Tom,
I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but try a nice sharp 26" (at least) hand saw. What better place to practice than on a saw horse! saw only to the lines you can see. With a little practice the end result will be just as square and your ears will appreciate it.
If you put the reference face and edge on the square planes of the miter saw you can’t see where you are cutting. Check the prices on those large diameter circular saws, for the three minutes it takes to cross cut an 8" x 8" timber I'll pick up the hand saw any day.
Now before I get burned for those comments I’m sure the big saws have their place in a production shop and it takes a very skilled craftsman to use them without scraping a very expensive stick in a hurry.
kfhines
