When cutting small parts on a miter saw you need to control the saw with one hand while firmly holding the work piece with the other while keeping your fingers out of the way of the blade. To remove your hands from being so close to the blade, you need a jig to hold the small work piece.
That can be done with a jig consisting of only 4 parts.
a base roughly 5 inches wide by 12 inches long, a 2 inch by 12 inch fence mounted along the base at a 90-degree angle, a mounting block roughly 2 by 2 and a purchased toggle clamp. Mount the toggle clamp to the mounting block in the lower right hand corner of the base. The fence will be sturdier if you first cut a rabbet along one long edge so the rabbet fits over the long edge of the base.
Using the jig
Position it along the miter saw fence with its right end against the blade's cut line. Clamp the middle or left hand end of the jig to the miter saw fence and place the work piece in the upper right corner of the jig. Secure the work piece with the toggle clamp.
Now your left hand can safely hold the middle portion of the jig while you make the cut.
Submitted by Larry Martin