Debate: Should we still use miter saws on site or stick to hand saws for trim?

I was at a job site in Austin last week and the lead carpenter refused to let anyone use a miter saw for crown molding, said it messes up the angles more than cutting by hand. But the younger guys argued the saw saves time and gets cleaner cuts if you calibrate it right. Which side do you lean on for tight interior trim work?

3 comments

3 Comments

cora_perez19d ago

Yeah @leeknight hit it, a bad saw is worse than no saw for sure.

evah401mo ago

Did the lead carpenter have a specific reason for saying that, or was it more of a "been doing it this way for 20 years" kind of deal?

leeknight1mo ago

@evah40 I think it's more of a "done it this way forever" deal, but he's got a point if the saw is garbage. If your miter saw isn't squared up and locked down tight on a level stand, you're fighting slop that hand sawing won't give you. Best move is to cut a test piece on the saw, check it with a square, then decide if it's worth the setup time over just doing it by hand.