Miter problems

[Alex Berkovsky]

Just cut my first miters to go around the dresser top. As you can see, one was cut slightly too short. :o Is it possible to fill in the gap with saw dust from the same species or should I recut it. Unfortunatelly I don't have a 60" long hard maple piece to recut and would have to buy a new board.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

If you are dry fitting, cut the other one to the same length. If you have already assembled all but this part, then you'll have ot get another board. I've never been able to fill without it showing.

[John Terefenko]

I assume you do not have it glued up yet. Is it possible to take 1/16" off the panel??? You will have to shorten the other side miters but it is an easy fix. Always sneek up on the miters. A miter trimmer is a handy tool when doing miters.

[Alex Berkovsky]

If you are dry fitting, cut the other one to the same length. If you have already assembled all but this part, then you'll have to get another board. I've never been able to fill without it showing.I am dry fitting the mitered border but the top is already glued to the dresser. Looks like I'll have to replace the board.


... A miter trimmer is a handy tool when doing miters.What is a miter trimmer?

[Alex Shanku]

Arent you worried about wood movement with the top glued to the dresser?

Also a miter trimmer is a lever-actuated device to "slice" a small amount off of your material

[Alex Berkovsky]

Arent you worried about wood movement with the top glued to the dresser?Now that you've mentioned it, I am. What is the correct method?

[Mike Henderson]

If you can take a small amount off the inside of the piece of molding that's too short, perhaps with a block plane, it will allow the molding to fit. The mating with the other pieces of molding will be off, but you can usually sand the molding at the mating point to make it match, or you can use some carving tools to slightly cut down the other two pieces of molding at the mating point.

The other piece of advice given here is correct - sneak up on the fit for molding.

Mike

[Jeffrey Makiel]

One way to tighten up a short miter is to glue a small (1/4" strip to the outside edge of the rail. Then rip the board to its proper width again by removing stock from the inside edge of the rail. You now have a long enough rail to re-miter the joint.

This works only if you have a thin strip of scrap stock from the original board that you cut the rails from. Otherwise, you may not have grain match and the glued-up strip may be noticable.

-Jeff :)

[Steve Jenkins]

As Mike said just plane a bit off the inside edge of the piece and it will magically get "longer". if you have a planer just run it through on edge with the long edge of the miter down and take off about 1/32 or so.Test it and maybe do it again. If the main top is ply or mdf, expansion is not a problem. If it's solid stock then the mitered trim across the ends will create a problem as the top expands and contracts

[Alex Berkovsky]

As Mike said just plane a bit off the inside edge of the piece and it will magically get "longer". if you have a planer just run it through on edge with the long edge of the miter down and take off about 1/32 or so.Test it and maybe do it again. If the main top is ply or mdf, expansion is not a problem. If it's solid stock then the mitered trim across the ends will create a problem as the top expands and contractsSteve and Mike,
Thanks for the tip; I will have to try this trick before scrapping the piece. The top is veneered ply so I don't have to worry about movement. I thought that Alex Shanku refered to the molding movement.

[Mike Cutler]

Alex.
I'll say upfront that Mike and Steve have the best solution. Kelly's is the absolute best, but sometimes not practical due to cost and grain matching.
.
One more option would be to glue it with T-88 constuction adhesive. It has the necessary fillers to fill that gap, but I think you might be unhappy with the results. The gap would still show, unless you could add some woodflour of the correct tone, and even then....
Only throwing it out there because it is an alternative.

[John Terefenko]

I am now really confused because I would never glue a top to a box and that basically is what you have a top of a dresser on top of a box. If the top overlaps the dresser than take a straight edge and use a router and trim a 1/32" off both sides and yhttp://www.lionmitertrimmer.com/images/lmt2.jpgou are back in business. This is a miter trimmer

[Mike Henderson]

I realize that John was just showing you a miter trimmer and not advocating that you purchase it, but I want to point out that (in my opinion) you can trim miters on your compound miter saw quite well. You don't need a special tool like that manual miter trimmer.

Mike

[Alex Berkovsky]

I am now really confused because I would never glue a top to a box and that basically is what you have a top of a dresser on top of a box. If the top overlaps the dresser than take a straight edge and use a router and trim a 1/32" off both sides and you are back in business. This is a miter trimmer
John,
The top is veneered plywood which is glued to all plywood dresser. I don't have to worry about movement there... correct? Now I am going to glue maple molding to the veneered top. Should I be worrying about movement?

I just planed 1/32" off the inside edges and recut the miters; they are perfect now. Thanks to Mike and Steve's tip.

[Dan Forman]

Alex---Wood movement occurs in a cross grain direction, (i.e. across the width of the grain, expansion in the direction of the grain in negligible. Your mitered banding will be ok, since it won't expand along it's length. Your top won't expand, being plywood. But, there may be problems with the top being glued to the dresser depending upon the orientation of the rest of the dresser. If the sides are solid wood, and the grain runs vertically, you didn't use frame and panel construction, and glued the top along all dimensions, there will likely be problems. Here are a couple of links which should prove helpful.

http://www.morlanwoodgifts.com/storefront.asp?pageno=82

http://www.individualfurniture.com/maker/Wood-Movement.htm

Frame and panel construction is illustrated at the bottom of the page in the last link.

There are many techniques which can be used to deal with wood movement, it would be well worth you time getting acquainted with them.

Dan

[Steve Jenkins]

"The top is veneered plywood which is glued to all plywood dresser"

No problem with expansion. Glad you got the miters working.

[John Terefenko]

Alex

I am just thinking out loud because I have never used your methods. Two things I would have done and believe me I am not saying what you have done already will not work. But I would have used a mechanical attachment of the top to the dresser because it would be stronger. You still can to help your situation. As far as movement I do not see too much a problem because it is plywood. But remember to take the drawers out to lift from the rails and not the top edge. The second thing is a matter of methods used and what you are comfortable with. I would have splined the band molding you are putting on or at least used biscuits in the field part and the miters. Just the way I would have done it. With todays glues they would hold up quite well without I suppose. Anyway good luck and glad you were able to work out the shortcomings. That is a trick we all should remember.:)

[Alex Berkovsky]

...But remember to take the drawers out to lift from the rails and not the top edge. The second thing is a matter of methods used and what you are comfortable with. I would have splined the band molding you are putting on or at least used biscuits in the field part and the miters. Just the way I would have done it. :)John,
I was thinking about the problem of someone lifting the dresser by holding the dresser by the molding... going to have to make sure it does not happen. Using the splines and biscuits did cross my mind.

[glenn bradley]

I'm far from an expert but I think any type of fill will show more than the gap. Design modification opportunity?

[Dan Forman]

John,
The top is veneered plywood which is glued to all plywood dresser. I don't have to worry about movement there... correct?

Err...sorry, senior moment.

Dan

[luc gendron]

Quick solution...squeeze glue in the opening, work it in real good, let it overflow and then sand your piece. This should fill the gap. I don't think you will notice the opening in a couple of weeks!. For some reason small defects (and your opening seems very small..1/16'' or less) seem to disapear after awhile!! Try it, you have nothing to loose since you are pondering starting over. As for attaching a top, I usually make elongated (spelling?) holes into the piece that will support the top. I then use a washer with a pan head screw to attach the top. This allows any would movement without having the top split. Again as many have stated, you used veneered plywood so would movement is not an issue. Should you have used a solid top, two problems would be of concern. One the top would probably split because it is glued to the cabinet and secondly the miters would open.

[luc gendron]

Please note my last message...sand the piece before the glue dries!

[Alex Berkovsky]

...As for attaching a top, I usually make elongated (spelling?) holes into the piece that will support the top. I then use a washer with a pan head screw to attach the top. This allows any would movement without having the top split. Again as many have stated, you used veneered plywood so would movement is not an issue...Luc,
The original plans called for a solid top and did call for elongated holes to allow for wood movement.

[josh bjork]

I'm far from an expert but I think any type of fill will show more than the gap. Design modification opportunity?

Not if you use a cutoff from that board and glue it back on the mitered corner, there will be a glue line but with something like superglue it will be quite neglegable. I did that on my last project and it worked pretty good. (not perfect mind, but good) I think the idea of planing off the inside edge is better though. I never thought of that. I guess it depends how the board lays.