Miter Gauges for Woodworking Dummies (WiseGeek Week 5)

The staff carpenter likes his Incra Miter Gauge

When it comes to writing about tools, we're of the firm opinion here at the Antisocial Network that freelancers should stay away from attempting to describe any tools they haven't used. This opinion, for whatever it's worth, holds for both hand and power tools, and both kitchen and shop tools. Heck: it holds for any tools! Sadly, WiseGeek.com's Alexis W.¹ did not follow our advice, which is why she visited the crapalicious "What is a Miter Gauge?" on the internet (at AboutMechanics.com. if anyone cares – we don't).

Our first giveaway that Alexis was talking through her hat was her choice of illustration for a miter gauge: it's a picture of a guy using a power miter saw. If W. had had the slightest idea what a miter gauge is, she'd have known that a power miter saw does not have a miter gauge. But let's see what she thought one was before going any farther:

"A miter gauge is a woodworking accessory that is used with other tools, including a band saw, a router table, and a stationary sander. It helps saws to accomplish angled cuts, and it helps to stabilize wood. This tool can also be useful for determining the angle of a cut."

We still aren't certain what "helps to stabilize wood" means, and as for "useful for determining the angle of a cut"; WTF? That's not to mention that the most familiar tool that comes equipped with a miter gauge is probably the table saw, which Alexis omitted entirely.

Let's read on and see some of her other "information," shall we?

• "Miter gauges are typically made of a protracted metal head attached to a metal bar.": We're pretty sure that is not the meaning of "protracted"... 
• "It almost appears to be a very large adjustable wrench, with an upper and lower grip...": Whaaaa????
• "The top, or metal head, can be brought down to hold wood in place. The wood is clamped in between the metal head and the metal bar.": in all honesty, none of our woodworking types has ever seen a miter gauge that fits this description...
• "A miter gauge also can be used to cross-cut wood at a specific angle.": Also? No, Alexis, cutting at "a specific angle" is the chief use of a miter gauge!
• "...miter gauges allow the wood to be cut at any angle between 30 and 90 degrees...": We're pretty sure few (if any) of them allow for 30-degree cuts, Alexis...
• "Table saws may also provide a built-in miter gauge.": Now she mentions table saws, although we;ve never seen one whose miter gauge is "built-in."
• "The advantage of the more complex models lays in... the ease and speed in which they make a cut.": No, Alexis, miter gauges don't "make a cut"! Idiot!

It doesn't take much experience in actually using a miter gauge to see that Alexis had never used one, and may have never even seen one before dashing off this steaming pile of misinformation. You know what happens to freelancers who write rubbish about unfamiliar topics, right? They win the Dumbass of the Day, that's what happens!

¹ We suspect that Alexis W. is probably the same person as "Alexis Writing" at eHow, given that latter person's very similar unfamiliarity with power tools.

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