A typical miter saw won’t go any further than 45 or 50 degrees to cut your wood. However, many projects might call for more acute angles that your machine is designed for. This article will show you how to cut a 70 degree angle with a miter saw with three tried-and-true methods.
Once you have mastered any or all of them, there’s no deep angle that can bother you anymore! How to find the best miter saw for beginners. You’re not going to leave in the middle of your woodworking battle just because of these sharp angles.
The method to cut a 70 degree angle with a miter saw
Here are three ways you can use your miter saw to create a 70-degree angle. It takes a bit of maths to calculate the right angle you want to cut.
Method 1
- Step 1: Place a 2×4 piece of wood on the table saw. Use a clamp to hold it in place since you’re not going to move it throughout the entire cut.
- Step 2: Set your miter saw to 45 degrees and lock it in, and go ahead to make the cut.
- Step 3: Take the piece of wood that you just cut, turn it over and place it on the other side of the table saw.
- Step 4: Next, use another clamp to hold the piece in place, which acts as a stopper for your cut later. The two pieces create a 90-degree angle.
- Step 5: If there’s some overlapping right in the middle of the saw, you may want to give it a cut.
- Step 6: Let’s turn back to the 45-degree angle of our first cut. We already have 45 degrees, so how many degrees from that point will it be 70 degrees? We need 25 degrees more.
- Step 7: Swing your saw to 25 degrees. Lay the board on the table saw, and push it towards the stopper. Finally, make the cut.
Method 2
- Step 1: Place a 1×2 piece of scrap wood on the table saw. The piece should be the same size as the miter saw’s fence.
- Step 2: Use CA glue to secure it in place (CA glue does hurt your saw). If you don’t want to glue on your miter saw, you can hold down the wood piece with two or more clamps.
- Step 3: Rotate your machine to the left and cut a 45-degree angle. Next, swing it to the right at 45 degrees and make another cut.
- Step 4: The two cuts will form a 45-degree pyramid in the middle, like method 1.
- Step 5: To cut a 70-degree angle on your molding, all you need to do is set the miter saw to 25 degrees, turn on the saw and make the cut.
Method 3
Since this method requires you to build an angle jig to clamp on your miter saw, it takes more effort and time. However, the same math-and-degrees still can apply here.
- Step 1: The fence height should be the maximum depth of cut of your miter saw. For example, if your machine can cut 4 ¼ inches at max, your fence should be 4 ¼ inches tall.
- Step 2: Use a hardwood of 4 ¼ inches wide and 12 inches long for the rear support. For the front support, it should be 4 ¼ inches wide and 16 inches long. Cut a 45-degree angle for one end of each piece.
- Step 3: Attach ¼-inch plywood to the bottom of the jig for better support using glue and staples. You can go a step further by glue and nail another piece of wood between the rear and the front support to reinforce the jig.
- Step 4: Place the jig on the saw, and make sure that the saw won’t cut through it. You’ll see the rear support will be longer than the miter saw fence.
Mark a line where the rear support sits flush with the fence and cut that line so the jig will always sit in the right spot next time.
- Step 5: Keep in mind to always clamp the jig to the miter saw’s fence and use another clamp to fix the piece you’re cutting with the jig.
Please do not attempt to hold them with your hand under any circumstances.
- Step 6: After securing the material in place, adjust the saw angle. As mentioned, the same mathematical principle is applicable here.
For example, for a 70-degree angle, set the angle of your saw to 25 degrees ( the 45 degrees of the jig + 25 degrees = 70 degrees).
Conclusion
With these simple ways on how to cut a 70 degree angle with a miter saw, you can handle any DIY project with more confidence. Learn more about woodworking at Geariz.com
Furniture, cabinetry, and home decor are all about creativity, so the ability to cut a 70-degree or any angle at will can bring out a stunning result at the end.
