It doesn't really matter whether you have the best table saw or blade money can buy if your fence or mitre gauge is sub-standard. The accuracy simply will not be there. The stock mitre gauge that came with my table saw is not too bad, but its not the most accurate either, particularly when set at anything other than 90 degrees to the blade (marked as "0" on the gauge). Now, there are plenty of after-market mitre gauges available, and they vary greatly in price. Today we will shop-test the Incra V27 mitre gauge. It is made by Incra in the USA and is their basic, budget model.

Packaging and Instructions
The Incra V27 comes shipped in plastic molded packaging, so you can see what you are buying, or have bought before you even open it up. Included are some fold-out printed instructions informing you of how to set up and use the V27 mitre gauge. The instructions are concise but very easy to follow. The V27 itself is very easy to set up and use. If you are even half technically-minded, you will probably not even need the instructions anyway, but they should be read to ensure best accuracy and correct use of the tool. Reading them will also alert you to the fact that the V27 could also possibly be used on other machines in the workshop like the router table, band saw, sanding centres, or any other machine with a mitre gauge slot utilising the standard 3/4" x 3/8" specification.

Included in the package is a hex key to make adjustments to the gauge as well.

Components
The first thing you will notice is that the V27 is mostly made from solid steel material. As mentioned above the mitre bar the gauge is guided by is designed to fit mitre slots with 3/4" wide x 3/8" deep dimensions, however, the guide bar width is slightly less than this. Most table saws will feature this sized slot. Some budget or portable saws may be different, and hence, this V27 cannot be used with them. You will notice that along the length of the bar are several adjustments points. These small disks will expand or contract in diameter with a turn of the screw that holds them in place. The idea is that because the actual steel guide bar is dimensioned slightly narrower than the mitre slot, you expand each adjustment disk to provide a "zero-play" fit in the slot. Because not every mitre slot on a table saw or machine will always be exactly dimensioned, Incra include this feature to allow it to be adjusted for zero-play on most saws, despite any small errors in milled widths. Ensuring the fit of the bar in the slot provides no lateral movement, but is still free enough to slide easily in the slot will ensure greater accuracy with your cuts. At the end of the bar is a small T-attachment that will help keep the bar from lifting out of the mitre slot if your saw has that small t-notch at the bottom as a slot feature. It it does not, you will need to remove this from the bar. It is easily done with a screwdriver, and nothing more.

As you can see from the images to the right the actual mitre gauge component is also of steel construction. The large black clamping knob up top is plastic. The red angle marker strip indicates that angles from 0 to 60 degrees can be set either side of the gauge. Note they are also marked from 90 degrees to 30 degrees, which is probably the more correct - albeit less used - terminology for setting angles.

You will also notice the array of milled notches on the outer edge of the gauge - 27 in fact, which is why the gauge is called the V27 I guess!
I am sure you can guess what these notches are for. Yes, that's right... using the attached indexing tooth assembly, which slots into these notches, you can accurately set and lock the gauge at any 5 degree increment either side of the 0 degree setting. The notches are accurately and cleanly milled (another sign of quality and potential durability) and the indexing tooth fits every notch perfectly. Obviously there were some quality machines used to form and mill this gauge. The finish is very refined.

So, if you need to set 35 degrees, for example, just un-tighten the main large round clamping knob, and un-tighten the smaller black clamping knob on the adjustable tooth assembly, pivot your gauge to the 35 degree mark and engage the indexing tooth into that 35 degree notch so it indexes securely, then tighten the small knob and then the large clamping knob and you are ready to go to make an accurate 35 degree cut.
Note however, that the accuracy of all angles can only be guaranteed to fall within small tolerances if you have set your gauge up very accurately at the 0 (or 90) degree setting (exactly squared to the blade). If this is set correctly initially (and checked periodically) you will find that the rest of the angles on the mitre gauge are very accurate indeed. Be sure to use a quality square that you know is actually square in the initial setup phase.

There is an additional notch milled at the 22.5 degree setting either side as well, as this is a common angle used in woodworking tasks.

On the underside of the gauge is a black plastic slide-strip. I call it this because that is its principle function. The plastic offers reduced friction and is in full contact with your saw table top allowing the whole gauge to glide along the table without it sticking or required excessive effort to "push" the gauge along. A waxed table top will certainly help reduce friction even more. It is important for a mitre gauge to glide smoothly to ensure clean and safe cuts.

Real Use
Ok so with the basic features out of the way, how well does the gauge work in use? We pulled out all our off-cuts, scraps of wood, and even used the gauge for a few small projects requiring mitre cuts. The first thing we discovered is that it is almost essential to add an auxiliary fence to the gauge. The smooth metal face on the gauge doesn't do a lot for holding wood securely against it, and is quite short to hold longer pieces confidently. So a piece of square, flat faced wood of even thickness along its length can be attached to the V27 face using screws and washers from behind (there are slots in the gauge for this task). An auxiliary fence made from MDF is also a good option. I'd recommend adding a strip of sandpaper to the fence as well for added friction to keep your workpiece from slipping while being cut, or if you make your fence high enough, you will have room to use clamps to secure the workpiece in some cases.

While making a cut, the large black handle provides a comfortable grip for sliding the gauge through the cut. Changing angles was a relatively quick affair, and the good thing is that you don't have to strain your eyes on a small marker to line up an exact angle - this assumes the angle you wish to use ends in a zero or five of course. One must know that it is not possible to set angles other than those in the 5 degree increments with the V27 as there is no indicator mark on the gauge to allow you to set an angle of say 33 degrees or 18 degrees by avoiding the use of the indexing tooth mechanism. If you need to crosscut something at one of those obscure angles, you may have to resort to your stock gauge, use a mitre saw or, if possible, just overcome the limitation by cutting using the table saw's tilting blade. I'd say that 99% of my cuts I make on the table saw using the mitre gauge can be made with the V27 anyway, as they are cut at angles the V27 is set up for, but it is an item worth noting regardless.

The V27 lacks some of the fancy attachments of its bigger brothers in the Incra mitre gauge line (like a flip stop for example), but it's not marketed or priced to offer those anyway. If you want that feature, you have to buy the next model up, and pay the higher price tag.

As you can see from the photos to the right, we were able to make several tight fitting mitre joints using the Incra V27 mitre gauge straight from the table saw blade, and we tested some of those angled joints against a Veritas Poly Gauge for accuracy, as well as an assortment of squares and other devices we know are accurate to within very small tolerances.

After our tested period, I can conclude that, in my opinion at least, the Incra V27 is well built, is reliable in its angle settings, is easy to use, slides smoothly along the table, and much less frustrating to set than my stock mitre gauge that came with my saw. The biggest factor is knowing that I can set any angle on the gauge and cut into a valuable piece of wood and trust the gauge's accuracy without a second thought on the angle setting. I do recommend spending time to ensure it is square to begin with, and checking this once every couple of months, or when you change blades. Incra have delivered a solid and functionally basic replacement for your stock mitre gauge that is also relatively well priced (around US$59.95). It certainly saves time and frustration, and to me, that is worth every dollar they ask for this gauge.

Available to Order Online through these companies... Click graphic to go to their direct product page for this item In Australia
www.timbecon.com.au or call 1300 880 996 (within Australia) +61 8 9356 1653 (International)
In the USA
	Incra V27 Miter Gauge	Incra Miter Gauge V27 Rockler.com