How to Cut Angles in Wood

Cutting angles in wood -- say, for trimming around corners -- used to be a lot harder than it is today. The advent of the power miter saw takes the guesswork out of it, because the saw is designed to cut your wood at any angle you set it for. You still have to know how to set up the wood on the saw to get it right, and that can be tricky. These instructions are for cutting floor trim to fit around an outside corner, but the general principles are applicable to all angle-cutting projects.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Floor trim
• Miter saw

Instructions

1. Set your piece of trim on your miter saw, standing it against the fence of the saw in the same way it will go on the wall. If the corner cut is going to be on the left end of the trim, set the piece to the right of the saw blade.

2. Swivel the blade to the left (pointing away from the trim) and secure it on the 45-degree setting. Slide the end of the trim far enough under the blade so the full angle fits. Make the cut.

3. For the adjacent piece, reverse the setup. Put the trim on the left side of the blade, standing against the fence. Set the blade to 45 degrees pointing right. Make the cut.

4. Press the two angled cuts together to make sure they form a perfect 90-degree corner. Measure the walls in both directions from the corner and cut the other ends of each piece as needed. (NOTE: When measuring on the pieces for your end-cuts, measure from the inside line of the miter, on the back of the trim.)

Tips & Warnings

• To find the settings for angles other than 45 degrees, use an adjustable protractor, which looks like two rulers hinged together, and can be pressed into or around corners to measure the exact angle.

• Wear eye protection when using any power tools.

References

• Choosing and using a miter saw.