Cutting Angles: How To Cut 45-Degree Angle With Table Saw

You can learn how to cut 45-degree angle with table saw in two intricate and unique forms: the 45-degree miter cut and the 45-degree bevel cut. The following article focuses on providing this guide to help you differentiate between the two methods.

Method #1: Miter Gauge Cut

Measuring a 45-degree angle on wood.

Step 1

Begin by placing the wood in question onto your work desk. Next, fix the miter gauge into the table saw blade.

For your reference, a typical miter gauge has an angle of 30 to 90 degrees between a horizontal point and a vertical point, marked on the gauge (usually marked as increments of 15 degrees).

Step 2

To measure the desired distance of the wood, use an old tape and pencil. Moreover, for accurate measurements, you can rely on using Speed Squares. Nevertheless, do remember to mark each side and edge length accurately.

Step 3

After this is done, cut the edge with a sharp knife first before moving on to the table saw. It is also ideal to remove the fencing if the wood is very long, to provide adequate working room on the table.

Note: If you want a miter saw table to work with, here’s a guide on how to make one.

Method #2: Bevel Cut

Step 1

For this, begin by placing the wood in question on your work desk. To use a bevel cut, you must tilt it frequently as the blade angle needs changing. More importantly, don’t rely only on the bevel-cut indicators, as they are not always precise.

Step 2

To measure the angle, other possible and reliable options include the digital angle gauge, the adjustable bevel angle, and a protractor.

For this method, the height of the table saw matters as well, since you want to be as precise as possible to cut the perfect angle. Check out the guide on Table Saw Height for more information.

Method #3: Alternative For a 45-degree Angle Cut

In case you have neither of the above options when thinking of how to cut 45-degree angle with table saw, follow the steps provided below:

  1. Take out an old piece of wood.
  2. Place the piece of wood at an angle of 45-degree bevels onto the table saw blade.
  3. Adjust the angle on the gauge to 45.
  4. Using the miter gauge, cut the wood at an angled cut of 45° degrees.

And if you’d like a quick practical demonstration to help, we recommend watching a video to know how to practically apply these methods to cut a 45-degree angle with a table saw:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you cut a bevel greater than 45-degree angle?

If the breadth of your piece of wood exceeds the height of the table saw blade, it is beneficial to cut the piece of wood with a band saw instead of a table saw.

On a scrap piece of wood, make a 45-degree cut using a miter gauge as a reference. Next, to make the cut, adjust the band saw to an angle lower than 45 degrees and place your piece of wood onto the scrap piece.

After that, you can work according to your needs – after all, the angle you need to cut on your table saw depends on the final result you want! Of course, you might want a detailed step-by-step reference, and for that, we recommend you check out our guide on how to cut a 60-degree angle on a table saw.

What is the difference between a chamfer and a bevel?

A chamfer is a kind of bevel, but the difference is that a bevel has a sloping edge. A bevel, on the other hand, has an edge that joins two surfaces at a 45-degree angle. The slope of a bevel may have an angle of 90 to 45 degrees.

What is the difference between a miter cut and a bevel cut?

A miter is best defined as an angled cut that is made across a piece of wood’s face or breadth. A bevel, in contrast, is a cut made through a piece of board’s thickness. It solely depends on how you position the wood piece onto the table saw for it to be a miter or a bevel cut.

What is bevel capacity?

Bevel capacity is the measure of the maximum bevel cut a saw can make. Bevel stops and the installation of a beam of light allows for fast cuts and added precision. Although these features are mostly found in circular saws, they are useful and can be applied to your handling of the table saw, especially for the features that overlap.

If you’d like to learn more about the bevel and bevel capacity, feel free to research it to understand its importance in your woodworking journey.

And if you want to confirm how much your table saw can generate in terms of power, read on about How Many Watts A Table Saw Uses.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, by following the correct procedure, you can easily use a table saw for various tasks. In that way, by following this simple guide, you can easily learn how to cut 45-degree angle with table saw.

Just keep the tools at hand (starting with a table saw, a sharp blade for cutting scrap wood, and the measuring tools that keep your angles fixed), and you’ll be sure to end up with great final results!

For more table saw knowledge, learn about “How much should a table saw weigh?”

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