Preparation

• 1). Prepare your workspace. Clear any debris from the area where you will be working. If your mitre saw is not mounted onto a workbench or worktable, it can be operated on the floor as long as there is no chance of wood or tools falling into the work area.
  
  
• 2). Adjust the angle of your mitre cut. Your sliding mitre saw has a calibrated scale in front of the blade, indicating the degrees of mitre cuts you can make. Loosen the adjustment knob (found directly underneath this scale, in line with the blade), and rotate the blade until the desired degree is indicated on the scale. Tighten the adjustment knob.
  
  
• 3). Before making a cut, double-check your measurements. The carpenter's maxim to "measure twice, cut once" is an excellent rule of thumb. When you are ready to cut, put on your safety glasses and ear protection.
  
  

Operation

• 1). Hold the board firmly with your nondominant hand, and operate the saw with your dominant hand. Make sure that the hand holding the board is at least 6 inches away from the blade at all times. Depress the trigger of the saw, and move the blade downward in a steady, continuous motion. Do not jam the blade down too quickly; a slow pace ensures a more even cut. Raise the blade with the same motion, and release the trigger.
  
  
• 2). If the board to be cut is more than 4 inches longer than the deck of the mitre saw, support the ends of the board with wooden support blocks. Most saw decks are 4 inches high, so you can easily make your own support blocks out of foot-long sections of 2 x 4 boards. Screw two of these 2 x 4s together (joined along the wider side) to make a sturdy support block.
  
  
• 3). If the board to be cut is too short to hold by hand (and your hand cannot be kept at least 6 inches away from the blade), secure it to the saw deck with clamps. C-clamps work fine for this purpose. Alternatively, use custom-made clamps designed for use with your saw by the manufacturer.