DEWALT DW705S 12" Heavy-Duty Compound Miter Saw

HIW Rating:

We really like this saw!  I own two of these - one for trim/finish work and one for rough cutting lumber.  The saw used for rough cutting was used in a production environment for 3 years logging over 100,000 cuts on beech and oak stock.  I will say it developed a slight blade wobble after this and was retired to do rough cutting of lumber in the field.  Am I complaining - not at all!  This saw is lightweight, smooth, and accurate for a 12-inch miter saw.  It's nine preset stops for common angles are both positive locking and accurate.  When locking into a non-preset angle - do NOT over-tighten as it raises the saws table when over-tightened.  It's very easy to do this!  You will appreciate the large D-handle, smooth blade travel, and the huge blade guard that retracts so smoothly you will not even know it exists.

Compound miters on a saw this large is never a strong point.  Dewalt does it's best with the DW705S and it does a fairly decent job.  The fence slides away and it's easy enough to set the proper bevel - just make sure the table is firmly attached, the blade selection is proper for the stock, and you don't pull down or force the saw.  It takes a while getting used to pulling down with the angle on a saw of this size.  If you do a large percentage of compound miters I prefer a sliding compound miter saw like the Hitachi C8FB2 or the Delta 36-250 Sidekick.  To trim out most projects this is the only miter saw you will ever need

.Again - there have been reports of owners having a problem with table shift or to be more precise, the table raising - this is simply from over-tightening the table position lock.

Tip:  This saw is great for crown molding up to about 6-inch nominal.  The best way to cut crown moulding is to set the saw at the 45° positive locking position. Measure/Mark your crown moulding from long point to long point and place your moulding in the saw upside down and backwards. This is a little hard to explain to those of you who do not have experience installing crown moulding, but the moulding should be placed in the saw reflecting ceiling/wall. Your long point should always be positioned on the fence when cutting inside corners and on the table when cutting outside corners.  You then take a coping saw and "backcut" out the profile of the cut.  I usually draw a horizontal pencil line on the fence following the stock I am using at the time so I repeat the positioning in production.  If none of the above makes sense I would suggest a trim carpentry book for the DIY crowd like the Finish Carpenter's Manual.

 DEWALT DW705S Features

• Stainless steel detent plate with 9 positive stops delivers repeatable accuracy and worksite durability
• Extra-tall sliding fence allows 5-1/4" crown moldings to be cut standing vertically
• Bevels 0-45° to the left with the ability to bevel to 48° for increased capacity
• 0-48° miter (left and right) for greater versatility cutting angles
• Lightweight (40 lbs.) with built-in carry handle for easy portability
• Ideal for use with the DW723 miter saw stand
   

• carbide blade
• extension kit
• dust bag
• blade wrench

• Amps 15.0 Amps
• No Load Speed 4,000 rpm
• Blade Diameter 12 "
• Arbor Size 5/8" or 1 "
• Vertical Capacity: Baseboard Against Fence 4-1/4 "
• Vertical Capacity: Crown Molding Vertically Nested 5-1/4 "
• Horizontal Capacity: Baseboard Lying Flat 8 "
• Horizontal Capacity: Crown Molding Lying Flat 6-1/2 "
• 45° Bevel Cut Capacity (dimensional lumber) 2" x 8" 
• 90° Cross-Cut Capacity (dimensional lumber) 4" x 6 "
• 90° Cross-Cut Capacity (Max Width) 2" x 8" dimensional lumber 
• 45° Miter Cut Capacity (Max Height) 4" x 4" dimensional lumber 
• 45° Miter Cut Capacity (Max Width) 2" x 6" dimensional lumber 
• Weight 40 lbs

 © 2005 The Home Improvement Web

Note: This article was submitted by a second party and the contents are subject to our disclaimer.