Parts of a Miter Saw – Labeled Diagram and Names

All 16 parts on the diagram

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From the side 10

Blade A round toothed disc, the same kind a circular saw uses. It is lowered onto the board while spinning.
Upper guard A fixed cover over the upper part of the blade.
Lower guard A cover for the teeth below the upper guard. It draws back by itself when the head is lowered and covers the teeth again when the head is raised.
Motor The electric motor that turns the blade. It is seen here end-on.
Handle The grip for lowering the head onto the board and raising it. The trigger switch is inside it.
Trigger switch The switch in the handle that runs the saw.
Arm The bar that carries the blade, guards and motor. It swings on a pivot at the back, so the head can be lowered and raised.
Dust bag A bag fixed to the saw that collects sawdust.
Bevel lock It locks the tilt of the arm. With the arm tilted, the blade leans over and makes a bevel cut.
Base The part that stands on the bench. The table turns in it.

Table from above 6

Fence The straight backstop the board is held against.
Table (turntable) The round plate the board lies on. It turns in the base, and the blade turns with it, to set the angle of a miter cut.
Kerf plate The strip set into the table. The blade drops into its slot.
Miter scale A band of angle marks on the front of the base. It shows how far the table has been turned.
Pointer A small arrow that turns with the table. It points to the angle on the miter scale.
Miter lock The handle at the front of the table. It locks the table at the chosen angle.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where at least two of these use it in their own parts list or text (the safety pages the makers' manuals share were not counted). (1) Wikipedia, Miter saw, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miter_saw : a powered circular saw lowered onto a board held against a backstop called the fence; the table swivels for a miter cut and the head tilts for a bevel cut; a table-swivel scale plate with positive stops; the blade guard retracts when the saw is lowered; the dust bag. (2) A saw maker's operator's manual, https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-406778 : saw head, upper guard, lower guard, blade, fence, kerf plate, pointer, turntable, miter angle scale, trigger, bevel adjustment lever. (3) A second maker's instruction manual, https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-405965 : operating handle, arm, fence, table, miter scale, miter pointer, miter lock knob, bevel clamp knob, kerf plate, dust bag. (4) A third maker's instruction manual, https://archive.org/details/MakitaMiterSawLS1000InstructionManual : turn base, guide fence, pointer, miter scale, kerf board, dust bag, handle, switch trigger, arm. (5) A fourth maker's instruction manual, https://archive.org/details/delta-8-1-4-compound-miter-saw-model-36-040-instruction-manual : base, rotating table, table insert, cutting arm, pointer, miter scale, table lock knob, bevel lock handle, lower blade guard, dust bag, switch trigger, motor. (6) A fifth maker's manual, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7037771 : trigger, handle, lower guard, upper guard, blade, fence, table, base, miter lock, miter scale, kerf board, bevel lock lever, cutting head. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's tool, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A miter saw is a circular saw on an arm, lowered onto a board that is held against a fence. The first view shows the saw from the side; the second shows its table from above.

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The head

The blade, its two guards and the motor hang on the arm, which swings on a pivot at the back. The handle on top holds the trigger switch. The upper guard is fixed; the lower guard draws back as the head comes down. The dust bag collects sawdust, and the bevel lock holds the tilt of the arm.

The table

The board lies on the round table, against the fence. The table turns in the base to set the angle of a miter cut: the pointer shows the angle on the miter scale, and the miter lock holds it. The blade drops into the slot in the kerf plate.

A miter cut comes from turning the table. A bevel cut comes from tilting the arm. Both together make a compound cut.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a miter saw called?

On the head: the blade, the upper and lower guard, the motor, the handle with its trigger switch, the arm and the dust bag. Below it: the base, the round table, the fence, the kerf plate, the miter scale, the pointer and the miter lock.

What is the fence on a miter saw?

The straight backstop across the back of the table. The board is held against it, so the fence sets the angle between the board and the blade.

What is a kerf plate?

The strip set into the middle of the table, with a slot for the blade to drop into. Some makers call it a kerf board or a table insert.

What is the difference between a miter and a bevel?

For a miter the table is turned, so the upright blade crosses the board at an angle. For a bevel the arm is tilted, so the blade leans over. A compound cut is both at once.