More Miter Saws for Dummy Carpenters

We admit it, folks: even the staffers at the Antisocial Network get lazy from time to time, and today's one of those days. The sad fact is that once we find a dependably lazy and ill-informed freelancer, we'll perform a quick search to see what other misinformation this doofus has published. That's exactly what is happening here today: we'd already caught eHowian Patrick Nelson misinforming on miter saws¹ once, why expect anything else he had to say on the subject would be any better? And we were right: check out his other eHow.com post on the topic "How to Mount a Miter Saw."

In Nelson's previous foray into the world of miter saws, we learned that he didn't know a heck of a lot about how to troubleshoot the tool; confusing the different types (sliding, compound, double-bevel...) and in general playing fast and loose with the terminology. Now we learn that the guy has never mounted a miter saw (we have) and never clamped one to... anything (we have). But let's let Patrick display his ignorance in his own words:

"You can reinforce [a miter saw's] accuracy by mounting the saw to a bench. This will stop any movement, provide extra stability and ensure that the saw doesn’t bind." We don't quite understand how that would "ensure that the saw doesn’t bind," but – unfortunately, that's all Nelson had to say on the topic. Instead, he launched into instructions for mounting your saw. We think his instructions suggest that he's pretty unfamiliar with using a miter saw, since he seems married to the notion of mounting it to your workbench, not to a miter saw stand or even a couple of 2-by-4s on sawhorses. Here's his "solution": "...mount the saw to a sheet of plywood..."

Kudos to Patrick: that actually works (we've used the workaround before). What doesn't work of some of the other rubbish Patrick mentioned:

• "Often, there will be two possible mounting hole options, of differing sizes, for each of the four points. This is to provide flexibility on size of fastener." – The correct word is not "often," Patrick, it's "sometimes." Just because your one reference says so... And they're not "fasteners," they're bolts or lag screws.
• "Drill holes for bolts if you are mounting on the plywood. Flip the plywood and countersink for the nuts so that the bolts don’t protrude and the plywood is flush with the surface on which it will sit. " – No, Patrick, you countersink the HEAD of the bolt, not the nut! And while we're at it, please learn what "flush" means!

• "Clamp the plywood-mounted saw to a work bench before operating the saw. Clamp it at the bolts, rather than anywhere else to avoid interference with the saw’s operation." – This is Patrick's botched version of Dewalt's warning to, "clamp only on the clamping bosses where the screw holes are located." Apparently Patrick didn't consider that you could clamp anywhere on the plywood once it's become a temporary base for the saw. Idiot.

All that because Patrick was apparently unaware that there are myriad miter saw stands on the market: quelle surprise. Sure, mounting the saw to a sheet of plywood is less expensive, but if you can afford it a miter saw stand has so-o-o-o  many other advantages, like built-in stops and supports for long stock. Maybe if he had known that, he wouldn't be our Dumbass of the Day. Again.

¹ Not to mention table saws and radial arm saws...

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