Wide Miter Joint

[Isaac]

On my next project, a cabinet, I want to have the grain from one side wrap smoothly over the top and then down the opposite side. Theoretically i would do the same stuff the bottom, but it's not critical since that will never be seen. 

The pieces would be around 10" wide. I'm a little weary of trying to do them as just a simple 45deg miter that is so wide, for fear of difficulty in the glue up and difficulty getting a tightly closed joint. I'm Looking for suggestions on how best to do the joint. Assume 3/4" wide stock.

[Ronn W]

I understand you hesitiation about this joint.  From your description, I assume that you would lay the piece flat on the table saw and tilt the blade?  I have had good luck with those joints.  I admit that the widest I have done is about 5".  Assuming that you piece is long enough to allow it, I would work with the miter gauge on the right side of the blade and the fence as a stop.  Be sure the piece is square, that is that the piece resting perfectly against the fence over it's 10" width when held in place against the miter gage.  When making this cut I push passed the blade as if lit were a rip cut with no return stroke.

Set the blade angle as best you can with the tools you have and try a couple of test cuts.  Fit them together so they look tight and then put a square against them to see if you need to adjust the blade angle.  Getting the set up right is fussy but it works.

How are you going to glue the joint?  It's end grain to end grain.  I used a spine in the aprons for may strange occassional table - cut on the table saw with 1/8" kerf.

The other way to go is to get a locking miter bit for the router.  Fussy to get set up perfectly but it works.  I have the Freud version.  Your router table needs to be stiff with no give when you press down on it.  The set-up is that sensitive.

After having spent the money for the router bit, I think I prefer using the table saw.

Hope that helps.  Yeah

[bleedinblue]

I'd probably do some splines for strength.  Depending on what the cabinet is for, maybe even some of those fancy pants dovetail splines.

[Dknapp34]

The method I've had the most success with is to bury the blade at 45 in a sacrificial fence. I have a picture of the setup in a journal I'm doing about a cherry and ash dresser.

http://www.woodtalkonline.com/topic/24844-cherry-ash-dresser/

It's really a foolproof technique.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Eric.]

You'll definitely need some kind of reinforcement not only for strength but for alignment, no doubt about that.

For the glue-up, there's a trick where you can glue blocks cut at a 45* angle to the outer edges of the miter so you can get very positive clamping pressure (using just a bit of CA glue).  You make the blocks of a species much softer than the species you're working with...then you can just knock them off with a hammer and plane or sand the residue off.

I'm pretty sure I've seen Marc use this technique before but damned if I can remember where.

Here's a cheesy representation courtesy of PWW...

[Isaac]

7 minutes ago, Dknapp34 said:

 

The method I've had the most success with is to bury the blade at 45 in a sacrificial fence. I have a picture of the setup in a journal I'm doing about a cherry and ash dresser.

http://www.woodtalkonline.com/topic/24844-cherry-ash-dresser/

It's really a foolproof technique.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Very cool! That gets at my number one fear of the panels shifting slightly as I cut.

[gee-dub]

Shop made Blokkz thread here.

[wdwerker]

I bought a number of the Blokkz  clamping aids for a specific project. They are quite versatile ! Months go by and they sit in the cabinet but they sure are handy when I need them.

[jplemons]

This guy just does it. 

 

[bleedinblue]

1 hour ago, jplemons said:

This guy just does it. 

 

Dude lost me with the Cubs hat.