Table Saw Alternatives for Cutting Molding

Miter Box and Back Saw

• An old-fashioned miter box and a back saw are all you need to cut the common angles necessary for installing molding. Available in traditional wood or even plastic, a miter box is open on the top and both ends, and has pre-formed slots cut into the sides. Place the molding strip into the channel in the bottom of the box and line it up with the angle you need. Insert the back saw into the correct slot, hold the molding steady and cut the strip with your saw. Even complicated crown molding is simple to cut with a miter box by cutting it upside down and backward the way it will face the wall.

Circular Saw and Coping Saw

• As long as you have a sturdy work surface, you can cut trim molding with an ordinary circular saw and a coping saw, which is a hand-held saw with a removable, thin metal cutting blade. Cut the molding to the correct length in a straight cut with your circular saw. After the length is cut, mark the angle on the trim, using a combination square and a pencil. Carefully cut along the angle with your fine-tooth coping saw to create a more customized cut than any machine can produce. Coping saws allow you to adjust to imperfections in your walls so molding strips will join snugly. To make a precision cut with a coping saw, use a scrap piece of molding to create a template on the piece to be cut. Once the cut is complete, it will fit against an identical piece.

Compound Miter Saw

• A compound miter saw is portable, powerful and adjustable. It is capable of minute angle adjustments in different directions, which makes it a good choice for cutting molding. Less bulky than a table saw, a miter saw can be carried to different work areas. Compound miter saws are designed with a small platform and an upright, circular blade. Find your angle with a protractor, as recommended at BobVila.com. This will allow you to cut to fit your walls since walls are rarely square. To change angles, simply loosen a knob or crank a handle until the blade is at the angle you need. Since these are powerful tools, keep your fingers away from the blade and wear protective eyewear.