Every once in a while a manufacturer will come up with a real engineering innovation. Bosch, a company with a strong reputation for ingenious design have done it again with the Bosch GCM12SD 12 Inch Axial Glide Dual Bevel Miter Saw. They have completely redesigned the sliding miter saw in the Axial Glide Saw. In fact it doesn't slide at all. It's robust, robotic looking arm carries the blade smoothly and with great accuracy. Sensibly priced by Bosch, there are also some good deals around. Read on to find out more.
All sliding miter saws have a major weakness-the rails on which the motor and blade assembly is mounted. The rails are vulnerable to damage, wear and exposure to sawdust and resins. Recalibration is a chore and accuracy and consistency can be a problem. Aside from these flaws rails also take up a lot of space at the back of the saw. So to accommodate a sliding miter saw you need extra space available at the back of the saw. In the workshop, material supports also have to be installed away from the wall too. This wastes a massive amount of valuable space.
Compound Saw
Why is the Bosch Axial Glide So Much Better Than Sliding Miter Saws?
1.Space Saving
Bosch have removed the slide rails completely and replaced them with a hinged arm. This extends to move forward and folds to move backwards. At no point does it protrude from the back of the machine, allowing the saw to be placed within an inch of a back wall. As you can imagine this allows the Bosch Axial Glide Miter Saw to be set up in places where previously it was impossible to fit a sliding miter saw. For example an alcove,cupboard or narrow hallway. In the workshop space savings can be truly liberating.
2.Durable
The Bosch looks very different from what you'd expect of a miter saw. The axial-glide system is actually two arms,set opposed 90 degrees to one other. They are coupled together and work in unison as a single unit. The hinged joints supported by 12 ball bearings and the entire arm is designed for heavy duty operation, and cast from aluminum. Such a design is not entirely new and similar setups have been used in suspension systems where durability is needed. The precision,sealed ball bearings won't stick or get gummed up like a rail and will suffer far less wear and tear.
3.Accurate
The opposing arms and precision bearings means there virtually no play in the axial glide arm as the saw makes a cut. Even when making compound cuts the blade always stays central in the kerf and movement is consistent and accurate every time.
4.Smooth
No other saw feels like this one. In use it moves with liquid smoothness without hardly any effort from the user. Conventional sliding saws seem gritty and uneven after this. This big 15 amp motor helps here too and nothing I cut ever slowed it down. Some users prefer a bit more "feel". To this end bosch have included a damper to increase resistance.
5. Extended Capacity
It's a pleasant surprize that the Bosch GCM12SD actually has a greater cutting capacity than the previous 12-inch model from Bosch. It increases horizontal cutting capacity by 2 inches, now a huge 14 inches. Vertical capacities are slightly increased too.
6.Full Featured
Here's a quick list of the main features of this saw, many of which are found on other Bosch saws but a few are new.
Best in class dust extraction:Split square-lock quick release fences:Upfront controls including bevel adjustment: 10 Adjustable Detent stops:Detent override:Clear etched scales:Biggest in class, bulit in material extension supports:Comfortable ambidextrous handle and trigger.
How to Get The Best Price for the Bosch GCM12SD
One way to get the best deal is to check out all the online retailers for the best price. Don't forget to check customer reviews for customer service and to know who's going to ship out in a reasonable period of time and who's going to take care of you if you have a problem with shipping damage.
You could spend a lot of time doing this or you could let someone else do the work for you.