How to Make a Bevel Cross Cut With a Table Saw

A bevel cut is one in which the blade of the saw is tilted to make a diagonal cut on the wood. Making a bevel cross cut is similar to that of a regular cross cut, with the difference being that the blade is tilted rather than straight up. Read on for complete instructions for making a bevel cross cut.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Table saw

1. Remove the rip fence from the table. It is critical to remove the rip fence in order to minimize the risk of injury due to kickback.

2. Unlock the bevel lever, then turn the bevel wheel to set the saw at the necessary angle.

3. Set the saw blade at the necessary height for the piece of wood you're working with.

4. Put the miter gauge in place and set it to 0 or 90 degrees, depending on the degree range of your particular saw. Some miter gauges go from 90 to 30 degrees, whereas others use a 60 to 60 degree scale. Lock the miter gauge in place.

5. Turn on the saw and feed the wood onto the blade with both hands. Guide the wood with the miter gauge.

6. Feed the wood at a slightly slower pace than you would for a typical cross cut to help ensure a straight cut against the tilted blade.

7. Continue to feed the wood until it is cut through, keeping the hand nearest the blade on the miter gauge knob while pushing the wood with the hand farthest from the blade.

8. Switch off the saw and allow it to come to a complete stop before removing the wood.

Tips & Warnings

• Due to the angle of the saw, make sure to keep an especially firm grip on the wood as you feed it onto the blade.
• Stand out of the path of the waste drop-off in case it is thrown from the saw.