how to square a harbor freight miter saw
- Thread starter Sh40674
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Provincial
Well-known member
I squared up my 10" HF slider by using a block of 2x4 on edge against the blade to bridge across the teeth of the blade, and using a carpenter's square against the fence to compare. It was a little off, so I filed the notch that the tapered screw fits in. File on the side you want the cut to rotate towards. This only works for small changes.
If you have an adjustable tool for measuring angles, you can do the same thing for the angle stops.
This does not change the quick adjust detents, so to get an accurate cut you need to tighten the tapered screw.
I consider this saw good enough for rough carpentry, but not for finish work. I got mine good enough for amateur finish work, but I'm not sure every one of these saws can be adjusted that well.
If you have an adjustable tool for measuring angles, you can do the same thing for the angle stops.
This does not change the quick adjust detents, so to get an accurate cut you need to tighten the tapered screw.
I consider this saw good enough for rough carpentry, but not for finish work. I got mine good enough for amateur finish work, but I'm not sure every one of these saws can be adjusted that well.
derosa
Well-known member
There should be a couple of screws on the back of the fence that can be loosened and tightened to allow the fence to move. Easiest, most accurate, way I could think of would be with a wixey digital angle finder or something similar. Hold the saw upright so it can get a reading on the blade that can be squared to the fence. There is a five cut test to check for accuracy, take a 6" strip of plywood with a straight edge and cut a 6" or so piece off, put the cut edge against the fence, cut a strip off and moving in a counter clockwise direction cut off a new edge till you have made a total of 5 cuts, the last cut should be removing the edge of your first cut. Any inaccuracy in the tool will be compounded through the cuts and make any discrepancy more obvious.
gdocktor3
Well-known member
You could square up with a baseball bat and put it out of its misery.
Dennis Leigh Henry
Well-known member
LOL...my thinking exactly..then head to the store and purchase a Porter Cable / Rockewell....
you could have pissed, off but you didn't
LOL...my thinking exactly..then head to the store and purchase a Porter Cable / Rockewell....
my apologies, i have a small child and a new born baby at home and money has been tight. i got the most of what i could afford. my kids eat before i play. on my next tool purchase i'll definitely run it by you first and make sure YOU approve of MY budget and MY options.
if you ain't gonna help, don't respond. this site is starting to get full of snobs and trolls, sometimes it's not even worth asking a question anymore without drama.
gdocktor3
Well-known member
I wasnt trying to. It was just a good opportunity for a play on words. In all honesty, square it up as mentioned earlier in the thread by derosa. I did my Ryobi that way.
ryan20021982
Well-known member
I agree with this, and if money is tight you should have looked for a quality used saw, they are all over around here for less than the HF saw new, I would never trust anything from HF with a blade spinning that fast. I have alot of their hand tools but stay away from anything with a motor.
bmwpowere36m3
Well-known member
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- Nov 8, 2012
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I used the procedure from a Festool Kapex manual... involves cutting a med/hi-density board a few times. Used the procedure to square up my Dewalt DWS780.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
Festool and Harbor Freight. You don't see those words in the same sentence often.
crguy
Well-known member
derosa
Well-known member
If you can return it the Ryobi is better in my experience usually for not a lot more money. My Ryobi has been going strong for about 10 years and it has been seriously abused and when set square will stay that way for a while. My only experience with the HF was their 12" slider, apparently the blade could be set up to drop too far and came set up that way from the factory, it actually sliced through a bar under the table that was part of the lock to keep it from rotating. I returned it that day and just stuck with my 10" ryobi.
fowldarr
Well-known member
I have the HF 12" Miter Saw. Agree with the above, my first one was amazingly close to square out of the box. When I replaced it under warranty (broken laser), the second one needed more adjustment. Overall, despite what you will hear here, not a "horrible" saw, for the money anyway. I was in the same boat as you when I bought mine. I would love to get a new "better" saw, but my HF just keeps spinning. It does a fine job with everything that I have thrown at it so far (two chicken coops, a farm table, etc). I agree that it is a little sloppy for finish work, but with a high quality blade and some wood filler you can fake anything.
yamaha0343
Well-known member
1. Return saw to Harbor Freight and get money back.
2. Go to HD and get a Ryobi for about the same price.
3. Loosen screws holding fence in place.
4. Using a square, align fence with blade.
5. Tighten screws holding the fence in place.
Later on:
6. Replace stock blade with a diablo.
2. Go to HD and get a Ryobi for about the same price.
3. Loosen screws holding fence in place.
4. Using a square, align fence with blade.
5. Tighten screws holding the fence in place.
Later on:
6. Replace stock blade with a diablo.
rlitman
Well-known member
You gotta love all the threads about trying to make HF **** usable.
Funny. The first thing that came to my mind was to recommend looking up the youtube video "How to fix a round cage".
But in all seriousness, I've never seen a miter saw out of the box that was squared up to my liking. They're all designed to be adjusted a little. I've re-adjusted my DeWalt a few times over the years. I like to use a large carpenter's square. Just be sure to not let the kerf of the tooth throw off your measurements. And the 5-cut-method is always an option for the OCD-ish.
txvwnut
Well-known member
I actually tossed mine out of the upstairs window of my shop.
In all seriousness it did serve me well for about thirteen years. The only thing was the blade brake quit working about half way through my shop build.
beamrider
Well-known member
I'd suggest starting here:
http://bfy.tw/A74A
I have the 12" version, and got it square after 2-3 hours, and it has remained that way ever since. Makes great cuts, but that might have something to do with the blade I put on it costing more than the saw itself.
http://bfy.tw/A74A
I have the 12" version, and got it square after 2-3 hours, and it has remained that way ever since. Makes great cuts, but that might have something to do with the blade I put on it costing more than the saw itself.
Dennis Leigh Henry
Well-known member
I didn't (and never do) mean to offend.. I do worry that a cheap tool is being made to be square when by its very nature it should do that without any fan fare or adjustment. It is afterall a miter saw.. That coupled with the other comment about a saw blade in close proximity to body parts, from HF, is a dangerous proposition.
I too had a young family earlier in my life. I chose to not go with cheap tools, for many of these reasons. I used an old fashioned miter box w/ hand saw for several years for this exact reason. Its not as fast, but square and safe.
Please accept my apologies, I didn't mean to offend.
I would not use that miter saw, period.
this is actually my second one. the first one lasted 8 years and only broke when my dad forgot to shut his tailgate and drove away with it. never had issues with the first one. maybe i got lucky and it was just close enough to not notice? i'm not a pro at cutting trim regardless, if i had a perfectly square saw i'd probably need filler. the only reason i asked on this thread is because i just happend to notice enough that it was out of square.
i should be used to the comments, alot of people don't realize that their cheaper, but "brand" name miter saw was probably made right next to mine, possibly by the same china-man, in the same factory... my step-dad has a "WEN" he bought from home depot. loves it, never has failed him. it's the exact same, nut for nut, bolt for bolt, as my HF saw. probably just difference in the color of plastic. to each their own.
fowldarr
Well-known member
For some of the 'lower end' saws you're absolutely right. You see the same thing in entry level band saws. However, there are clear differences between the HF and the $600 12" sliding miter saw that dewalt makes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
rick carpenter
Well-known member
You can test what you think should be square by placing two strips of plywood, say 1/4" to 3/8" thick by say 4" wide by say 6" long on top of each other. Make a cut through the end of both at the same time and flip one piece over like a page in a book. If the cuts match top to bottom when lined up against the fence, you're square.