val223•1mo ago

Bought a used miter saw off Craigslist in Tacoma - learned why you check the blade alignment first

Picked up a DeWalt miter saw for $80 from a guy who said it was barely used. Got it home and every cut was off by nearly 3 degrees. Found out the fence was bent from a fall. Anyone else get burned buying used tools and have tips on what to look for next time?

2 comments

2 Comments

flores.tessa1mo ago

Did you check the blade angle gauge against the actual cut with a square, or were you just eyeballing it?

-1

elizabeth_gonzalez1mo ago

I read something from a woodworking blog the other day that said even a half degree off on the blade angle can cause a noticable gap in a miter joint. They tested it with a digital angle finder and a square, and the gauge on the saw was off by almost 2 degrees. So yeah, checking with the square is the only way to be sure, especially if you're doing fine trim work.