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Spent $340 on a used sliding compound miter saw at a garage sale in Reno, and the detents were shot
I kept hearing guys say you can't beat a sliding compound for trim work, so I grabbed a used one for $340 off a guy in Reno. The miter detents were so worn that my 45s came out at 44.2 and every outside corner on a 12 foot base run showed a gap I had to caulk. I could have bought a new non-sliding 10 inch for $219 and gotten cleaner cuts, so now I check the stops with a square before I ever hand over cash. Has anyone had good luck getting worn detents re-machined, or should I just eat it and go new?
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tessa_clark7425d ago
Did you ever try the old trick of packing the detent slot with a strip of brass shim stock and filing it flush? I only ask because this reminds me of how people treat used tools in general, they trust the brand name and skip the five minute check that would have saved them. A miter saw is like a used car, the motor can sound fine while the frame or stops are twisted or worn, and that is the part that actually decides if your work comes out clean. You see the same thing with used routers and drill presses, guys pay near new prices for sloppy machines because they only looked at the spindle spinning. Getting detents re-machined usually costs more than the saw is worth unless you know a guy with a mill, so most folks just set the angle by hand with a speed square and lock it down. Next time bring a square and a scrap of baseboard to the sale and cut two test pieces, that tells you more than any sticker price ever will.
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