It’s pretty rare, if you wander the woodworking forums like we do, that you don’t run into a discussion about cutting crown molding. Getting the angles right so they fit in the corners of your ceiling is enough to drive even experienced woodworkers to distraction.
That’s why the new DeWalt Compound Miter Saw is so welcome. It’s specifically designed to cut crown molding easily and accurately. We talked to Bill Harman, DeWalt’s product manager for miter saws, about the new tool. He told us that the new saw is one of two units the company is introducing-a 10″ and a 12″ compound miter saw.
The DW703 features a 48 degree bevel capacity and cuts 50 degrees on both the left and right side, explained Bill, so the woodworker isn’t forced to flip the molding to make the appropriate cuts. If the piece wasn’t very long, that might not be much of an issue, but crown molding is often being used in lengths of up to 16′, and flipping it around can become a problem.
One of the more useful design features of the new saw is how the motor drivesthe blade. Like DeWalt’s 12″ sliding compound miter saw, this one has a belt driven blade assembly. That, says Bill, keeps it out of the way when you are making miter cuts on the right side. It also comes with preset stops for the most common miter cuts.
The most innovative feature of the saw, said Bill, is its capacity. The fence for the saw is designed to cut crown molding both vertically and horizontally, and the 10″ saw can cut up to 5 ” crown molding and 6″ base molding. Bill said that wider molding is becoming more and more popular in houses these days and that’s why DeWalt decided to build so much capacity into this saw.
– Bob Filipczak
