Finger-saving hold-down for small workpieces

I came up with this adjustable hold-down to keep my fingers safely out of the way while cutting small pieces on the mitersaw. First, I added a short section of T-track to both sides of my mitersaw table. Then I made the simple stopblock, shown. Because it is exactly 20" long, simply add 20" to the size of the work-piece being cut and put the end of the block at that mark on the fence scale. I drilled ³⁄₈ " holes every 2" so I can use the hold-down with longer workpieces. To secure the hold-down clamp, I counterbored the end holes to accept a carriage bolt and fastened it in place with a star knob.
—David Breen, Loudon, Tenn.