Carpentry and Woodworking - Small pieces go flying when you cut them?

Remember those times when you were cutting small moldings and the piece either went flying or split when you tried to cut it?

Well here's a sure-fire way to stop that from happening:

Take two pieces of 3/4" plywood, Mdf, particle board or melamine.

Cut them both so you have to pieces that are 3/4"x3"x36"

Staple or screw them together to form an "L"

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Then screw it to the fence of your chop/miter saw. You will find holes through the back of the fence to screw into the piece of wood. Use 1" screws.

Make a cut at 45degs both ways and 0.

Note* Do NOT cut all the way through the piece. When you're cutting your moldings, you just want to cut through the piece. If you cut too far you'll ruin your jig.

By making pre-cuts at 45 and 0 will give tell you where the blade is going to come down at. That way, you can mark your piece of wood with a pencil and line that mark up with the mark on your jig from pre-cutting at 45 and 0. No more guess work of wondering if the blade will hit your line when you cut the piece, because you now know the path of the blade.

This serves as a guide and also keeps your pieces from flying because you don't have a huge gap where the blade comes down.

When you make your cuts at 45 both ways and 0 it will leave a little wedge piece in the center. if that piece breaks off, it's still ok and it won't affect your pieces.

Make sure you don't staple or screw the "L" at a point where the blade is going to come down.

You can make a mark at 18" "center" and then make a mark 3" away on both sides so you know you'll be out of the path where the blade comes down. From those points out is where you'll be safe with any screws or staples

Make sense? If not, chime back on what part you don't understand.