Advice/tips needed-miters

[Jim Tobias]

I need to make a 40" tall box and miter the edges so as to not leave an exposed edge. The width is 24" and the depth of the box will be 14". I woul dalso like to cut the top edges at 45 degrees and do the same on the top and set it in and have flush miters all around. I am planning on veneering the plywood(baltic birch) before I cut the miters. I would veneer in vacuum press and then cut mitered edges to join. What scares me is the 40" length and the accuracy that is going to be needed to get a tight miter joint at the edges. Is this simply making good cuts and am I overthinking this or do I have good reason to worry about the fit??
Any thoughts, tips, or advice or other ways to do it ( other than having everything set up absolutely perfect and cutting it absolutely perfect!)

Jim

[glenn bradley]

I might almost be tempted to use a chamfer bit in the router table with featherboards to control the material(?).

[Ed Peters]

that I would choose the router /chamfer bit combo free hand for these joints.

Ed

[Bill Arnold]

I need to make a 40" tall box and miter the edges so as to not leave an exposed edge. The width is 24" and the depth of the box will be 14". I woul dalso like to cut the top edges at 45 degrees and do the same on the top and set it in and have flush miters all around. I am planning on veneering the plywood(baltic birch) before I cut the miters. I would veneer in vacuum press and then cut mitered edges to join. What scares me is the 40" length and the accuracy that is going to be needed to get a tight miter joint at the edges. Is this simply making good cuts and am I overthinking this or do I have good reason to worry about the fit??
Any thoughts, tips, or advice or other ways to do it ( other than having everything set up absolutely perfect and cutting it absolutely perfect!)

JimJim,

As you said, your miter cuts will have to be perfect. We've done this type of thing in a commercial shop on pieces much longer than you will have. All cuts were made on a table saw.

I might be preaching to the choir, but the process we used was to place the mitered edges together face up. Apply packing tape along the length of the joint, being careful to have the edges dead-on. Then, flip the assembly over, apply glue to the joint and restrain it with clamps or tape depending on what works best.

[Jim Kountz]

This process is not really all that difficult on the table saw at all with a good sled. Be sure to clamp the workpiece secure and just guide it through. If you saw is set accurately your results should be fine.

Jim

[Phil Thien]

I've done a lot of mitered joints. Couple of tricks: (1) Tape the joints (like mentioned above). But then once the box is folded up, use the shaft of a screwdriver to burnish the joints closed before the glue sets. This will ensure that the joints are closed.

Also, applying veneer AFTER the basic box is built can save frustration if you have live with a veneer edge showing.

[Jim Heffner]

Jim, I just finished making two fluted columns for the fireplace in my house.
They are 5"x5"x 45", I set the saw on 45 deg. checked it make sure it was on that angle and started cutting,I mitered all the boards and they fit together great. I think you are getting a little too worried about, relax and
plan your cuts and they will go together just fine. By the way, it was my wife's idea for the columns on the fireplace with the mantel, she was wanting a different look over there so I told her I would make them for her. I decided to make the fluted fronts and now she really likes them even better. Jim Heffner

[Jim Tobias]

Jim Kountz,
What type of sled are you describing to use for cutting the miters? I was planning to just cut them against the fence with the blade at a 45.

Jim

[Matt P]

I've used the router/chamfer bit method for jewelry box sides, but it's a pain because I sometimes have to make multiple passes, and the cuts are not always dead-on straight, maybe because of bit flex.. I wish I had a table saw for this same purpose..

[Guy Germaine]

I am planning on veneering the plywood(baltic birch) before I cut the miters.

How big is your vaccuum bag? Another option might be to build the box first, and press the venneer one side at a time. That way, you don't have to worry as much about the miters fitting. Press a side, trim the excess, press another side, etc. You can then edge-band it and miter the veneer corners

[Jim Tobias]

Guy,
My veneer bag is big enough to do that but I haven't veneered anything that I have needed to support internally during the veneering process. I thought that while that may work, it too would be a "first time" adventure. The veneer I am using on this is fairly expensive and I am wanting to get the best method before i start.

Jim

[Lee Schierer]

Cut all your pieces slightly over size. Then do a trial fit up. Adjust the bevel angle on your saw slightly until you get perfect joints at all four corners at the same time. I recently did a mitered corner box and I cut the four sides about 1/2" too long. I had to adjust the tilt on the saw 2 or 3 times to get perfect fit up at all four corners. Once the fit was right, I cut all the pieces to their proper length.

[julie Graf]

I did this long miter cut: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliegraf/388053764/in/set-72157594326625612/
with a first pass on the table saw, and then a second pass on the router table to clean things up.
glued it up with the masking tape method - with a few biscuits to help align things.
worked great. i stressed over it, but it was pretty stress free.

my tip would be to make sure you are holding the piece down on the table as well as against the fence.

good luck!

[Matt P]

I did this long miter cut: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliegraf/388053764/in/set-72157594326625612/
with a first pass on the table saw, and then a second pass on the router table to clean things up.
glued it up with the masking tape method - with a few biscuits to help align things.
worked great. i stressed over it, but it was pretty stress free.

my tip would be to make sure you are holding the piece down on the table as well as against the fence.

good luck!

Can't view the photo.. "no permssion"

[Larry Fox]

Can't view the photo.. "no permssion"

Ditto here. Definitely interested in seeing it as I have some miters to do.