I hate miters

[JR]

I'm having some very unseasonal thoughts about miters right now. I'm quite certain the Birthday Boy was never as challenged by miters in His carpentry projects. I feel like I'd need His "special skills" of the loaves and fishes variety to make a proper miter.

This is the project I'm working on. I'm doing it in cherry.




I got the base moldings built up reasonable easily. The most egregious offender is the fake door. My first attempt had pretty nice joints and was reasonably square, but was hopelessly non-planar. Two joints popped when I tried to glue the door to the case. I couldn't fix it.

My second attempt, rushed into service last night after having travelled for work all week, came out better. Flat, square, good joints. Oh, yeah, I forgot to make the rabbet on the back side. No sweat, I figured out a nice fixture for routing the rabbets. While I was cleaning up the corners, two of the joints popped!

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I did not lose my cool, Cabinetman style. I trusted in the Jewish Carpenter to show me the light. I cleaned up the two joints as well as I could and proceeded to just glue the two remaining sub-pieces to the case. What an awful mess that was. I've got, I dunno, eight clamps holding it together right now. One more joint popped in the process. Squeeze out all over the place. Corners in who-knows-what kind of condition.

I can't wait for the look on my mother's face on Christmas morning. I'm positive it will be "OH, how nice!" of 4th-grade-lump-of-clay-ashtray variety. She never smoked...

I hate miters.

JR

[RayintheUK]

I feel for you, John! If only I had the time to pop over and assist. Oh, wait, nothing's taking off from here at the moment!

Ray.

[JR]

Oh, wait, nothing's taking off from here at the moment!

You'd probably get routed through Denver!

JR

[SARGE..g-47]

Just bobbled to the top of the stairs for a coffee break. I got a good chuckle out of your post JR. :>)

Well... not laughing at your predicament but the thread title, I Hate Miters! As soon as I saw it I knew we were blood brothers in spirit. I hate miters also. Two things I have not nailed the formula on so far in life is (1) Miters and (2) Winning lotto ticket each week.

I still get the 1 lotto ticket even though I would just as likely find the winning ticket in a parking lot after someone dropped it. And... I will travel 100 miles out of my way to avoid a project that might miters. My theory is if it absolutely has to have miters.. I'll go to Ethan Allen and purchase the project already with them. ha... ha... ha..ha..ha..

Well... I'm not quite that bad with them but the "big fish" story is not that far from the truth either!

Regards, Merry Xmas and good luck with the fix..

BTW.. Ethan Allen's is open till mid-nite tomorrow nite I hear... :>)

[JR]

Thanks for commiserating, Sarge. There is an extensive list of ways for me mess up a miter. I invoked a good portion of them on this project.

Merry Christmas.

JR

[MilDoc]

So do I! Had to waste a few pieces of wood on one project so the miters were "nearly" perfect.

On my BT3 the blade is 90 deg to the table, the SMT fence is 45 deg to the blade, and I triple measure everything. But still have a small but too noticeable gap.

Soooooooooo... When it warms up again I plan to cut some wood for picture frames.

Advice? HELP!!!!!

[cabinetman]

I'm quite certain the Birthday Boy was never as challenged by miters in His carpentry projects.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I did not lose my cool, Cabinetman style.

Remember that the Birthday Boys' carpentry projects most likely had supreme help.

As for my style in losing ones cool, I'm honored that I've been labeled. There's got to be extremes.

For me, the fitting of joints is more of a challenge to wind up with what I think they should look like. Whether it is a miter or M&T, butt, or any other, there are edges that have to be caressed to fit. Sometimes I get lucky and after initial machining it fits so good, I don't have to throw it across the shop.



A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER - John Keats

[jackellis]

I'm glad I'm not alone any more. Built two slide-out drawers for our kitchen and the mitered corners on the frame had gaps. This after triple-checking angles on the CMS I was using and then carefully dry fitting. However, they did hold up well loaded with 60 pounds of pots and pans.

One thing that helped me a lot was using corner clamps to help get everything aligned properly and then hold it in place while the glue dried. I have a bunch of Craftsmans and a few Stanleys. Don't know whether the cheapies they sell at HF are worth the trouble.

[boblon]

I got one of these a while back:

http://www.wixey.com/anglegauge/index.html

It works great and I use it a lot more than I thought I would.

For one thing it makes setting you saw blade to exactly 45 degrees a snap. Sure takes the pain out of setting up for those miters.

Also great for jointers, drill presses, disk sanders, bandsaws, etc.

I thought it was 'neat' and so I got one just to see how it works. One of those impulse buys that has really worked out.

Anyhow, good luck with those miters.

BobL.

[MilDoc]

For me, the fitting of joints is more of a challenge to wind up with what I think they should look like.

Thanks again! Now i don't feel so bad -- joining 4 pieces at 45 deg., I may have 2 corners off. Guess it just take experience and luck!

[JR]

One thing that helped me a lot was using corner clamps to help get everything aligned properly and then hold it in place while the glue dried. I have a bunch of Craftsmans and a few Stanleys. Don't know whether the cheapies they sell at HF are worth the trouble.

I have three HF ones and one Craftsman. That's for sure part of the problem - they don't sit off the bench the same height.

I also found a paint drip or something right in the seat of one of the HFs. A little fettling fixed that up quickly.

And, Cabinetman, sorry to use your name in vain. Your thread the other day about tossing things in the shop was fresh in my mind. Believe me, I've tossed one or two offending cutoffs in my time!

JR

[JimD]

When miters are big enough, I like to throw in a biscuit to help with strength. For something this little, I would probably shoot in a 23 guage pin nail from each side. I haven't had much luck with glue alone providing much strength. For trimming, I made a little planning board to guide a block plane while you hold the wood up against stops. It helps get the joint tight and removes wood slowly enough that my brain normally engages before I remove too much wood (saw works too fast for the brain sometimes).

Jim

[JR]

For trimming, I made a little planning board to guide a block plane while you hold the wood up against stops.

Hmm, I'll have to give that one some thought.

Thanks, Jim

JR

[JR]

The offending beast in its final glory!

[GeekMom]

Bet that one got a genuine 'Wow! That's beautiful!' Nice job, JR.