A bevel gauge has been an essential tool in my carpenter’s belt. I don’t know how old this one is but I can tell you it’s been around the block and then some. The way this tool sticks out of my pouch means it has gotten caught on just about everything I have to squeeze through on the job, be it shrubs, a crawlspace, or a joist bay.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Description:

• Durable steel blade coated to resist rust
• Select, hard rock maple wood handle
• Recessed grip area
• Solid brass end plates
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

Experience:

Deciding when to use your bevel gauge is sometimes a matter of how well you know how to use the tool. When I learned carpentry it was essential for transferring so many details from existing material to new material it became a part of my belt. The T-bevel or Bevel Gauge is another one of those tools you can use without a tape measure… I have to figure out what to call processes that are reality-based operations as opposed to paper-based; Hold a board up to the opening to mark actual size VS measure opening size then measure board. A bevel gauge is great; you just set it up to an angle, tighten and transfer. If you’re curious to know what the angle is, you can check with a Speed Square.. or you can just set your saw by the bevel gauge and cut.

In combination with a good level and a speed square, angle work is easy with my Stanley 46-812 8″ bevel gauge.

Comments:

Something about this not being the most expensive bevel gauge I own makes it the best bevel gauge I use. This 46-812 doesn’t have the most rigid blade and that’s a good thing. Like I said, this bevel gauge sticks out of my belt. Sometimes it gets bent, in fact it’s almost always bent a bit but easily bent back and always straight down the edge. The wood handle is not the hardest wood and therefore doesn’t splinter. I prefer to carry this 8″ hardware store bevel gauge than I do any other I own. It looks shot but it serves it’s function of providing a straight pivoting blade for recording and transferring angles. I’m not looking for a new one anytime soon. Most expensive doesn’t always mean best one for everyday use.

Links:

Stanley 46-813 at StanleyTools.com (Products Data)

Stanley 46-813 8-Inch Solid Hardwood T-Bevel

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Features:

• 10-inch slide compound miter saw with dual guide rails for accuracy
• 13 amp, 2.8-horsepower motor; 3-inch wide sliding base extends base and fence to 28-inches
• Aluminum base; all ball-bearing construction
• Includes saw, 60-tooth carbide blade, dust bag, work clamp, blade change wrench, hex wrench, table-inserts
• 52 by 15 by 11-1/2-inches; 64-1/2-pounds; 1-year warranty

Experience:
The 10″ Bosch sliding miter saw has been my #1 for a long time, recently resigned to my shop in favor of the new Makita LS1013 for work. The Bosch 3915 and I have been in and out of the truck, up and down stairs, setup upon pump-jacks, setup on the roof, setup on the floor. I have run my company with this saw for years. It’s a nice piece of machinery and superior to yellow and orange brands by far. This is the kind of equipment a guy needs and relies on. Not only to work reliably but to be continually precise, easy to adjust repeatedly and manageable for transportation.

Comments:
A saw is a saw, right? I mean there are a dozen miter saws on the market from big name tool companies and we can expect they all will cut accurately and last us a reasonably long time. Is this General Motors vs. BMW vs. Toyota? Sort of because I liken driving one of those yellow saws to a clunky American beast and this Bosch to The Ultimate Driving Machine.

I like the detent lockout mechanism. I like the positive detents and they never clogged. The slide bearings occasionally need lube, like any, but handle a build-up of wet sawdust all day long. The motor is still running smoothly after years of service without maintenance.

I did suffer a few problem with the Bosch 3915 despite it’s overall quality. After a few years it became near impossible to push the handle downward, starting a cut. The plastic blade guard was stuck. I thought it was a bad bearing along the guard’s retracting cam but replacing it didn’t ease the lowering of the blade. The problem has been discussed and a fix posted online. The dust collection bag is around here somewhere but I haven’t seen it in years, it’s worthless.

My only real complaint has little to do with the saw and more to do with my line of work. These saws are too damn heavy and I am getting too old to lug this stuff all over the countryside everyday. To be perfectly honest weight is one reason I chose the Makita for my next saw, but I may list more complaints for that saw so be sure to read my review of the LS1013.

If I had to choose another compound miter saw, knowing the choices of Makita, Hitachi, Dewalt and Ridgid I would choose the Bosch again.

Bosch 4410L 10-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw at Amazon.com

Bosch miter saws at Bosch
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