• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Woodshop Diaries
  • Shop
  • About
    • Work With Me
  • DIY Projects
    • DIY Furniture Plans
      • DIY Bed Plans
      • DIY Dresser Plans
      • DIY Nightstand Plans
      • DIY Desk Plans
      • DIY TV Stand Plans
      • Coffee and Side Table Plans
      • Tables
      • Shelves and Bookcase Plans
      • DIY Storage Trunk Plans
      • DIY Bench Plans
      • DIY Storage Cabinet Plans
      • DIY Bathroom Vanity Plans
      • Kids Projects and Furniture
    • DIY Scrap Wood Projects
    • DIY Workshop Projects
    • DIY Home Decor Projects
  • Getting Started
    • Cabinet Building
    • Woodworking Basics
    • Furniture Finishing Tips
    • Tool Guides & Reviews
  • Blog
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • DIY Furniture Projects
  • Easy DIY Projects
  • Shop
  • Browse Projects by Category
  • Woodworking Tips
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Woodworking Basics

    How to Cut Angles on a Miter Saw

    November 2, 2023 by Shara, Woodshop Diaries

    In this post, I’m showing you how to cut angles on a miter saw for your DIY woodworking projects.

    I’ll also show you how to better understand the miter saw settings and how to confidently add angled elements into your next project.

    Close up of miter saw miter angle set to 10 degrees with board end cut on base

    A miter saw is one of the most versatile and most used tools in many woodworking shops. It’s one of the top 5 tools I recommend starting with and is incredibly valuable for quick and accurate cuts.

    *This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

    What is a Miter Saw?

    A miter saw is a saw that allows you to make quick and accurate cross cuts at varying angles. To cut, you place the board against the saw’s back plate and lower the blade to cut across it.

    Ryobi battery miter saw cutting plywood on workbench

    Some miter saws slide along a rail (like the one shown above) to allow a greater cutting capacity for wider boards.

    Most miter saws are compound miter saws meaning that they can cut either miters or bevels or both at the same time. Common miter saw sizes are 10″ and 12″ and these refer to the blade diameter.

    Miter vs Bevel Cuts

    In short, miter cuts are cuts across the face of the board and bevel cuts are cuts along the edge of a board.

    Image showing miter vs bevel cut--miter cut on left and bevel cut on right

    Typically you make miter cuts by swiveling the saw base left or right and you make bevel cuts by tilting the saw’s head at the back.

    Miter saw with arrows pointing to miter and bevel adjustment settings

    Understanding Your Miter Saw Angle Settings

    The confusing thing about miter saws is that the 0° mark is actually a 90° square cut.

    Arrows pointing to 0 degree bevel and miter on saw with square cut board on saw base

    So, for example, if you set your saw’s miter angle to 10°, it’s actually 10° OFF SQUARE. The angles on the board aren’t 10°.

    To give you a visual, here’s what you’re actually cutting. One angle is 90° + 10° = 100°. And the other angle is 90° – 10° = 80°.

    Diagram showing angles of board end after making miter cut

    This may seem kind of odd at first, but it’s not too bad once you get used to it. I’ll share a real life example at the end of the post.

    Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

    Basic Geometry Overview

    I’m a math nerd so I love this stuff, but I know most people don’t, so don’t worry. I won’t bog down this post with math lessons.

    But, there are a few key geometry principles that are incredibly helpful to remember when learning how to use a miter saw and working with angles.

    Most of these you’ve probably learned already, so this is just a brief refresher and a look at how they apply to real life/woodworking.

    What is Parallel vs Perpendicular?

    Two lines are parallel if they can go on forever in either direction and never intersect. They will always be equal distance apart–like the two edges of a board.

    Two lines are perpendicular if they intersect at a right–or 90° angle.

    wooden board with lines drawn along the edges showing parallel lines and a blue perpendicular line intersecting it at the cut

    Straight and Right Angles

    A straight line has 180° and a right angle has 90°.

    Diagram showing straight line with 180 degrees and a right angle with 90 degrees

    The sum of all angles in a triangle = 180°

    In a right triangle, one angle is already 90° (by definition), so the sum of the other two angles must be 90°. This is helpful to remember when making miter cuts because it allows you to easily determine all the board angles after a cut.

    Diagram with right angle and text saying "sum or all angles = 180 degrees in a right triangle, angle a and angle b = 90 degrees"

    Identifying Congruent Angles

    This post is a great resource for explaining this in more depth. But congruent angles are angles that have the same number of degrees.

    In this example, the black lines are parallel and the red line intersects them both. So we know that angles a, d, e, and h are congruent (they have the same number of degrees) and the angles b, c, f, and g are congruent (they have the same number of degrees).

    Diagram of congruent angles

    What does this have to do with woodworking? Imagine the black lines are board edges and the red line is a miter cut. If you know what your saw’s miter angle was set to when it was cut, you can determine all the angles in question in this drawing.

    diagram of congruent angles overlaid a board showing how to determine miter angles

    How to Make Miter Cuts

    To cut a miter angle, pivot your saw’s base left or right along the gauge until the indicator is set at your desired degree. Keep in mind this will be a degree OFF SQUARE.

    Shara Woodshop Diaries adjusting miter saws miter angle at saw base

    Then, place your board flat in the saw (make sure both ends of the board are properly supported), and against the back plate.

    NOTE: Make sure your hands, clamps, and supports are all out of the way of the blade before cutting.

    Bring the blade to full speed before making contact with the wood, then slowly lower the blade to cut across the board. If using a sliding saw, start at the front, then slide it toward the back to cut through.

    Shara Woodshop Diaries making a miter cut with miter saw

    What if your saw doesn’t cut the angle you need?

    Miter saws will vary as far as their miter angle capacity. Some saws go all the way up to 70° and some stop at 45°.

    If your miter saw doesn’t go up to the degree you’re wanting to cut, you can use some of the geometry tips above to help you get there.

    For example, if I want to cut a 60° miter angle, but my saw only goes to 45°, I can cut 45° mitered scrap pieces and clamp (or use heavy duty double sided tape) them to the saw base.

    scrap blocks on miter saw base cut at 45 degree angles

    Then, I can use these scrap boards as my “back plate.” If I place the board I’m wanting to cut against these pieces now and cut it with my miter set to 0°, it’s going to cut it 45°.

    board placed in scrap blocks on miter saw showing 0 degree setting is a 45 degree cut

    So if I adjust the miter angle to 15°, it will cut 45° + 15° = 60° off square. Of course, you can adjust the angle as needed to cut your desired degree.

    board placed in miter saw scrap blocks showing 15 degree angle setting is 60 degree cut

    NOTE: BE VERY CAREFUL when attempting cuts like this to make sure everything is well supported, clamped, and sturdy before making a cut.

    Miter cuts parallel to each other

    If you’re mitering both ends of a board and the plans tell you to miter them parallel to each other, that means the ends should both slant the same direction at the same degree.

    Here’s an example–both ends are mitered 10 degrees the same direction.

    image example of mitered board ends parallel to each other

    Miter cuts NOT parallel to each other

    If you’re mitering both ends of a board and the plans tell you to miter them NOT parallel to each other, that means the ends do not go in the same direction.

    Here’s an example of mitered ends not parallel.

    image example of mitered ends not parallel to each other

    How to Make Bevel Cuts

    You likely won’t make beveled cuts as often as miter cuts on the miter saw (at least not in my experience). Often you see bevel cuts on wide panels–like table tops or desks–and these are usually cut with a circular saw or table saw.

    However, for smaller pieces, a miter saw works great to cut a bevel. To do so, adjust the saw’s head tilt to the desired angle. Usually this setting is toward the back of the saw. Keep in mind this will be a degree OFF SQUARE.

    Shara Woodshop Diaries adjusting miter saw bevel angle
    close up of bevel angle adjustment showing 30 degree bevel

    Then, place your board flat in the saw (make sure both ends of the board are properly supported), and against the back plate.

    Bring the blade to full speed before making contact with the wood, then slowly lower the blade to cut across the board. If using a sliding saw, start at the front, then slide it toward the back to cut through.

    board in miter saw with beveled end

    TIP: If the board you are cutting isn’t very wide, you can also cut bevels by standing the board upright against the back plate and adjusting the miter angle instead of the bevel angle on the saw.

    Bevel cuts parallel to each other

    Just like with miters, if you’re beveling both ends of a board parallel to each other, that means the bevels should slant the same direction at the same degree.

    image example of beveled board ends parallel to each other

    Bevel cuts NOT parallel to each other

    If you’re beveling both ends of a board not parallel to each other, that means the bevels don’t slant the same direction.

    image example of beveled ends not parallel to each other

    Determining Miter Angles in a Project–EXAMPLE

    Let’s take a look at a recent project as an example and discuss how I determined what angles to use here. Here I have a simple bench with angled legs.

    shoe bench with angled legs
    DIY Shoe Bench

    If I cut the legs with a miter angle of 0°, they’d stand straight up, which is square. But, I cut the legs with a 10 degree miter so they would slant OFF SQUARE 10°.

    diagram showing angled legs and how the angle is the degree off square

    Why 10? I just picked 10° because it was an easy number to work with and looked like a good amount of slope. No other reason–you could pick 5 or 7 or 12 or 15 if you wanted. It just depends on how much slope you want your legs to have.

    Now I need to determine what angle to cut the ends of my top and bottom supports that will join each leg. Based off the image above, it’s easy! Those need to be mitered 10°, too.

    diagram showing joining boards have same miter angle as sloping bench leg

    In most cases, in basic projects like this (not all, but most), whatever angle one piece is mitered, the angled pieces that join it are mitered the same.

    I think people get really overwhelmed with angles thinking you need to figure each one out for every piece. But most of the time, if there’s an angle in the build, it’s the same angle for everything.

    Looking for more DIY woodworking Tips for beginners?

    Getting started in woodworking can be intimidating. Check out these helpful beginners guides to getting started so you can confidently build your next DIY masterpiece! Head to the Getting Started page for even more resources.

    Understanding Wood Sizing
    How to Buy Lumber
    Top 5 Tools to Get Started
    How to Sand Wood
    How to Use a Pocket Hole Jig
    cutting plywood with a circular saw
    How to Use Plywood Cutting Guides

    If you’d like to save this post for later, be sure to pin it or share it to your favorite social platform!

    pinterest collage image of adjusting miter angle on saw at top and diagram of angled cuts at bottom with text "how to cut angles with a miter saw"

    Until next time, friends, happy building!

    « How to Sand Wood
    How to Make a Book Stand »

    Related Posts

    How to Build a Bed with Arched Head Board
    How to Cut Crown Molding with a Miter Saw
    How to Build a Simple 3 Drawer Dresser

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Shara, the designer, maker, and videographer behind Woodshop Diaries. Let's get building, friends :)

    Learn more →

    Woodworking Tips & Guides

    • How to make simple Shaker style cabinet doors!!
      DIY Simple Shaker Cabinet Doors
    • 5 Tools To Get Started Woodworking
    • DIY Kitchen Cabinets–From Only Plywood
    • How to Square Board Edges and Make Your Own 2x2s

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Tips to Take Your Projects to the Next Level

    --5 Secrets to Professional Looking DIY Furniture

    --How to Properly Paint Wood Furniture

    --How to EASILY Cover Plywood Edges

    --How to Sand Wood

    --10 Must Have Tools for Furniture and Cabinet Building

    Printable Building Plans

    Check out our shop to browse printable PDF building plans!

    Website Policies

    This website is for entertainment purposes. Using any information provided is to be at your own risk.

    This site uses cookies to provide you with a better experience.

    All images and text on this site are property of Woodshop Diaries, LLC. Please be respectful and don't steal this content.

    See Policies and Privacy page on this site for more information.

    Want to get in touch? Contact Us Here

    Copyright © 2025