How To Cut A 30 Degree Angle on A Miter Saw

A miter saw is a valuable tool that allows you to cut wood at different angles. The best feature of this machine is that you don’t need to use a separate angle measuring tool like a digital protractor to cut your workpieces at accurate angles.

This article discusses a step-by-step method that’ll help you learn the right way to cut a 30 degree angle on a miter saw.

Miter Saw Marking Scale and Angles

Most miter saws come with a marking scale that starts from 0 (in the middle) and ends at 60 on both sides. Understanding these markings is a little tricky as they don’t make the same angle as the mentioned number.

The easiest way to calculate the angle that a particular scale makes is to subtract the number of that scale from 90. For example, if you need to cut a piece of wood at a 30 degree angle, you’ll need to set your miter saw marking scale to 60 because 90 – 60 is equal to 30.

Read the following chart to understand the miter saw scale along with the angles that you can cut your workpiece.

Miter Saw Markings	Actual Degree Angle
0	90
5	85
10	80
15	75
20	70
25	65
30	60
35	55
40	50
45	45
50	40
55	35
60	30

How To Cut A 30 Degree Angle on A Miter Saw

As mentioned earlier, most of the best miter saws on the market have 0 to 60 scale markings. However, some beginner miter saws have a shorter scale and they can only go to 50.

Let’s discuss how to cut a 30 degree angle on both types of miter saws.

Using a Miter Saw with 0 – 60 Marking Scale on Both Sides

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ArVOrgBoO0

If you have a miter saw with a 0 to 60 marking scale, you can easily make a 30 degree angle cut using the following steps.

1. Calibrate your saw to make sure it’s error-free. If you’re using a compound miter saw or a bevel miter saw, you’ll also need to calibrate the bevel angle along with the normal miter one.  
2. Ensure your safety by wearing safety goggles, earbuds, and a dust mask. I also recommend you not to wear loose clothes and dangling jewelry because they can get stuck into the saw.
3. Mark your workpiece using a pencil or marker where you want to make the cut.
4. Unlock the pivot joint on the miter saw to set the scale at 60 and relock it.
5. Place your workpiece against the fence of your saw and make sure the blade and your marked spot are perfectly aligned.
6. Secure your workpiece using the built-in clamp. If your miter saw doesn’t have a built-in clamp, use a separate one for the same purpose.
7. Turn on the miter saw and let the blade reach its full speed.
8. Grab the handle of the saw and move the blade down to cut through the wood.
9. Turn off the machine and wait until the blade stops moving.
10. Loosen the clamp and remove your wood board.
11. Use your workpiece with a 30-degree angle cut wherever needed.

Using a Miter Saw that Only Goes to 50 (or less) Marking Scale on Both Sides

You’ll need to make a jig to cut a 30-degree angle on a miter saw that doesn’t go all the way to 60. Use the following steps to complete this process.

Step 1: Prepare

You’ll need a scrap piece of wood to make a jig and I recommend you grab a 4 x 4 piece for this purpose. The preparation step also involves taking safety measures and calibrating your miter saw.

Step 2: Clamp 4 x 4 Piece

Place the 4 x 4 piece on the left side of your miter saw against the fence and secure it using the built-in or separate clamp. Make sure that you secure this piece of wood properly because it’ll work as your new fence.

Step 3: Cut 4 x 4 Piece

After securing your scrap 4 x 4 piece, you need to unlock the pivot joint and set your miter saw to the 45-degree angle. Turn on the machine and move the blade down to cut the scrap piece. Discard the small piece and keep the clamped part in place.

Important Note: I recommend you use a sliding miter saw if you have a wider wood piece in a single pass. Using a non-sliding miter saw that can’t cut a wider workpiece in a single pass will increase the risk of ending up with inaccurate results.  

Step 4: Understand New Angles

Using the clamped 4 x 4 piece as your new fence will allow you to cut at different angles. For example, if you set your scale back to 0 (90-degree angle) and place your workpiece against the new fence, your miter saw will give you a 45-degree angle cut. Use the following table to understand the new angles.

Miter Saw Markings	Angles Against New Fence
0	45
5	40
10	35
15	30
20	25
25	20
30	15
35	10
40	5
45	0

So, if you want to make a 30-degree angle cut with this new fence, you’ll need to set your miter saw marking scale to 15 on the left side.

Step 5: Start Cutting

Set the scale to 15 on the left side and place your workpiece against the new fence. Turn on your saws, and move down the miter saw blade to make a 30-degree angle cut.

We recommend you use another clamp to secure your workpiece and don’t use your hands to hold it firmly. That’s because your hands will be in the danger zone with the new jig which increases the risk of getting injured.

Loosen the clamp to remove your workpiece with a 30-degree angle cut and use it wherever needed. Don’t remove your new fence if you need to cut more wood pieces at a 30-degree or any other angle from the table mentioned above.

Tips to Use a Miter Saw to Cut a 30 Degree Angle

While working with a miter saw to cut a 30-degree or any other angle, keep the following tips in mind to achieve accurate results and ensure safety.

• Always work with a sharp blade as a dulled or damaged one can destroy your workpiece. It can also bend due to excessive friction and can damage your saw as well. Change your miter saw blade for a new one if it is dull.
• Lower the blade of your saw without turning it on to see if the blade guard moves as it is supposed to.
• Never try to make adjustments to the blade until it has stopped moving completely.
• Stay at a distance of at least six inches from the moving blade of your saw.
• Use power tools such as a miter saw when you’re feeling fresh. Most accidents happen at the end of the day when workers are feeling tired.
• Never leave your workspace without turning the saw off.
• Never cross your arms while working with any saw because it can lead to unwanted injuries.

FAQs

Final Words

Cutting a 30-degree angle using a miter saw doesn’t have to be a difficult task even if your machine doesn’t have the marking scale up to 60. I hope this guide will help you understand how to make a jig to cut a 30-degree angle with a miter saw.