compound miter vs sliding compound miter
I need to get an idea of what kind of tool to buy. I think I’ll probably go for a compound miter but I thought I should at least look at the sliders.
My needs right now are not demanding (better quality outdoor construction: gates etc.), but I’d like to get something that I can use down the road wherever my interest take me.
What are the drawbacks of going up to a sliding compound miter? Size and weight seem like possible problems.
I’ll need to take this out to job sites.
Replies
Buy a slider, you can cut bigger stock with it.
Coming to you from beautiful Richmond, Va.
If you feel that someday you'll need to bevel and miter cut a 2x12, get the slider. If you don't ever see a need for more capacity than you'll get with the compound, why deal with the extra weight and expense?
Gotta use that crystal ball to see what you'll be doing down the road....lol.
Bob
It's true that a slider is more versatile than a fixed CMS, but the drawback is that they are very fragile and will go out of whack with very little abuse compared to the fixed ones. If you feel that your needs down the road will require a slider, get one. But if you think that a fixed unit will suffice, then it will stay true much longer, which in my book is an important variable when it comes to tool selection.
thanks, that's kind of what I was thinking but I don't have any experience with Sliding CMS's. What dimension of square lumber can you expect to crosscut and cut at 45 degrees with a CMS? For gates I'll be working with beams and one of the irritations of my Skil saw is that it that it takes multiple passes to cut a 4x4 ideally I'd like to be able to dress 6x6's. The reviews list specs for face pieces but it's not clear to me how this translates for large dimension wood.
I don't know that you'll ever be able to "dress 6x6's". Even with a 12" blade, you're asking the blade to cut a 5 1/2" tall piece of material, which leaves only 1" diameter for the arbor and nut. That's pushing it. Most of the 10" and 12" saws in either CMS or SCMS should be able to easily handle what you need on a 4x4 though.