Most 10-inch motorized miter saws can make crosscuts up to 5½ inches wide, but what do you do when you need to cut wide boards?

Here are two ways to do it:

The first way is to take a 2-by-6 block of wood and put it on the slot table. Then, put your work piece on top. 

2x-6 board placed under workpiece to make a wider cut with miter saw
Placing a 2-by-6 board on the miter saw slot table raises your workpiece to the wider part of the blade, so you can make a wider cut. (3 Echoes Content Studio)

This raises the cutting surface up to a wider part of the blade, allowing for crosscuts about one inch wider (6½ inches wide on most 10-inch miter saws).

The second way is to simply lift your workpiece up as you’re cutting it. That way you won’t need any additional wood blocks.

All you need to do is set your workpiece in place. Cut all the way down as far as it’ll go, and then very carefully lift the workpiece into the spinning blade just to trim off that last little bit.

This technique also works great for taller moldings, such as base moldings or any type of crown molding that’s so popular around the house.

And of course, remember that safety, and always wear your safety glasses.

Watch the video above to learn how to cut wide boards with a miter saw.

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Mitchell Layton

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Full Bio

Mitchell Layton is a former professional mover who currently lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mitchell spent years packing and moving for REAL Rock N Roll Movers, a commercial and residential moving company based in Los Angeles that’s primarily staffed with up-and-coming musicians. That gave him plenty of experience navigating box trucks up and down the winding streets of LA. In addition to moving hundreds of happy customers into new homes and apartments all across Southern California, Mitchell has also performed corporate moves on company lots for Nickelodeon, Warner Bros, Universal Studios, Paramount, and more. After pouring blood, sweat, and tears into his profession, Mitchell has all the helpful tips you need for your next move.