what I just read off the tape measure :) I'm also dyslexic and switch numbers in my head. I'm good when I focus.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse I’m dyslexic too, but do not have that symptom. Maybe millimeters would be easier for you to remember instead of 1/16ths and 32nds. Best wishes and happy holidays to you and your family! Kevin
@@KevinCoop1
I think it is a little different for everyone. My background is in electrical engineering, so I'm familiar with working in metric and it is easier. It is just hard going back and forth. So far I've stayed in standard for videos and demos, but maybe aI should try one in metric :)
Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!
Your miter saw appears to have a hold down. One could use this hold down to hold down a bit of wood at the desired distance from the blade thus acting as a stop. Additionally the saw stand you have has flip up stops on the sliding stock supports so you in fact have one of those fancy miter saws with stops. Good solution otherwise for people who may not have the features that you do.
Hi David - you are correct. I do have those options and made this video for people who might not have those option. However the playing the stop of the stand does cause some imprecision. Don’t get me wrong you could frame a house with this system, but it you were building a piece of furniture, the little bit of flex is enough to cause wobbly legs and joints with gaps. This simple setup makes everything almost perfect even for those high precision application where the part length needs to perfect across multiple members. It is also much more portable than building a dedicated stand. If you want to see a fun build I did an updated portable stand where budget was not issue and tried to incorporate every upgrade on this thread for fun. Let’s just say it is t for the budget faint of heart :). Thanks for watching and for the comment. Happy building!
You need a chamfered edge on the bottom of the fence
Hi Michael - What purpose does the chamfering the bottom edge serve? Clearing dust? I've never done it, but you got me curious.
Easy repeatable cuts? Built my own mitre saw bench 40 years ago. C clamp and a block of wood, done for the next 40 years.
Still have it in the shed, pull it out by hand set it on the saw horses and ready to go in five minutes for two cuts of an hundred.
Same theory, When I made this video the tip was more for working on location being able to pop something together with scrap. Simple works as you know :)
excellent
Thank you! Cheers!
Unfortunately one screw in unstable pine with a rubberized foot on a quick clamp will only be marginally precise and will only suffice for general framing but not much more. In the setup shown, the supports on your stand also slide and have stops. They are equally imprprecise but don't even require the 60 seconds.
Before commenting you should read the other comments. These include ways to make the system more precise using blocks, MDF instead of pine,using bolts and counter sinks as well as dozens of people who shared their success stories including me who used this with no problem. All of these are better solutions then the outriggers which can be off so much they aren’t good for anything other than framing which is what they were meant to do. If you have a system that is faster and more precise I encourage you to share and help others out. Oh and it needs to cost pretty much nothing and be portable to the job site and can be put together in a minute. Those are the engineering constraints. Looking forward to your solution.
Likely, I wonder what he would think of my my Supercharge your Miter Saw video :) th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html
Awsome!!
Thank you!
My Dewalt saw does not have holes on the right side fence and it has a molded structure on the back that is too chunky to drill through and create them. I really regret choosing this saw! Nice video though 🙂
Sorry to hear that, which saw do you own? You can try these fence clamps.
amzn.to/3F1MqpB It requires a little more work to drill the hole in the fence, but it should allow you clamp the fence in place rather than using screws. You can use them with other things as well like making a sacrificial fence on a table saw. Let me know if that works or if you have any other questions.
My DeWalt is 17 years old and has holes on left and right sides of the fence. I don't know why they changed but it's a easy fix just drill the hole where you need it. I cut 22 five inch 2x4 blocks yesterday with no stop blocks they were all with in 1/32. Just do the best you can and pay attention. I'm 70 years old and have only used stop blocks when building furniture. Most production shops use them but they also use fences that are dedicated to that saw and the same brand of blades. If you want to you can gang out them to insure they are the same. Just be careful using s/blocks and make sure the blade is stopped before you lift the blade.
@@carlduncan8462 Thanks Carl - good advice to add.
Can I cut 22.5 angles ?
Hi Hank - You should be able to cut any angle your saw is capable of. The first time you cut the angle it will notch out the fence. You will no longer have zero clearance like you would if you only cut 90 degrees but I show in the video hoe I notched the entire middle to cut all angels. If you need to to reference the stop to angle side of the cut. you might need to a bigger stop. as the clamp by itself really only works when the reference 90 degrees to the fence. What you can do it glue two pieces of scrap together to form an L shape. Then bracked it from behind with a backing block to keep it square. Then clamp that to the fence to extend it out so you can register the point of any angle to it.
This might be hard to visualize, so if it doesn't make sense, let me know and I will throw one together and send you a photo.
that was easy
:)
your miter saw stand has stops on it. you can position the saw further left or right and the stops slide in and out.
Hi Herman, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. My stand does have stops but I made the video for people that might not have a stand like that. Also personally, for anything other than framing and rougher kinds of work I find the stops on the stand have too much play and they aren't 90 degrees to the support resulting in not enough precision for me me. The way I showed in the video works really well, when I need to be spot on. It is also easier to set up for me.
I’ve been doing this for years with my miter saw. Have a hard time convincing my son in law that this works though.
Challenge him to a build off :)
Those light duty Dewalt clamps are notorious for letting go. The jaw pads aren’t very firm if the haven’t fallen off and gotten lost. Clamp a block on with an adjustable tuning screw for a stop. I use iron C clamps to secure temporary stops. Dewalt owes you for product placement.
Hi Pete - c clamps are definitely better. When I made the video I was trying to show you don’t need all the expensive green toys you see all over TH-cam to make accurate cuts. Not that there is anything wrong with that and I own a bunch, but I want to show people they can start making with whatever they might have in the garage.
If you mean Fesstool l just have the C18 drill kit ( $6C retirement gift to myself ergonomics similar to my old Makita 9.6’s) Now Ryobi I have a crate full. The adjustable screw serves another function and that’s keeping the chop saws plumes of dust from building up against the stop and shorting your work pieces
exactly - and yes Festool's dust extraction makes it worth every penny, if you have enough pennys :)
I'm just looking at that board you sacrificed making your custom fence and thinking that could have been somebody's college tuition
Morokei - don’t worry no hardwood was harmed in the making of that video. It is just a nice piece of pine, 4 dollars from HD.
Teeeny tiny issue - clamp a stop block because the clamp has soft rubber feet. Otherwise 👍🏼
I use a block most of the time. But when I drop it and it vanishes into the rift I've used the just the clamp. This Dewalt actually works pretty well because the bumper on the pad is pretty hard. If it was a c-clap, I'd have to use the block. Thanks for pointing it out though, I should have mentioned that option in the video.
Good job. As you build confidence in presenting to a camera audience your videos will only get better. You put in work to make this, haters gonna hate, they’re just Debbie Downers. Do take their input, but reject their negativity. A shorter intro would be good. No reasonable person cares what the background looks like as long as the content is good. I for one will use your example to help make equal length cuts. Remember, keeping things concise helps, absolutely nothing wrong with being professional and to the point, which you did for the most part (dropping the handful of wood screws detracted a little). Overall, great job! Please continue doing what you’re doing!
Thank you Eric. I appreciate the comment. Sometimes I get a little goofy trying to keep myself engaged in some of these projects. These videos (even short ones) take a lot of time and effort. I started making them as a project for the kids to see the house coming together as they grow up in it. Over the years, the channel has started to grow I have tried to embrace the non-family members watching the channel and share tips and techniques I'm learning along the way. Sometimes this leads to some mixed messaging as to what the content is about and who it is targeted at. Originally the content more blog style. I think I'm still trying to figure that out as well. I'll keep making adjustments and evolve as the viewership grows, and please forgive me if I drop some nails once in awhile :)
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse Keep it human. That's what a lot of people want to see in this world filled with lies and fakes. You're good.
Don't use the bare clamp, clamp a scrap block. I don't have any formal stop block coz I can always produce one in a second. Don't look forward to buying a commercial stop block, unless yours is a real production environment where repeatable cuts is a constant part of the process.
Hmmmm.....
I've measured very carefully, cut to the line three times and the board is still to short.
I swear, the same gremlins that take my sucks also make the variable length tapes I have. It can't be me, my fuzzy vision is a sharp as ever :)
Good idea, though you don't need to pre-cut your slots as the blade will cut the slots as needed. I do think the intro is way too much and that anything that goes over 10 seconds seems excessive. Keep it tight, which adds to the production quality of the video.
Thanks Tom, this is the first shorter form video I did to test out the response - which has been pretty good overall and I think I will do more this way.
Most of my previous videos are longer and have a bit of as story to them, hence the longer intro I did, which is part of my editing template. I think it is a fine line to showcasing some of the other projects in the beginning and also communicating the main intent of the video so I appreciate your feedback.
Is it the pre-roll that in your opinion that makes it feel long or the teaser with the logo? In the longer videos I use the pre-roll to quickly say what the video is about and the teaser reel to promote the channel before getting into the content. I think the channel teaser runs about 25 seconds. Thanks again.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse no sir, the pre-roll is fine, and I get the function of the header, but once you've seen it once you don't get much out of it.
BTW, I've got the week off so I'm thinking about implementing your miter saw trick. My miter saw setup is a bit overcomplicated, so I'll have to do something with it to make your solution workable.
Relax Scorsese. It's youtube.
@@no_handle_required Thanks English, but I think Tom was just trying to help and I appreciate constructive feedback when I get it.
@Tom Holmes Hi Tom, Mine was down and dirty, and made from scrap. I move the saw to much and actually use it on location which is why it on a stand in my garage and why I don't have a better solution in place already. Let me know how it goes. I'm thinking of doing a follow up video including some of the suggestion I've gotten in the comments. If you come up with a good fix let me know. The first upgrade I like to make is to add t-track and a metal stop to replace the clamp. I also think I will change the fence to MDF as the pine will likely warp a little over time.
This is a simple nice fence. But, you lose cutting depth (the width of the board). I have a fairly small miter saw (254 mm disk if I remember well) and taking out even 18 mm is already more than I want to sacrifice.
Check out my other miter saw video. It is meant to be over the top, but you can find some things that are pretty basic and can be adapted and don’t reduce the cut size.
Sure...
If that is too easy, you can go all out
Supercharge Your Portable Miter Saw With These Easy Upgrades!
th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html
👍👍
Excellent idea. I'm about to make some changes to my workshop setup in order to free up some space. My mitre saw station has been great, but I don't really need it all the time, as most of the stock I cut tends to be smaller, this is the ideal solution as it can be popped away when not needed.
I'll attach a link to another video I saw that is also incredibly simple when you want to make repeatable cuts in sheet material using a circular saw or a plunge saw.
th-cam.com/video/al_pBf0ffzs/w-d-xo.html
Making your own track is great. Their are also some nice cutting jigs from Kreg as well. Some are really cheap compare to the price of decent plywood to make my own these days. I must confess to a dirty little secret though. I own a Festool track saw which I use for those types of cuts. It was expensive, but much cheaper than a new cabinet table saw and it takes up zero space when stored.
The chop saw is definately big, but I love it. I do need to break it down when I work on bigger projects though. So this fits the bill for me like you said. It is fast and easy to set up and break down out of the way. If you want to a laugh though check out my 2024 Miter saw upgrade video. I tried to integrate every comment and suggestion from this video into it. Some worked out better than others. The disco is fun though.
th-cam.com/video/37S2bLIqKNM/w-d-xo.html
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse Ditto on the cost of plywood. A lot of the jigs and gizmos you see being showcased on TH-cam might look amazing, but when you just want to get something done and don't want to spend a whole weekend making something you could just buy for less than £20 and then get on with the project at hand, well...I just bite the bullet and part with the folding.
I also own a tracksaw - in my case, it's the Makita - and I use it often to make repeat rips on ply, mdf and osb.
I did purchase parallel guides and the TSO railsquare to complement its functionality, and, whilst I find the railsquare excellent, I just don't use the parallel guides as they are IMHO, cumbersome, a real faff to setup, and not terribly accurate.
The tutorial I put the link to, demonstrates a very simple, and very accurate method of making repeat cuts with the tracksaw using only one piece of ply, mdf or osb, ripped to the exact same width of the track.
In essence, it is just as simple as your solution for the mitre saw.
I have Festook angle guide for the track saw but I’m not sure I like it. I might go out and buy that TSO. How do you like the makita?
Show us how to "square up" your miter saw that is out of square on its cuts by less than 2 degrees ...
Hi Ken, I’m not sure what squaring up the saw had to do with essentially creating a jobsite stop block. If your saw is out of square it depends on the manufacturer as to how to calibrate it.
Why is the fence extension neccessary?,
people have been using a scrap block of wood (& a clamp) to create a stop without it,what gives??
Good morning Neil. I'm not sure I'm understanding, Where would you clamp the block of wood to without the fence extension? The point of the extension is to provide a reference surface to clamp a stop in place in this setup.
@@SoWeBoughtaHouse ok u just answered my question without realising.
For short piece cuts the wood block would be clamped to the saw's existing metal fence.
For longer cuts it would be clamped to the fence extension 😉
Exactly, this is for pieces where you need to extend your reference surface. When I originally built this I was doing face frames on cabinets and needed each part to be perfect or I'd get annoying gaps. The parts were between 2 and 4 feet. This gave me the room to set those different stops.
Thanks!
You are welcome:) Thanks for watching.