How to read a mitre saw protractor

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Step 1 – Hold and measure

Hold the protractor against the corner you are measuring. Firmly push against the arms of the protractor making sure they fit against the corner with no gaps visible.

You have the option to either read the scale while it is in place, or remove it from the corner, then take the measurement of the angle.

Step 2 – Take measurement

Decide whether you are going to be using the measurement for a single cut or a mitre cut.

Read the scale and look for the correct arrow and scale.

Single cuts

If you want to make a single cut, use the inner arrow and outer scale to read the measurement.

For example, on this scale, the arrow is pointing to 20 degrees.

Mitre cuts

For a mitre cut, use the outer arrow and inner scale.

On this scale, the measurement for a mitre cut reads 35 degrees. If you were creating a mitre joint, both cuts would be made at 35 degrees, creating a 70 degree joint.

Step 3 – Transfer measurements to mitre saw

Once you know the measurements, you can then use these to cut your work with a mitre saw.

If you were going to produce a single cut then you would set the mitre saw to 20 degrees.

For a mitre cut, you will be setting the mitre saw to 35 degrees.