Mark,

for safety reasons, I suggest you never make a cut by 'pushing' the slider.
The blade can (and will) lift the leading edge of the wood off the saw plate
unless it is clamped down, the probable result being a kickback as the blade
jams in the wood. It will also give much greater tearout as the blade is
egressing into the air instead of down into the table.

By pulling the saw, the blade pushes the wood down into the table and fence
at the same time, assisting with a stable, safe, cut.

regards,

Greg

"Mark Jerde" wrote in message
...
Nova wrote:

You start the cut with the head pushed to the back of the saw and
pull the head through the cut.

I thought it was the other way around. Pull all the way out, put into the
wood, push forward. It's based not on personal experience but something I
read somewhere about a sliding miter being safer than a radial arm saw.

-- Mark