What is an Angle Cut?
An angle cut is any cut made at an angle other than 90 degrees to the edge of a workpiece. In construction and woodworking, angle cuts are essential for creating clean joints where two pieces of trim, molding, or framing meet at a corner. The two main types are miter cuts (angled across the face) and bevel cuts (angled through the thickness).
Getting the correct angle setting on your miter saw or table saw is crucial for tight-fitting joints. The saw setting is typically half the corner angle, measured from the perpendicular (fence), not from the blade itself.
Miter and Bevel Formulas
For a 90-degree corner, the miter angle is (180 - 90) / 2 = 45 degrees on the saw.
For bevel cuts, the bevel angle is the tilt of the saw blade from vertical:
Common Angle Cut Settings
| Corner Angle | Miter Setting | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| 45° | 67.5° | Octagonal frames |
| 60° | 60° | Hexagonal shapes |
| 90° | 45° | Standard corners (most common) |
| 120° | 30° | Hexagonal joints, bay windows |
| 135° | 22.5° | Octagonal joints |
| 150° | 15° | Slight angle returns |
Compound Miter Cuts
Compound miter cuts combine both a miter angle and a bevel angle. These are needed when trim or molding must follow both a corner and a slope simultaneously, such as crown molding where the material sits at an angle to both the wall and ceiling.
For crown molding with a spring angle, the compound miter and bevel angles are calculated using trigonometric functions that account for both the corner angle and the tilt of the molding against the wall.
Tips for Accurate Cuts
- Always make test cuts on scrap material before cutting your final pieces.
- Use a digital angle finder to verify wall corner angles, as many corners are not exactly 90 degrees.
- Support long workpieces on both sides of the blade to prevent binding.
- Use a sharp, fine-tooth blade for clean miter cuts in trim work.
- For outside corners, the long point of the miter faces outward; for inside corners, it faces inward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What angle do I set my miter saw for a 90-degree corner?
Set your miter saw to 45 degrees. Each piece gets a 45-degree cut, and the two 45-degree angles combine to form the 90-degree corner. Most miter saws have a preset detent at 45 degrees for this common cut.
How do I cut angles that are not standard?
Measure the actual corner angle with a digital angle finder or protractor. Divide (180 minus the corner angle) by 2 to get the miter saw setting. For example, a 92-degree corner requires a miter setting of (180 - 92) / 2 = 44 degrees.
What is the difference between a miter cut and a bevel cut?
A miter cut angles across the face of the workpiece (the saw table rotates). A bevel cut angles through the thickness (the blade tilts). Both can achieve the same joint angle, but from different orientations. Compound cuts use both simultaneously.