Locking Miter Bit

[Wes Terry]

I typically construct drawers with dovetail joints using my Porter Cable jig; but I recently saw a small piece in Woodsmith Magazine which talked about how easy and accurate the Locking Miter bit was and that it makes a very nice joint for most general purpose uses. Does anyone have any experience with this bit? What are your comments on its uses and results?

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Wes, I don't use a lock mitre joint, I use a drawer lock cutter.

The drawer lock cutter can make inset, or partial overlay drawer joints, the mitre cutter can only do inset.

Regards, Rod.

[Wes Terry]

I'm not familiar with a "drawer Lock cutter". Where can I see one?

[Joe Scharle]

MLCS has them, for one

[Peter Quinn]

Pretty much every maker that sells locking miter bits also sells drawer lock bits.Mine is a freud. A similar joint can be made entirely with a table saw.

I made a set of 3" tall pull out shelves for a canning closet from white oak using the drawer lock bit. The drawers ride on accuride over travel slides and hold a considerable quantity of canned and jared goods.

My completely unscientific strength tests prove this to be a strong glue joint with some mechanical strength. My tests involved gluing up samples and then beating the crap out of them with a 5# sledge hammer. In all cases the wood broke near the joint where the wood was the thinest but not at the joint line.

While neither as strong nor elegant as dovetails, they seem IME more than strong enough for the intended purpose and fairly quick to make. Not too bad to look at either.

[Larry Richardson]

Wes - I just completed about 15 drawers for a kitchen using a Lock miter.


Couple of things:
1. If you have a set up block, it helps a LOT, if not, you will need to make one.
2. use feather boards on both the "vertical" and "horizontal" cuts.
3. If using plywood, I would suggest scribing the cut line with a razor first. This makes a very clean cut.
4. Use a miter sled or jig with a piece of scrap to prevent blowout.

Once you get set up, it is very fast. and the boxes go together very nicely. Note that if you are using ply, you don't want to do many dry fits, as it will break down the joint.

a nice bonus is that they are very square without fiddling.
Good luck!
Larry

[jason lambert]

I normally use a draw lock bit and it is really fast, I like it allot. Dove tales look better I think but also more work. For basic draws a draw lock bit and a pin nailed to hold it together when gluing is perfect and fast. I do agreed with #4 above a miter sled with a end block helps and is almost necessary.

Funny thing woodworking magazine (I think) did a article last month or the month before on joints and found the dove tail was not nearly as strong as the draw lock. I supect this will change if the glue starts to fail over time though. That is why I like to use a couple of pin nails and since the joint locks together it will never come apart.

[Dave Falkenstein]

I'm not familiar with a "drawer Lock cutter". Where can I see one?

Here are some choices from Holbren:

http://www.holbren.com/home.php?cat=16

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Wes.

I have used the lock miter corners on a bin I built just to see how it worked. I used the instructions (http://www.routerbits.com/lockmiter.pdf) at routerbits.com (http://www.routerbits.com/cgi-routerbits/sr.cgi?1207156869_9945+74). They were very helpful.

Good Luck....

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have Whiteside's bigger lock miter. It's a great way to join corners. I'd suggest not getting the larger cutter 'cause it takes a fair bit of force to use it cutting all that material in one pass.

[Chris Padilla]

I've found the lock miter bit a real big pain to set up. I guess I just don't "get it" but I'll check out the instructions Ken posted. I just have a real hard time with this stupid bit. :(

[Wes Terry]

Thanks everyone, you've been very helpful.

[Art Mann]

In addition to being tedious to set up, the lock miter bit requires that both pieces of stock be milled to exactly the same thickness. It is best to plane all the material at the same time.

[Tim Lynch]

Hi Wes,

You can make a lot of drawers quickly in plywood with a lock miter cutter. But I'm sure the same is true with the drawer lock.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=68368

[Wayne Cannon]

http://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/catimages07/lockingdrawergluejoints.gif

Every router bit manufacturer makes one.

[Curt Doles]

I just received a lock miter today and after several attempts, like Chris, I'm just not getting it. I got the horizontal cut pretty close, having more trouble with the vertical.

I'll need to check out the additional instructions here.

Thanks,
Curt

[David DeCristoforo]

"...a real big pain to set up. I guess I just don't "get it"...with this stupid bit"

It's all about centerlines. The centerline of the cutter and the stock must align. You adjust this by moving the bit up or down and the fence in or out. It's kind of like the "rub your belly and pat your head thing. Here is an "easier way" to set this cutter up. First of all, get it as close as you can "by eye". Then plane a couple of extra pieces to the same thickness as the material you are using for your project. Put an "X" on one side of each piece. Start by running the pieces horizontally thru your cutter, one piece "X" down and the other "X" up. Then mate the two and see if the outer surfaces meet flush. Adjust your cutter up or down until the surfaces match exactly. Then run your pieces vertically against the shaper fence, one with the "X" towards the fence, and one with the "X" away from the fence. Adjust your shaper fence in or out accordingly to make the outer surfaces match up exactly. Now your setup is "spot on". Save a piece for future setups (which will only work if the material is the same thickness!) Oh, and one other thing. After you have gotten the setup right, mill your stock 1/16" thicker than your setup pieces. That way there will be a small flat left on the corners which means you don't have to run the out feed on the sharp point of the miter. When you have finished your run, plane the material down to final thickness, removing the flat.

YM (DD)

PS I have to agree with the questioning of the lock miter as a "good" joint for drawers....

[J. Z. Guest]

There was a recent article in one WW magazine or another in which they seemed to decide that a glue joint bit was also a great drawer lock bit.

I think I will either get the #7851 drawer lock bit or the glue joint bit #5553 from this page. (http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bt_door.html#drawer_lock_bits_anchor) as one of my next bits.

But first, I need to try out the through dovetail jig.

[James Suzda]

[quote=Yoshikuni Masato;821798 <SNIP>
Oh, and one other thing. After you have gotten the setup right, mill your stock 1/16" thicker than your setup pieces. That way there will be a small flat left on the corners which means you don't have to run the out feed on the sharp point of the miter. When you have finished your run, plane the material down to final thickness, removing the flat.
[/quote]

I think your "one other thing" comment is one of those "gems" that always seem to creep into the postings on these forums.
I did some testing with my lock miter bit and quit trying and put it back in the bit drawer after getting frustrated. Your hint to make your final stock 1/16 thicker will aid in lowering the GRRRRR level in my next attempt use this bit.
Thanks!

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

Wes, I started a thread a few weeks back RE: drawer construction. I almost exclusively use the lock miter. Am surprised it's not very popular. Once you understand how to set it up, it's a one step process.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=77588

I will post a step by step "how-to" thread my next run of drawers.

[Dave Bureau]

There was a recent article in one WW magazine or another in which they seemed to decide that a glue joint bit was also a great drawer lock bit.

I think I will either get the #7851 drawer lock bit or the glue joint bit #5553 from this page. (http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bt_door.html#drawer_lock_bits_anchor) as one of my next bits.

But first, I need to try out the through dovetail jig.

after looking at the video on the mlcs page the whole lock miter thing looks like a no brainer. I've never tried one but the setup seems pretty simple.

[Brad Townsend]

I did a project last year that required 16 lock miter joints.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/btownsend/DSCN1626.jpg

I made the fence below to help get a smooth, consistent cut on the panels that had to be cut vertically.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/btownsend/DSCN1591.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/btownsend/DSCN1592.jpg