Miter Saw Blade Question

Okay, I was cruising along this morning trying to get some more shelves up in the shop with some angled supports, and while I was cutting one support, the blade in the SCMS got stuck in the wood. So I shut off the saw, unplugged it, and I had a hard time getting the wood off the blade. :rolleyes:

So now, of course, the blade is no longer square to the fence or square to the table. :pullhair: My question is, is there an easy way to tell if the blade is bent altogether? (before I spend an hour doing all kinds of adjustments?)

I probably have about 100 hours on this saw (and this blade). This is my SCMS. newms.jpg

No sense showing you a half cut piece of 2X4. :rofl:
 
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Sounds like a scary incident. :eek:
Glad no injuries were involved. :)
I would suggest just laying the blade on a flat surface, like the table saw top. Lay on both sides if it looks bent, it is bent, if it wobbles it is bent.
Were you pulling or pushing? A slider CMS is meant to be brought to the front, lowered into the wood then pushed back.
When I first started with mine, I lowered and pulled but the blade wanted to 'race' through the wood. Then I learned here (it really is a very useful forum) that was dangerous and a backwards procedure.
Good luck. Let us know if the blade is damaged.
 
Hey, Frank. Yeah, it wasn't so much scary as annoying. I'm not so scared of my power tools anymore. I was all suited up for safety like an astronaut. I stand well away from the saw and to the side. I always use a vise to hold down the board. I fully extend it back, then down then forward.

So now I have one support fully cut and 10 supports needing 2 more cuts. :tantrum: At least it's sunny today, so I'm going to go outside for a bit. :thumb:
 
Hey, Frank. Yeah, it wasn't so much scary as annoying. I'm not so scared of my power tools anymore. I was all suited up for safety like an astronaut. I stand well away from the saw and to the side. I always use a vise to hold down the board. I fully extend it back, then down then forward.

So now I have one support fully cut and 10 supports needing 2 more cuts. :tantrum: At least it's sunny today, so I'm going to go outside for a bit. :thumb:

Thats what Frank was refering to thats backwards.
 
A slider CMS is meant to be brought to the front, lowered into the wood then pushed back.

I fully extend it back, then down then forward.

Cynthia, from your description, I believe you are doing the opposite of what Frank is suggesting.

Were your pulling the slider through the cut or pushing it through? If you are pulling, the blade may want to run towards you across the board. If you are pushing, your are controlling the cut.

I don't have a slider so I guess I'm confused as to how the saw got stuck in the wood?
 
Unplug the saw put your square on the table up to the blade. rotate the blade by hand. If the blade moves away from the square than back to it again it has been bent. (guessing not) My guess is the force of the bind knocked the fence out of adjustment. Might even have bent the fence. Like I did on my big Hitachi
 
From my mistakes, it's usually something that causes the wood to pinch the blade. Usually it's happened to me on rip cuts where the wood closes up due to stress in the wood.

But I've never had it happen with a 2x4 on my miter saw. I'm confused. :huh:

Maybe one of the more experienced guys would know. ;)
 
To me part of the problem is the clamp. Your material probably had a twist in it. When you clamped it you bound it into the fence to begin with. not knowing. When the blade hit the wood it started to untwist, thus clamping down on the blade.
 
To me part of the problem is the clamp. Your material probably had a twist in it. When you clamped it you bound it into the fence to begin with. not knowing. When the blade hit the wood it started to untwist, thus clamping down on the blade.

Steve beat me to it. Thats my idea as well. I would think your blade is just fine but would do as Chuck suggested to check the alignment.
 
I have the same saw, and have NEVER used the clamp. If the stock has any twist to it, or the edge isn't straight, the clamp will cause the problem you had. When the cus is almost clear through, the wood shifts, due to internal tensions, and binds the blade.

Chuck's advice as to how to check for a bent blade is good. To test for squareness, just take a short (two feet?) piece of wood with a jointed face and edge (no warpage) and crosscut it. Check for square, and adjust the fence(s) accordingly.
 
...Jim, if you've never used the vise, what difference does it make if you hold it with your hand or hold it with a vise? You're still holding it, no?

While I don't advocate EVER trying to cut twisted/warped wood on and SCMS or tablesaw (Either joint & plane first, or else use the bandsaw, or a handsaw:eek:) sometimes it seems like you've just gotta... If you use the clamp, you're generally pressing (at least) some of the twist down toward the table, and adding to the internal stress. Then, when your cut is nearly through, the wood suddenly 'corrects' itself, and springs back on one (the unclamped) side, causing a bind.

for wood with an unstraight edge, it'll try to jump away from the blade - towards the fence - when the cut is nearly through - also potentially causing a bind. Miter saws, by their very design, aren't intended for cutting anything but dressed stock.
 
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