One of the few drawbacks of the Makita power miter saw is that the space between the platen and the base gets clogged with sawdust, making it difficult to change the angle of the saw. To help solve this problem, cut a wood insert for the saw slot. Shape a small piece of pine to fit the radius on the bottom of the slot, and pressfit it in place. Then use the saw to cut a kerf in the insert. This trick will keep the sawdust out of the space under the platen, and as an added benefit, it also will reduce tearout on the bottom of your cuts.
Ken Kellman, Ben Lomond, CA
