On glue blocks and gluing up miters

[Ray Newman]

Colleagues: Hope my explanation makes sense!

Saw post on another site that suggested using glue blocks on a 45-degree miter. Glue the blocks to stock, let glue dry, then glue and clamp the miter together. When the glue cured, use a chisel or flush trim saw to remove the blocks and a block plane remove any remaining glue block or glue.

From the Back- in-the-Last-Century part of my memory bank, I recall something similar.Glue A piece of brown paper bag between the work and glue block. When glue on the blocks and stock cured, apply glue to the miter, clamp, and let dry. Glue blocks and the stock were easily separated with hammer strike. Supposedly the brown paper bag residue was easier to remove. Also think hide glue was recommended.

Does anyone else remember or use this method?

[Brian Runau]

Colleagues: Hope my explanation makes sense!

Saw post on another site that suggested using glue blocks on a 45-degree miter. Glue the blocks to stock, let glue dry, then glue and clamp the miter together. When the glue cured, use a chisel or flush trim saw to remove the blocks and a block plane remove any remaining glue block or glue.

From the Back- in-the-Last-Century part of my memory bank, I recall something similar.Glue A piece of brown paper bag between the work and glue block. When glue on the blocks and stock cured, apply glue to the miter, clamp, and let dry. Glue blocks and the stock could be easily separated with hammer strike. Supposedly the brown paper bag residue was easier to remove. Also think hide glue was recommended.

Does anyone else remember or use this method?

I use band clamps. Brian

[Lee Schierer]

I know that wood turners would use brown wrapping paper to attach blacks to face plates for turning. It might also work for miter corners. I would suggest a trial run with some scrap pieces before using it in a project.

Glue blocks sound like adding extra work to a project. The key to a strong miter joint is to apply glue to both sides of the joint. For clamping a single mitered joint you can use opposing bar clamps to push the joint together. I have some corner clamps that work pretty well.
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For picture frames I use a clamp similar to the one shown below or a nylon web belt type band clamp.
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I have also used glass fiber strapping tape across the out side edges to pull the joint together. I clamp one leg vertical in a woodworking vise and let the weight of the horizontal leg or a couple of C-clamps for added weight on that leg to keep the joint closed.

[Michael Burnside]

If you have porous wood I wouldn’t use the trick, especially if you’re going to stain it. I’ve used Xfasten tape on 6”-ish pieces of stock with 45 degree cuts+clamps with great success, coupled with one or two squares to keep the miters at 90.

[Wes Grass]

Brown paper bag, but *drops* of glue, not a full coat.

[Andrew Hughes]

I use glue blocks with heavy drawing paper from my sketch book. They are essential for clamping compound miters see pic I’ve included.
Good Luck

[Kevin Jenness]

When miter folding with packing tape doesn't work I usually use clamping ears glued to a base with sandpaper on the bottom that can itself be clamped to the work. This allows pressure at right angles to the joint with no cleanup and no danger of filling the grain with glue. Where that doesn't work blue tape and ca glue will give a reasonable purchase for clamping blocks, again with no cleanup. Clamping parallel to the workpiece surfaces always seems to lead to a struggle getting the tips aligned.https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=L9dLiHip&id=FDE567AD747D6982E3893CD3CBB933918793431A&thid=OIP.L9dLiHip0FLzdkWpTUdHUwHaE9&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.2 fd74b8878a9d052f37645a94d474753%3frik%3dGkOTh5Ezuc vTPA%26riu%3dhttp%253a%252f%252famericanprofile.co m%252fwp-content%252fuploads%252f2013%252f01%252fmiter-clamp.jpg%26ehk%3dQ9W9aadZkpXq6qOgApmK72Mj%252fCyy Jnj0skZGEMhCk5I%253d%26risl%3d%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r% 3d0&exph=1005&expw=1500&q=miter+clamping+ears&simid=608015645726948494&FORM=IRPRST&ck=26B02155C79DB4F035578E51AD4ED32B&selectedIndex=0&itb=0&idpp=overlayview&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0

[Myles Moran]

I remember reading about the brown paper bag method years ago in a magazine but I've never tried it. The one I see happening more now is applying a piece of painter's tape to both objects and then gluing the painter's tape back to back with CA glue. I haven't tried that one either, but I now have some CA in my shop if I ever run into a glue up that might need it.

[George Yetka]

I havent had the need because band clamps have served me but would good double sided tape hold up to a little clamping force for this situation?

Also bought a collins clamp set that I havent tried yet

[Kevin Jenness]

I havent had the need because band clamps have served me but would good double sided tape hold up to a little clamping force for this situation?

Also bought a collins clamp set that I havent tried yet

Double side tape will work. Finding the right combination of holding power and releasability without residue can be a challenge. Painter's tape and ca glue are proven for moderate loads.

Collins clamps work well with moderate pressure if you can tolerate the pinholes.

[John Kananis]

Double sided tape, two pieces of blue tape stuck to each other with ca or hot melt glue that comes apart with alcohol.

[jack duren]

Your talking about the long miter?

[Marc Rochkind]

After trying lots of approaches, I've come to this: Align the joint and strengthen the joint as two separate steps.

I cut the miter carefully, and then glue up the joints with stretchy masking tape to pull the pieces together. At this point, the joint is aligned, but usually too weak.

Then if the walls are shallow (e.g., a tray), attaching the bottom will provide the needed strength. Or, if the walls are higher (e.g., a box), I cut for splines or drill for dowels, both of which will be visible.

[Mel Fulks]

I would use hot glue from a hot glue pot …..NOT A HOT-EN- TOT !

[Marc Fenneuff]

Double sided tape [or] two pieces of blue tape stuck to each other with ca... glue

^^This. Worked perfectly on some memorial flag boxes I made last year. No need to scrape glue out of the pores of the wood.

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[John Kananis]

Lol, I meant from a glue gun.


I would use hot glue from a hot glue pot …..NOT A HOT-EN- TOT !

[Edwin Santos]

Some projects don't lend themselves to band clamps. This was a table made from two L shapes. Here I did not use brown paper, just glued on the clamp blocks with a rub joint. I sawed them off with a Japanese saw, hand planed off to clean up. It's important to get the line of clamping through the center of the joint.

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[Kevin Jenness]

Nice corner joint, Edwin. Are the holes shown in the last picture for locating another case?

[John Kananis]

Edwin. Really cool corner joint. (Non)hidden dovetail miter? Cut the same way as the hidden variety? Kudos.

[Edwin Santos]

Nice corner joint, Edwin. Are the holes shown in the last picture for locating another case?


Edwin. Really cool corner joint. (Non)hidden dovetail miter? Cut the same way as the hidden variety? Kudos.

Hi,
Thanks for the compliment! Yes, the holes are dowel holes for locating the vertical partitions that form the drawer box. Below is a completed photo that shows you how the two L pieces come together to form the table. The dovetail joint had to be cut by hand pins first where the pins were cut like a half blind, then the waste was mostly routed away with jig that held the workpiece at 45 degrees. The tail piece was cut like a normal through joint and then mitered at the table saw. It was kinda tricky, but not as hard as it sounds. Worth it though if you want the waterfall grain to be uninterrupted on the table's horizontal surface. Maybe I'm hijacking the thread, but the glued on miter blocks were a good way to clamp up the two L forms.


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[Kevin Jenness]

That is a nice piece, I'm glad you showed the whole project. How is the shelf projection on the right side attached to the vertical fin?

[Derek Kessler]

Hey, great trip down memory lane. I've tried a variation of the brown paper bag trick with drops of glue, and it worked surprisingly well. But lately I've been leaning on band clamps too.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Colleagues: Hope my explanation makes sense!

Saw post on another site that suggested using glue blocks on a 45-degree miter. Glue the blocks to stock, let glue dry, then glue and clamp the miter together. When the glue cured, use a chisel or flush trim saw to remove the blocks and a block plane remove any remaining glue block or glue.

From the Back- in-the-Last-Century part of my memory bank, I recall something similar.Glue A piece of brown paper bag between the work and glue block. When glue on the blocks and stock cured, apply glue to the miter, clamp, and let dry. Glue blocks and the stock were easily separated with hammer strike. Supposedly the brown paper bag residue was easier to remove. Also think hide glue was recommended.

Does anyone else remember or use this method?Absolutely!
I was very surprised to see how infrequently it's mentioned here. It was something taught in Shop 1 when I was in high school. We used newspaper and wheat paste though since it washed right off with water.

I've switched over to Elmer's School glue - but - still use a piece of newspaper.

[John Kananis]

Agreed with Kevin, nicely done. My favorite part is the staggered drawers.

[Edwin Santos]

That is a nice piece, I'm glad you showed the whole project. How is the shelf projection on the right side attached to the vertical fin?

Long 2" dowels that go through the vertical leg and into the opposing horizontal shelf. The shelf sits in a shallow stopped dado, same with the shelf on the opposing side. I used a shop made dowel jig that registered in the dado.

[glenn bradley]

These are quick and easy to batch out. No post glue-up clean-up required.

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Obviously not good for long mitered edges ;-)

[Jimmy Harris]

There are tons of methods that will work. The problem with gluing temporary blocks is that you'll have to remove them. And that's extra work, especially if you're going to stain the wood afterwords. One thing I've done that's similar to this method is to use handscrew clamps to mimic the glue blocks, and draw them together with F clamps. You'll probably want to line the jaws of the handscrew clamps with something for extra grip, so they don't slide around too much. But you can usually angle them to get two parallel surfaces to put your regular clamps on, and you'll have a surface on the top and bottom so you can use two clamps and get a nice, even, and flush joint. I also use this method for glueing mortised angled legs to tops. Just make sure to align your handscrew clamps so that the center of force of your F clamps are pulling down directly over the mortise instead of along the angle of the leg.

[jack duren]

You can make corner blocks and clamp in both directions, unless the top, etc is too long for a clamp in both directions.,I use them on corner Susan’s for 22.5…

[Ray Newman]

Colleagues: been an interesting thread. I now feel I was not imaging what I remember about using brown paper and glue blocks to the stock. Appreciate all the comments and “ways of doing things.” Cheers and all the best.

[Alex Shanku]

Blue painters tape on both parts, CA glue, and accelerator is all I use. Unlike double sided, this method has no creep and is way stronger. I turn 12"+ blanks attached to a 4" face plate with this method and haven't had a failure.

[Kyle Brookshire]

Any solutions to avoid these little pinholes left by the Collins clamps? Thin strips of wood, double sided taped where you apply them maybe? Or are we now getting into too much trouble than they’re worth-territory?