Preparation and assembly

When setting up a flip saw, it’s important that you choose a suitable location to work that is flat, level, and free of loose materials, debris, or debris. Check that the flip saw is steady and does not move.

Your power supply should come from a safe point with enough capacity to start a powerful motor, often around 2000w. This supply should have some form of circuit protection, preferably a sensitive switch that will trip in the event of an accident. If you are using a 110v transformer, locate it next to the outlet and use a 110v extension cord suitable for the jib saw. DO NOT connect a 240v extension cord to the 110v transformer on the saw!

Sensibly route the power cord to the tilting saw away from the work area and do not hang it off the ground in any way that creates a tripping hazard.

Gather your personal protective equipment (PPE), which should at least consist of proper safety glasses and a good push stick if using the flip saw in table cut mode. Ear protectors are a good idea if you are in an enclosed space or using the saw for long periods of time and absolutely essential if cutting aluminum (special blade required) (as the noise from these blades can be terrible! ) If a dust extraction system is not used, then dust face masks should also be considered, especially if ripping large amounts of material or working in an enclosed space.

As always, wear sturdy steel-toed boots, comfortable clothing, and stow away anything that is loose and could get into the blade. The use of rings and other jewelry is also not recommended. Hard hats are necessary if there is a danger from above or if large lengths of wood are being passed overhead.

Your stock of material should be located at hand and stacked securely, removing a single length should not cause the stack to collapse!

This writer likes to position the saw so he doesn’t have to walk around it to get the freshly cut workpiece to the job site and then stack the materials on the left side for convenience. This leaves a clear path between the tilting saw and the job site. Being efficient means doing more work with less effort!

If cutting lengths greater than, say, 1 meter, some form of lateral support will be necessary. Either commercial saw stands or custom modified ‘saw horses’. This writer uses metal folding-type sawhorses with a piece of wooden crating bolted to the top; making them exactly the same height as the ‘bed’ of the miter saw. Three is ideal, two to the left and one to the right to catch the cut. Two are needed on the left as the material can become smaller and smaller if multiple sections are cut from a single length. This is essential for safe work and to prevent the blade from catching the workpiece when cutting it.

Plan your work to minimize the number of times you need to “flip” the saw to table mode and vice versa, if you can. For example; make all the table saw cuts first and then switch to the miter saw cuts. However, this is not always feasible or practical, and luckily most rotary saws are quick to change.

Working with a folding saw

If it has been set up as described above, it will work easily, efficiently and most importantly, safely!

miter saw cuts

The material must be carefully placed on the flip saw and slid to the area to be scored and cut. Dropping heavy material on the saw bed will eventually ruin the precision settings of the tilting saw and can even damage the saw.

Long lengths should be marked from the left and short lengths, say less than one meter, should be marked from the right. This is to make sure that the longest side of the material to be cut faces to the left, as this is the side that you will be holding tight while the saw does its job.

Place material under the blade and hold the handle with the blade guard release DO NOT PRESS THE POWER SWITCH AT THIS POINT.

Gently pull the saw down until the blade almost touches the material and adjust the material from side to side until the blade is on the waste/cutting side of your mark.

Return the saw to its resting position and, holding the workpiece firmly, start the engine.

As you wait for the blade to reach full speed, listen to it. Familiarize yourself with the sound of the engine and watch for anything unusual. Sometimes small pieces of material get caught in the guard mechanism and can rub against the blade until they fly off without warning! Stop, disconnect power, and immediately investigate any unusual sounds!

With the blade at full speed and with a good click, gently pull the saw down and through the workpiece. Get familiar with how the blade feels and cuts, learn to judge how much pressure to apply and don’t slow the blade down excessively, about 10% is about right. Once all of the material is through, gently return the saw to its upright position, turn off the motor and wait for the blade to come to a complete stop.

All set, you should now have the correct size workpiece. Ready to move to the job site for fixing.

Never leave a tilt saw running between cuts. In a busy site, a running engine can be dangerous and deceptively quiet.

table saw cuts

Fold the saw ‘head’ down and secure as per manufacturer’s instructions (they vary a bit), ‘flip’ the saw and listen for the click of the locator latch. Always visually ‘double check’ that the saw bed is locked in position.

Always use the riving knife and blade guard when cutting wood, again, per the manufacturer’s description. This prevents the wood from sticking to the blade after the cut and prevents the blade from “throwing” the wood towards you at some speed!

Install the fence or fence if making a parallel cut using the graduation marks on the bottom of the saw table or by measuring between the fence and the blade with a tape measure.

If you set up the saw per the instructions above, you should have a clear area in front of the flip saw (it’s very tempting to pile material behind you, but as you can see this is a mistake).

Once you’re ready, turn on the flip saw and walk away from the machine with your material in hand. Once again, listen to the motor as the blade spins at full speed and place your material on the front edge of the table and line it up with the fence.

By now the blade will be running at full speed, carefully but firmly feed the material into the blade, maintaining firm sideways and downward pressure on the material in the guide fence and table bed. Once you’re halfway there, you have the option to stop, remove the material, flip it end to end, and walk the other half until you find the first cut. The shorter lengths can be passed straight through in one go, keeping your hands well away from the blade or using one or two push sticks.

Personally, this writer doesn’t like to get closer to a moving blade than about 100mm or 4″ – sure I know many who run much closer than this, but hey, I like all my fingers!

trim management

Always know where your trim will go. The little ones can fly away if not handled properly and long cuts can tip over and catch the blade, also causing problems. A good support is the answer, BEFORE, DURING and AFTER the cut.

restrictions

Assuming you have the correct size saw for the job at hand and can physically cut through the material. The only limitation you’ll find with a flip saw is having to continually switch the machine between the two modes if the job demands it or if you don’t plan your cuts correctly. Rotating saws mean you have to look ahead a bit and think about what you’re doing.

As with many combination machines, there is some compromise to achieve flexibility. With flip saws, this can mean that the table saw’s base is a little small, or that the miter saw’s capacity is a little less because it doesn’t have a sliding arm.

Ultimately though, using a jib saw is simple, coupled with good capabilities and versatility, meaning a jib saw can handle most jobs, whether on the site or in the home workshop.

further reading

Amazon stocks several hundred books on this subject; Look for power saws, table saws, or miter saws for the best results.

Reviews can be found on most tool supply sites these days.

recommendations

Choose a suitable and safe location to install the flip saw, ideally away from other workers.

Make sure the flip saw is on a firm footing and will not move.

Use a safe and secure power source and proper cable routing.*

Make sure your ‘push stick’ and personal protective equipment (PPE) are close at hand.

Place materials by hand and stack them securely to your left (facing the saw).

Make sure your route from the flip saw to the job site is logical, clear and safe.

Plan your work, dividing jobs into miter saw and table saw modes.

Use side supports if the material is more than one meter long.

Score material from the left unless the cut is less than one meter, then score from the right.

Hold the workpiece firmly and do not allow the blade to touch the material until it reaches full speed.

Never leave the saw running between cuts.

Always use the riving knife and blade guard when ripping material.

Keep your hand or fingers at least 100mm further away from a moving blade.

Clean up the sawdust and store carefully for next time.

Carefully clean the blade with a light oil if the saw will not be used for several weeks.

Keep the saw storage area locked and the saw under an old sheet or blanket.

Warnings

Your protected power supply should come from a safe point with enough capacity to start a powerful motor, often around 2000w.

If you are using a 110v transformer, locate it next to the outlet and use a 110v extension cord suitable for the jib saw. DO NOT connect a 240v extension cord to the 110v transformer on the saw!

Sensibly route the power cord to the tilting saw away from the work area and do not hang it off the ground in any way that creates a tripping hazard.

Gather your personal protective equipment (PPE), which should at least consist of proper safety glasses and a good push stick if using the flip saw in table cut mode.

Ear protectors are a good idea if you are in an enclosed space or using the saw for long periods of time and absolutely essential if you are cutting aluminum (a special blade is required as the noise from these blades can be horrible).

Consider dust face masks if you do not use an exhaust system.

As always, wear sturdy steel-toed boots, comfortable clothing, and stow away anything that is loose and could get into the blade.

The use of rings and other jewelry is also not recommended.

Hard hats are also needed if there is a danger from above or if large lengths of wood are being passed overhead.