Makita LC 1230 Metal Cutting Saw Adjustment

I've got a new Makita LC 1230 saw that I cannot seem to get accurate angles on.

Granted, there is not a micro adjustment for the miter angle, but after joining the cut ends - I'm out of square.

I've tried to adjust the fence and determine if there are any other adjustments I can make to ensure my angles are accurate but I'm out of ideas.

The attached image is what kind of gap I'm dealing with if I use a speed square to align my material to 90 degrees and ensure what I'm building is square.

Anyone have any issues with the 1230's accuracy or suggestions on how to correct?

Thanks in advance!

looks like the cut is not straight, is the metal moving slightly during the cut? I know on my scms for wood it tends to pull when cutting a big and if you aren't careful, the ends look like that.

how tight does the fence hold the stock? blade too aggressive?

edit: i'll add when I built my antenna tower from aluminum, I just used my regular mitre saw with the stock carbide blade and got better looking cuts, but alum is easier to cut than steel...

Yea. It looks like the metal is moving while you cut.

So when you put a protractor between the vise and the blade, what does it say?

While Makita generally makes quality stuff, this is a OK dry cut saw. There are some known issues with these larger diameter dry cuts...

1- fence flex + movement from stamped steel fence
_ not much to do other then be sure to have everything tightened up.

2- blade deflection-
_your model has a smaller blade (12" vs 14"), but its still
there and should be accounted for. Ive found that sometimes my blade would wonder out to the right when doing miter cuts. Adjust as necessary.

3- poor markings on the miter adjustment.
_ I ALWAYS double check my fence angle with a calibrated 45 before starting any miter cuts.

Dry Cut chop saws are great tools that have a lot of benefits (cost, size, speed) but getting accuracy from them is sometimes a bit tricky.

I found that a good fence + vise combo is the best way to ensure accurate cuts.

FYI- I personally really like the Evo III? 14" dry cut , and my current Hitachi version.