"Vise Assembly" on the Miter Saw?

My miter saw (Makita LS1013) has, IMO, too short of a fence. I attached 1/2” boards to the fence and, effectively, raised the height of the fence. When I did that, I rendered the vise inoperative. It will not work over that taller fence.

I knew that would happen when I added the boards and I was okay with that. With my previous miter saw I virtually never used the vise. 95% of the time I just set a board on the miter saw, hold it in place with one hand and run the saw with the other. Every once in a while I want to do something that requires clamping something in place. I’m always able rig something up.

In my opinion, a miter saw is not the right choice when working on small items that may require you to have your fingers close to the blade.

All that to say that not having a vise would be for me, no big deal.

-- Rich, Cedar Rapids, IA - I'm a woodworker. I don't create beauty, I reveal it.

My Bosch has that screw lever thing that holds work down. Usually I don’t use it but if I have a small piece I’ll use that or clamp it some other way to keep it still till I cut it.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://gagnerwebsite.com/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

No vise (clamp) here.

Skone, I have a 10” Hitachi slider and it did come with a hold down. I only use it on rare occasions. Most of the time it sits in the cabinet on which I have the saw mounted. If I did not have one on my saw I really would not miss it.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Honestly, I just use what I learned: My hand.

My clamp, is only used for bevels. But for 90s I perfer merely to hold it. I can hold it closer to the blade(I won’t lie: I occasionally hold it as close as 2-3inches… And not to mention, its easier to keep long stock from falling on the floor, by holding it. Although, it occasionally helps with cut-offs… although, it never completely helps.

-- "Ah, So your not really a newbie, but a I betterbie."

never used it

if i have to cut small pieces
i get another block
(same thickness as the on i want to cut
further away
and put a ‘plank’ over both of them
making a ‘bridge’ over them
and push down on it
it holds the small piece to be cut

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

thanks for the replies, everyone. the trend is clear to me and particularly here on LJ, majority rules. i appreciate the help.

-- "Take extra care not to lose what you feel" (Winwood/Capaldi/Wood)

Mine has a screw clamp that drops into a dog hole on either side of the saw deck so you can tighten the workpiece to the fence. I use it occasionally, but more often than not, I just use Irwin QuickGrip clamps.

—Gerry

-- Gerry -- "I don't plan to ever really grow up ... I'm just going to learn how to act in public!"

I should use mine more than I do (for short cuts), but i certainly use it to true up stacked boards…I don’t have a station with long fence so I can’t utilize a stop for repeatable cuts.

-- jay, www.allaboutastro.com

I also have a Hitachi saw, and like everyone else, I don’t use it. It is way to slow to do anything efficiently. It may be handy to hold a stop block, but as Rich said, there are other ways to do that, too.

I suspect the reason the miter saws come with the clamp is so the manufacturer can specify to use it whenever you cut something. Then, if you cut off a finger, the first question would be “did you use the clamp?”. If you say no, it’s your fault for not using the provided safety features.

Maybe I’m a little cynical about things like that…

My best use of the clamp is when making multiples of the same length. I line up the first cut on my pencil line, tighten the clamp, set the stop block and cut.

-- Gene 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Thanks again for all your help guys. I will surely be devising a clamp system when the need arises—but for now, not in a hurry. I put together a stand for the saw today. Post is titled “The $25 Miter Saw Stand”... if you’re curious. Bare bones but perfect for the time being—at my budget and skill level.

-- "Take extra care not to lose what you feel" (Winwood/Capaldi/Wood)