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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/wood-crosscut-miter

On a table saw, which guide is typically used for a crosscut?

The miter gauge.

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  1. The rip fence
  2. The riving knife
  3. The miter gauge ✔

Why: A crosscut goes across the width of a board to change its length. The miter gauge slides in a table slot and holds the wood square to the blade. A rip cut uses the fence.

Huh, didn't know that: Rockler says a miter cut goes across the width at an angle, with the miter gauge pivoted away from 90 degrees.

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References

Answer: The miter gauge. A crosscut goes across the width of a board to change its length. The miter gauge slides in a table slot and holds the wood square to the blade. A rip cut uses the fence.

  1. Rockler Table Saw Basics www.rockler.com/learn/table-saw-basics
    Cutting across the width of a board to change its length, typically using the miter gauge as a guide
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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