Topic
Mitre saws
A mitre saw makes clean, repeatable crosscuts at set angles for skirting, architrave, decking and frames. Blade size and a sliding head decide how wide a board it can cut.
- Common blades
- 210 · 216 · 254 · 305 mm
- Cuts
- Mitre · bevel · compound
A mitre is an angled cut across the face of the board; a bevel tilts the blade through the thickness; a compound cut does both, as on coving and some crown mouldings.
A fixed 216 mm saw crosscuts boards up to roughly 120 to 150 mm wide at 90 degrees. A sliding saw with the same blade reaches around 270 to 305 mm, enough for most shelving and wide skirting. Always check the stated cut width and depth in the specification.
A single bevel saw tilts one way; a double bevel tilts both ways, so you do not have to flip long lengths of skirting. Use the mitre angle calculator to turn a frame or a wall corner into the setting on the saw's scale.
Common mistakes
- Assuming every room corner is 90 degrees: measure it and halve the difference from 180.
- Cutting without a test piece when fitting skirting to uneven plaster.
Guides on this topic
- What size mitre saw do you need?210, 216, 254 and 305 mm mitre saw blades compared by cut width and depth, with skirting, decking and post examples and real listing figures.Guide
- Mitre saw vs circular saw for decking and flooringRepeatable square crosscuts against long rips and sheet cuts: when a mitre saw or a circular saw is the better buy, with decking and flooring examples.Comparison
- Mitre saw vs chop saw vs drop sawMitre saw, chop saw and drop saw are often used for the same tool in the UK. Learn what each name means and which one suits trim, skirting and decking.Comparison
- Mitre saw not cutting square: how to calibrate itCheck fence and blade with a square, run the five cut test, and adjust mitre detents and bevel stops so your mitre saw cuts true again.Fix
- How to use a mitre sawSetting mitre and bevel, holding the work, letting the blade stop, using the depth stop and checking the guard, for safe and accurate cuts.How-to
- How to set up a mitre saw stand or benchLeg stands, wheeled stands and DIY benches for mitre saws: mounting the saw, levelling supports to the saw table and supporting long boards safely.How-to
- How to cut skirting board corners with a mitre sawInternal, external and out of square skirting corners on a mitre saw, when to scribe instead of mitre, and how to work out the right angle.How-to
- How to change a mitre saw bladeStep by step: isolating the saw, using the spindle lock, the left hand thread on many arbor bolts, flange order and checking blade size and bore before you buy.How-to
- Compound vs sliding mitre saw explainedWhat compound and sliding mean on a mitre saw, the board widths that make a slide worth it, and the bench depth a sliding saw needs behind it.Comparison
Buying guides on this topic
- Best cordless mitre sawsCordless mitre saws compared by blade size, battery system, listed cut capacity and whether a battery and charger come in the box.Buying guide
- Best mitre saws for home and siteCorded and cordless mitre saws compared by blade size, power, slide, cut capacity at 90 degrees and laser or shadow line, from 216 to 305 mm.Buying guide
- Best sliding compound mitre sawsSliding compound mitre saws compared by blade size, power, single or double bevel and listed cut width and depth, for wide boards and decking.Buying guide