45 degree mitre joints

[Larry R. Tysinger]

I have been cutting 45 degree mitre joints on my table saw and they have been OK.

Do most wood workers use the table saw or the mitre saw to cut the 45 degree joints.

I'm thinking about up grading my mitre saw to see if I can get tighter joints.

 

[charlie jones]

I always cut mine on the tabe saw. The trick is to buy a high quaility after market miter gauge and add a wood fence to it. I have:wsmile: one of the cheaper ones from Rockler, it does a great job.

 

[Joe Scharle]

I have a small T/S sled I use for short/small pieces (they're more critical), but use my Ridgid (yep...Ridgid) SCMS for most miters. It's all about how well your sled, miter gage or SCMS is tuned.

 

[Henry W]

Larry: I can't speak for most WWers, but I know what I have done.

I have a sled with adjustable fences that I use on the Table saw. I use this to cut something like picture frames where the width of the stock is laid flat and the 45 is measured relative to the edges of the width. Cut one piece on left, other piece on right side, and as long as the fences are 90 perpendicular to each other, the joints work well. I am too cheap to buy a high quality gauge.

The other case is where the 45 degree cut is made relative to the flat or wide faces of the stock; think a jewelry box with mitered sides. Here I have cut using a miter saw because depth of cut was an issue (miters for a box that is ~3-4" tall); I could not use my TS sled, stand these pieces on their edge and use my TS sled. Using the TS with the tilted blade would have been the answer, but I would not expect the tilted blade of my contractors TS to produce great cuts here. Maybe I am just too lazy to try to bring my TS all into alignment; Contractors saws often have alignment issues with these tilted blade cuts, mostly due to the design of the motor mounts and the torque produced when the assembly is tilted - or so I read because I have not actually tried it.

So my answer - it depends. I have used both.

Henry W

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I have a small T/S sled I use for short/small pieces (they're more critical), but use my Ridgid (yep...Ridgid) SCMS for most miters. It's all about how well your sled, miter gage or SCMS is tuned.

+1 on what Joe said. When you say you cut miters on the TS, do you tilt the blade to 45*, or keep the blade at 90* and use a sled? If you're tilting the blade, it's critical to make sure your blade is exactly 45* to the table top.

For "rough" miters, I use a compound miter saw; for close fits on furniture joints, I use a sled on the TS; and for really tight fits, I cut first at the miter saw, then trim w/ a "Lion Trimmer" like picture framers use.

HTH

Bill

 

[simdave]

I've got an Incra mitre gauge which has given me excellent results on 45 degree cuts on my TS. I also use a festool CSMS that after some serious alignment seems to work just as well. Have to admit that neither of my approaches is very cost effective.

 

[KEstes]

The three ways that Bill uses tend to work the best for me too. The Lion Trimmer is quite a treat to use, and have given me the best 45 degree cut. After reading through the thread, another way occurred to me and it might be what Joe is talking about but I am not sure. You could make a sled that cuts both pieces at the same time and get a good square joint from it. I will post a picture I sketch out later.

 

[bobby g]

I use this sled. Cut one on the left and one on the right. Good results. Not much luck using the Fetool Kapex for any precise work, especially on hardwoods, due to deflection problems.

View image in gallery​

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Typical result

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bobby g
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[KEstes]

I like Bobby G's jig. Here are some sketches that I thought up with a way you could cut both pieces at one time if they are clamped down, but I haven't thought through the safety of it.

View image in gallery

View image in gallery

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showphoto.php?photo=56382
​

 

[KenOfCary]

Well, for the small jewelry / keepsake boxes that I've been making for gifts, which are end-grain miters and probably not what you're asking about, I use 2 methods.

For the thick stuff (1/2" thick), I use a 45 degree chamfer bit in a router table.

For the thin stuff (1/4" thick), I use a bevel down low angle jack plane and a shooting board with a 45 degree block to hold the work and sneak up on it.

- Ken.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Here's my small parts jig.

View image in gallery​

 

[Cato]

Nice thread post as I too have been working on getting tight miters.

I'll have to check out the Lion Trimmer and see what that is.

I have not made a sled yet for my TS for this but Bobby G has now inspired me.

I have been cutting mine on my miter saw, but I have to be uber careful with each piece or I will only get 3 out of 4 really tight and then I have to sand or shave a little to close the gap in the 4th and I'm not that good at sneaking up on the fit.

 

[merrill77]

+1 on what Joe said. When you say you cut miters on the TS, do you tilt the blade to 45*, or keep the blade at 90* and use a sled? If you're tilting the blade, it's critical to make sure your blade is exactly 45* to the table top.

If you cut the opposing sides of the miter joint from opposite sides of the blade, then the error will cancel out. No need to be exactly 45*. Works on the same principal as BobbyG's sled.