A compound miter saw is one of the most versatile cutting tools to have in your inventory. You can perform different types of cuts with it.
Delta miter saws are considered to be one of the best in the market. However, you have to periodically check them.
For that, you need to unlock your Miter saw. Let’s take a look at the process.
Quick Summary
By the end of this article, we will go through:
- How can you unlock your delta miter saw?
- What is a miter saw?
Let’s take a look into it.
How to Unlock Delta Miter Saw?
As discussed earlier, a delta miter saw is one of the best machines available in the market. You can use a power tool such as the compound miter saws to make different cuts.
Some users may face an issue such as “how to unlock a miter saw?”. It is not a hard task, however, you must know that unlocking a compound miter saw requires some technical knowledge.
For safety purposes, many manufacturers such as Dewalt include locks in their miter saws. You have to safely remove these locks as they keep every part in place. Dewalt includes an instructional manual on how to open your saw.
However, miter saw locks can generally be opened if you follow a set pattern. Let’s take a look at these steps.
To unlock a miter saw, you have to follow these steps:
Step # 1 – Ensure your Safety
This is the first thing you must do when you want to unlock a miter saw. The user’s safety is paramount. You must unplug your saw so that you don’t accidentally turn it on when you unlock it.
Secondly, you need to wear the proper equipment. The most commonly used are gloves to cover your hands and goggles to cover and protect your eyes.
Step # 2 – Unlocking the Head
The lock on the head is used to protect the blade of the miter saw in the closed position. This mechanism is in place to keep the miter saw blade from being damaged from movement in shipping.
The teeth of the cutting tool are located on the table. There is a knob located at the back of the saw. To unlock the head, you:
- First, put some pressure onto the blade. You can do this by pushing the saw arm downward.
- Then, rotating the knob will automatically unlock your blade. For this, you have to place your hand on the knob and then turn it until the blade is free.
Your miter saw might also have a pull/pushpin. You can release the lock just by pulling the knob.
Step # 3 – Unlocking the Slide
This is an optional step if you have a regular miter saw. But if you have a compound miter saw or a sliding miter saw, you would have to unlock the slide. This is a must if you have to fully unlock the saw.
To unlock the slide, you have to locate a knob at the side of the table. Then, you have to turn this knob to release the locking mechanism.
Step # 4 – Unlocking the Table
The next step after this is to unlock the table of your miter saw. Normally, the table is locked at a 90 degrees angle for storage. But, you would have to adjust the angle of the saw for different quality cuts.
To keep the table locked at the desired angle, there is a lock at the base of the table. Based on the model, it may be joined with the table. You just have to rotate the knob in an anticlockwise direction.
Then, you can set the head to your desired angle and turn the knob in the clockwise direction. Miter saws have tables so that you can push the blade to the wanted angle. Miter saws also have a pre-set for the commonly used angle.
These used angles make the job easier for you and also help you make a quality cut.
Step # 5 – Unlocking the Angle locks
This is also a skippable step if you have a regular miter saw. But if you have a bevel saw or a compound saw, you have to unlock the bevel and tilt locks to adjust the angles.
Bevel Lock
Delta miter saws come with a bevel feature. You have to keep this mechanism unlocked for excellent crown moldings or angled cuts.
To disable the bevel lock, you first have to locate the pin which keeps the angle controls in place. This is a sliding pin, sliding it will unlock the movement handle.
There may also be a lever to keep the bevel locked based on the model. In this case, you only have to apply pressure on it. It is spring-loaded so you’ll have to press the lever until you get to the desired angles.
Angle Lock
There are two locks in place. The swivel angles are kept in place by a knurled knob. This knob is also kept in place by a lever. To allow the miters saw head to swivel left to right, you have to operate the knob and the lever at the same time.
The lever is generally located near the knob. But its position may be different in different models. You have to undo the knob and then press the lever to let go of the locking mechanism.
Looking for more resource guides? We’ve got them right HERE.
What is a Miter Saw? - Its Design and Types
As we discussed above, the miter saw is a versatile cutting machine. These tools have features and work in such a way that they are different from other kinds of power saws.
Let’s take a look into how it is built and what are the kinds of miter saws:
Design of a Miter Saw
Miter saws are designed to lock into an angle and then make miter cuts and crosscuts. The user has to adjust the angle. This can be done with the use of different mechanisms, based on the model of the saw.
What sets it apart from a circular saw and any other cutting machine is its feature to do angled cuts. You can rotate the blade in different directions and make cuts. For example, you can use this feature and cut by rotating the sliding handle at 45 degrees.
Before you use a miter saw, you must also know about its different parts. These are:
Blade and Blade Guard
The main part of any miter saw is its blade. A miter saw can handle different blades of varying diameters. For safety, it is covered with a guard. Together, these form the head of the miter saw.
There are blades for different kinds of cuts and of different diameters. However, you also have to keep the saw’s design in mind. Normally, a miter saw has a maximum blade diameter of 7 inches. But models with a larger blade size are available.
However, the blade guard is the same regardless of the model. The top part cannot be moved. But, there is a hinge that automatically slides or pivots upwards. This is according to the position of your blade.
Handle of the Miter Saw
The handle of your miter saw allows you to operate the saw. The power switch is also on the handle. It is shaped like a trigger. You have to press to rotate the blade. To stop the machine, you simply have to release the button.
Table/Base of the Miter Saw
This is the flat base of your saw. The workpiece is placed on the table of the saw. The scale of your miter saw may also be here. Sometimes, the saw also has safety features such as a clamp.
The scale of your saw has multiple pre-set angles. If you have a compound saw, there is an additional scale on it that tells you the bevel angle.
You can push or pull the scale of your machine to adjust the cutting angles. After this, you have to lock the angle of your saw and make the cut.
The table also has a space in it where the blade comes down.
Types of Miter Saw
There are also different kinds of saws available in the market. These have similar functionality, but you can cut at different kinds of angles with an advanced saw. Let’s take a look at them:
Basic Miter Saw
This is also called a chop saw. Chop saws can make a straight cut only. However, you can adjust the angles according to your need. You can easily make miter and crosscuts with a chop saw.
A chop saw works best for a project which involves framing.
Compound Miter Saw
These saws have the added feature of making bevel cuts. You can rotate the blade sideways in a compound miter saw. There are additional models of these saws. These are:
- Simple compound miter saw
- Dual compound miter saw
- Sliding compound miter saw
Wrapping Things Up…
Unlocking a miter saw is not a difficult task, however, you have to be sure that you follow a set pattern. Always remember that you want to keep the saw in a good condition.
With this, we reach the end of our article on “How to unlock Delta Miter saw?”.
Feel free to comment below and tell us what you think.
CLICK HERE, for tool reviews and more.