# Why is my mitre saw not cutting straight?



## RRH (Nov 24, 2016)

Of course that is not the best saw but should cut much better than that.
Goggle how to calibrate a mitre saw.

It should be better than that out of the box.

Is the cut at least straight?

If not bent blade.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

RRH said:


> Of course that is not the best saw but should cut much better than that.
> Goggle how to calibrate a mitre saw.
> 
> It should be better than that out of the box.
> ...


I've had this saw for a while and have never changed the blade, although I don't use it often. The cut seems straight, but it's hard to tell over such a short distance.

I'm thinking maybe it's the floor that's uneven, not the saw.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

put a couple blocks out on the floor so the wood sits level. The back fence is adjustable so pull the blade down and put a square against the blade and the fence and check it. 
Make sure the square is between the teeth on the blade.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

The blade is dull as well. Once your cut starts, the blade can't cut efficiently and begins to push the wood out of the way. I believe if you were to install a new blade and set it as Neal suggested, you will see better cuts. Also, laminate should be cut from the bottom, not the top with the coating. Aluminum oxide will dull a blade rather quickly.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

That blade cuts similar to one I once had when I was a kid, long before carbide was envented. Those were the days when I was poor and sharpened them like a DIY'er wood. The problem, those were the days when I smoked, I may have been dunk and if things aren't equal left and right it acts as Chandler sed.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

The quick check when you are in a hurry,
Cut a 12" 24 in half and flip one end over, they should fit together, if there is a taper the saw is not cutting square.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> All the dials are set to 0 degrees.


Ayuh,.... In my experiences, those dials are close, but ya gotta _Check_ the settings with a Square,....


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Blade is probably dull as mentioned. If it came with the saw, it's probably a cheap piece of junk. Spend a good bit of coin on a quality blade and you won't be sorry.



Cut a bit bigger and skim cut the end to true it up may work in a pinch.


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## Deaknh (Mar 24, 2018)

New blade and square up the fence. Easy to do.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

The blade could be dull but I don't think that's the main problem. It seems to me that the upper section where the blade is mounted is way out of line in relation to the base. Was the saw dropped or was something dropped on it? Tape the plastic guard in the opened position & take the picture again. Then look at the blade in relation to the slot in the base. As you bring the blade towards the base, I'll think that you'll see where it's out of line.


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

I downloaded the photo and blew it up. Those cuts are not only not square they are crooked. The only way they can be crooked is for the wood to be moving while the cut is being made. Either the fence is not secured or the table is not locked down and is moving while the cut is being made.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

I'm pretty sure the alignment of the back fence is the problem. I'm trying to align it with this speed square, but I can't get both the right and left aligned at once. I'm assuming that knob at the bottom is to adjust the fence in relation to the blade?


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

I'm pretty sure the problem is the alignment of the back fence. I'm trying to align it with this speed square, but I can't get the right and left aligned at the same time. If it's aligned from the left, the right is out of square and vice versa. I'm assuming the knob on the front of the saw is to align the fence in relation to the blade, correct?


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

hkstroud said:


> I downloaded the photo and blew it up. Those cuts are not only not square they are crooked. The only way they can be crooked is for the wood to be moving while the cut is being made. Either the fence is not secured or the table is not locked down and is moving while the cut is being made.


The saw is definitely not locked down. It doesn't have a table. It's just a saw. I cut some support blocks to support longer pieces of wood.


Maybe I should go buy a table for this saw.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

chandler48 said:


> The blade is dull as well. Once your cut starts, the blade can't cut efficiently and begins to push the wood out of the way. I believe if you were to install a new blade and set it as Neal suggested, you will see better cuts. Also, laminate should be cut from the bottom, not the top with the coating. Aluminum oxide will dull a blade rather quickly.



It's not laminate. It's cabinet trim. It's the same on both sides.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

> Maybe I should go buy a table for this saw.


I don't think that a table will change anything.


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

The cut is crooked. The only way that can happen is if the wood is moving during the cut. The only way the wood can move is if it is not tight up against the fence or the fence is moving or the saw head is moving. The only way the saw head can move is if the table moves.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> Maybe I should go buy a table for this saw.


Excellent idea.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

So a couple of things I'm, seeing... First off, several have already mentioned a blade, and yes, a dull blade is going to cause any number of unwanted results, so suffice to say that a sharp blade is absolutely essential to quality cuts. You said that you're trying to align the back fence with a speed square. Good start because woodworking tools like miter saws, table saws, wood lathes, etc. are no different than those in a tool and die shop in that they can get out of whack, and maintaining, checking, and adjusting them periodically is another essential. And the back fence is probably the first place I would start in this case, but you need more than a speed square. Use a 2' or 4' level, a framing square, or other true straightedge that will span the distance to verify perfect alignment of the back fence. Then you can check and verify that your blade is perfectly perpendicular to the back fence, but it sounds like maybe that's where you're getting diverse readings, so don't confuse the issue by assuming that your speed square is perfectly square. I'm not suggesting that you break the bank, but personally I use an 8-9" machinist square when I go through set up on my saws. Once you go through it, I'm sure setup will start to make more sense, but feel free to ask and I'm even more sure that someone here can assist. You mentioned a table for your saw, and that is a great asset, but the main thing is that your material has adequate support and is on the same plane as the saw table, and you can often achieve that by laying a 4' level across the table and blocking up to that point. With any saw, but more so on a miter saw, in my opinion, cleanliness is essential. What difference does it make if I grab the handle with a dirty hand? None whatsoever. But the dust that accumulates in the corner where the fence meets the table can prevent your stock from fully reaching the fence, so particularly when multiple cuts are in order it can become necessary to wipe that out with your finger between cuts; obviously being cognizant of the blade at all times. Straight, square, clean, precise cuts are easy, but require a well tuned tool to achieve.


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## Deaknh (Mar 24, 2018)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I'm pretty sure the problem is the alignment of the back fence. I'm trying to align it with this speed square, but I can't get the right and left aligned at the same time. If it's aligned from the left, the right is out of square and vice versa. I'm assuming the knob on the front of the saw is to align the fence in relation to the blade, correct?


The fence has hex heads behind it that loosen to adjust the fence.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

I still say that the saw was dropped, kicked or something was dropped on it. The top portion looks to be out of alignment with the base.


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

So looking up close to the cuts, its pretty easy to see the problem. The wood is moving.
I exaggerated the cut line to show the drift. The green line shows you cut that one standing up, where at the bottom the wood broke off before the blade went all the way down leaving that spear.

On this entry level Ryobi the fence is not tall and probably came with a 24 tooth general purpose blade. For starters, you'll get choppy cuts unless you use a higher tooth count for millwork. Also, the wood has to be firmly set against the fence and platform the whole cut, and you have to compensate for the initial torque pull of the motor (by waiting a second before you start the cut) and any bounce the long end of the board causes (support with 2 scrap 2x4). 

That knob on front you ask is to secure the platform at the desired angle. Your saw has preset "detents," for certain angles, and they may have a little play so fasten the knob tight even at 0.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Take the fence completely off the saw and lay it fence side down on a known flat surface, such as granite, marble, or steel to see if there are any gaps. I have a Ridgid dual miter saw and the fence was not trued when I received it. The part is now obsolete, so I took mine and heated the bow and tapped it gingerly to correct the misalignment


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

The little clip that locks the handle at set points can be moved also.


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## RockyMtBeerMan (Dec 12, 2018)

i got one of those 12" harbor freight ones to cut some 6x6 landscape timbers for my genny stand and it cut crooked right out of the box.

I slapped a large framing square on it and it was out of square, so loosened up the fences and made sure they were square to the blade and locked them down; cuts perfect now.

BTW, harbor freight laser cut guide is *very* weak, but it cut through the 6x6's and 2x12's just fine.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

I'm trying to replace the blade. I cannot get the new blade on. Both of them say 5/8" arbor, so I don't know what the problem is.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I'm trying to replace the blade. I cannot get the new blade on. Both of them say 5/8" arbor, so I don't know what the problem is.


What exactly is not working other than the bolt is a left hand thread, there should be no problem.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

Nealtw said:


> farmerjohn1324 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm trying to replace the blade. I cannot get the new blade on. Both of them say 5/8" arbor, so I don't know what the problem is.
> ...


The old blade slides easily on and off the arbor.

The new blade does not go on. It's as if the hole on the new blade is too small, but it says 5/8" arbor on it and when I line it up with the other blade, it looks the same.

The new blade will hang on the end of the arbor, but not slide all the way on.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> The old blade slides easily on and off the arbor.
> 
> The new blade does not go on. It's as if the hole on the new blade is too small, but it says 5/8" arbor on it and when I line it up with the other blade, it looks the same.
> 
> The new blade will hang on the end of the arbor, but not slide all the way on.


Hard to imagine but you could have a dud. Unless you have measuring tools it would be hard to tell. It wouldn't have to be out by much to create a problem.


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

Put the blade in the down position.
Using a square.










Put the square against the fence and along the blade to see it's aligned for a straight cut.

Look at your owners manual for making the adjustment.

The more teeth the blade has the harder it is to cut.
Try going slower through the material.
Put a face shield on and observe the cut to see if the blade is flexing.


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

Hold the guard up and show us a picture of the end of the arbor.
Rub the end of the arbor with some sandpaper in case there is a nick or burr.
Rub the inside of the hole in the blade with sandpaper in case there is a burr there.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

ron45 said:


> Put the blade in the down position.
> Using a square.
> 
> 
> ...


How can I get this square to touch the blade? Even if I take the clear part off, the gray part is still in the way.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> How can I get this square to touch the blade? Even if I take the clear part off, the gray part is still in the way.


You put the saw in the up position and hole the guard up and use a smaller square, or you cheat. 

Cut a board and turn one piece of that over and fit them together if they fit tight the saw is square.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

Nealtw said:


> farmerjohn1324 said:
> 
> 
> > How can I get this square to touch the blade? Even if I take the clear part off, the gray part is still in the way.
> ...


When I put the square on the left, it makes contact at the top, and there's a tiny space towards the bottom.

When I put it on the right, it looks like it makes contact evenly.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> When I put the square on the left, it makes contact at the top, and there's a tiny space towards the bottom.
> 
> When I put it on the right, it looks like it makes contact evenly.


Make sure the square us not touching a tooth. And check that the bevel is set at 0, the handle is at the back of the saw.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Jul 28, 2015)

Nealtw said:


> farmerjohn1324 said:
> 
> 
> > When I put the square on the left, it makes contact at the top, and there's a tiny space towards the bottom.
> ...


The bevel was 0. I made sure it wasn't on a tooth and it seemed perfectly square.

I just made these cuts. One slow, one fast. Now, it seems square.

Not sure what happened, or what fixed it.


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

I've put masking tape over the bottom slot then cut the tape. Tape should
be cut clean. Check the angle between the tape cut and the fence with a 
square. 

This well tell you if it's set square. If it's set square but doesn't cut square,
the blade is the most likely culprit.....unless it's my cheap kobalt sliding 
saw....that's another story.....


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> The bevel was 0. I made sure it wasn't on a tooth and it seemed perfectly square.
> 
> I just made these cuts. One slow, one fast. Now, it seems square.
> 
> Not sure what happened, or what fixed it.


All you need is a sliver or chip of wood on the table or against the fence and everything goes wrong.:biggrin2:


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