Perfect Miters and 3 Other Tips Every Woodworker Should Know

[@Foureyes.Furniture]

▸ Tips are great, but there's no substitute for actually building stuff. Check out our plans - www.foureyesfurniture.com/plans ▸ ...or just watch more woodworking tips - kzbin.info/aero/PLg7QrqfzwiFrpIAYDnIpKoGneqc7JG3Ai

[@colaoliver1587]

I'm a retired Architectural Millworker. On a Miter Joint or what we called a V fold joint, we never used Lock Joints, Biscuits etc. I would cut my miters as he shows slightly past 45. It is the glue swelling the wood that mess things up as well as a bad cut. To glue the joints lay the parts on the bench face up with the thin edge of the miters touching. Now use heavy Packing Tape Tape the part together. Be sure the entire joint is taped.The tape acts as a hinge. Now flip the assembly over and close the joint to check. It should be a tad out of square. Lay flat, add a bead of glue, close joint to spread glue, open the joint and wait a bit so the glue is absorbed. This prevents the wood from absorbing glue out of joint. Add more glue to joint and close. Check for square. Use a heat gun to soften the tape for removal. Ever shop I worked in over 35 years did it this way. This avoid miss aligned splines and biscuits and special machines. It save time and money. And yes the joint is strong enough. We wouldn't do it if it did not work. Joint failures would cause you big trouble with the boss.

[@jonwnter688]

Yep. Cabinetmaker here. I'm on board with all of this - tape hinging your joints together is a really slick way to make mitred boxes, and 'sizing the joint' by adding glue, waiting and adding more glue is essential when you're dealing with end grain (end grainish?). No need for clamps unless something doesn't look quite right on assembly. I'm not super down with cutting your mitres at 44.9, but then again I'm also usually using pretty dang accurate machinery, and always make up a little sample out of scrap to check the blade tilt angle. I don't love that this guy used a speed square to set his blade to 45, that neglects the fact that a lot of good saw blades have hollow bodies (the body is thinner at the arbor hole than at the rim to provide extra clearance).

[@jeremyspecce]

@@jonwnter688 good tip about the sizing, a trick I’ve heard but never remember to do, in my haste. I feel like maybe that hollow grind is more common with larger industrial saws than it is on a 10” blade, perhaps. I’ve personally never run into it myself, although obviously you have to be aware of the teeth protruding more than the face of the blade.

[@jt5747]

Do you know of any videos showing this process?

[@colaoliver1587]

@@jt5747 You do not need a video. Just do it. Experiment. Do a mock up. Figure it out. Most important, think about it. What are the prose and cons of a given method. I'm not being condescending. I'm encouraging you to teach yourself. Screw up a few samples until you get it right. Videos came along after I retired. Note: I stopped watching woodworking videos because I saw more than a few showing wasteful and in some cases out right dangerous stuff. If some of these guys worked in the shops I did they'd get their butts handed to them by the foreman. Good Luck mate.

[@SeamlessFab]

Common knowledge

[@Zaftiguous]

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the animations! It makes such a difference in how well I understand whatever you are describing.

[@ThomasBaumbach]

6:30 "Oh! Phew! Thanks." The understated way this is delivered is absolute genius.

[@allantinker6838]

Ive just got into woodworking and I love you guys for not gatekeeping these kinds of things

[@rickmartin7674]

Surprised I haven't seen anyone mentioning 9:47 - happens to all of us sometimes! Great tips, thanks for the video!

[@Timotheesun]

I came to the comments to see if anyone else caught that.

[@FreakyNotje]

Same here 🤓

[@sailingeric]

If possible, cut your miter with one piece on one side of the blade and the next side on the other side of the blade. If you are off the two pieces will still make 90 degrees. Geometry for the win!

[@in2rock275]

Thank you! I never dreamed to apply this method to miters for my boxes. It works! Brilliant! Thank you again!

[@underourrock]

That's a very excellent point. I also wonder if one could simply apply the "just ever so slightly over" on 2 of the parallel boards and the other 2 boards that are parallel to each other could be spot on 45. This should produce ever so slightly less error and possibly enough compensation to have it look perfect. I'm also thinking if you line up with a 45 degree reference, with that visible gap, just reduce the angle to the point where the gap just barely disappears....so that the tiniest movement you can make causes the gap to show up and moving back the other way causes it to disappear. That should still be over so slightly over, but buy the tiniest possible amount. Third option: if your digital angle finder is properly calibrated, then go to the next reading past 45 (45.1 in the example given) and bring the dial back as slowly as possible until it just reads 45. Every digital tool is going to have a minimum delta value that it can read, so going past and coming back should ensure that you're minimizing that error and still being on the side of the tolerance you want to be on.

[@jason4547]

Hypothetically yes... Realistically though. It's dependent on whether or not your TS fence is parallel / aligned too both left and right sides of each miter slot and parallel / aligned too both left and right sides of the blade... With lower end / cheaper saws. It's not uncommon, due to casting issues. To have one miter slot that's not equally parallel to its counterpart or square to its top. Which can be a real head scratcher when it comes to calibrating / aligning your saw.

[@grantmackinnon1307]

yup, i know what your saying.

[@0llum11001100]

Only problem would be if you're too far out one mitre would be longer than the other.

[@murai2668]

I'm planning to take a big step from regular office worker to a woodworker. Last 2 months I probably saw hundreds of videos to know everything about woodworking. Your videos are great and very helpful, in fact the best for my development. One day I'll support your patreon, for sure. Keep the good work!

[@thomasmendez2816]

Rule 1 to always remember in any profession. "Nobody knows everything about their profession" Rule #2. Dont offhandedly discount anyone's thoughts regardless of experience level because even if it only rarely happens that way. You never know when someone with little experience has a great new idea. Sometimes the solution to a problem only need to be looked at with a fresh pair of eyes

[@fiendeng]

👉NORM ABRAMS 👈 the man is a walking encyclopedia of woodworking. his publications are extensive and can nearly fill a library ! The O.G of Cabinetry . Good luck

[@l.clevelandmajor9931]

While I welcome you into the woodworking world, please be sure to know and practice all safety procedures, and what equipment you need to remain relatively safe while using your power tools and hand tools. These guys in the video are not using safety equipment on their tablesaw, with the only exception of a riving knife being installed that helps prevent kickback. There needs to be a blade guard installed as well whenever possible; which in most cases will be about 80 to 85 percent of the time. Please don't let their practice concerning this become yours too.

[@andrizeefoshizee]

That's slick! Leaving extra material to provide a place to clamp, then cutting off that extra material when finished. Really slick!

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

As a guy who does a LOT of "organic shapes" with my joinery, it's worth pointing out that your tip about "erring in a known direction" is REALLY useful just about everywhere in joinery... not just mitres. Look at it this way... If you're likely to be a "smidgeon" off, it's better to pre-plan where that "smidgeon" might show so you know where to cover it... worst case... AND best case, you're off in a known spot and direction with the "primary cut" so it's easier to make the minor adjustments with a file or even as small as a popsicle stick covered in sand paper... to get a "perfectly snug fit" every single time... It SHOULD go without saying, that you should ALWAYS "dry fit" your joints before the final assembly and gluing process/step. Even if you've already "test fit and adjusted" before, go ahead for a full assembly (if at all possible... or as close as possible) and DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING... It's just too easy, whether by haste or just poor memory or whatever else, to miss a piece in processing and refining to "perfection"... SO that extra bit of "dry fit" and checking everything together will save you LOTS of heartache, headache, and hair loss before you've got glue drying as you sit there wrestling between two pieces that can't possibly meld together properly and the mess of sticky, gooey run-off spreading from the joint to your fingers, clothes, work-table, floor, other bits of scrap and possibly project materials, tools, and everything else in the shop... OH YEAH... AND no matter how frustrated you get with yourself, throwing the project across the shop is NOT the answer either. It won't help anything. ;o)

[@EricFerguson-u4r]

Outstanding, keep it up I wish we had this 40 years ago.

[@glennoverhoff6589]

Eliminate tear up tip was brilliant...and very logical though I never would have thought of it. Thank you.

[@boutrosalkhouri4523]

You’re 100% right. Never worked with me 45 degree. Allows small gap, and allows tried to move the miter saw one hair.

[@joeldwarika8356]

Thank you.when you speak about setting blade just past 45',is it 45.1' or as in the video,44.9'.much thanks

[@chrismpick]

These tip videos are terrific fellas. Thank you and keep them coming!

[@soujrnr]

The stuff you guys build is WAY out of my league, but I do learn a lot from the tips! Thanks for sharing!

[@bretticus4]

literally went "ohhhhhhh" at that batch sanding tip. so simple! also the last ball toss was hilarious

[@incognitotorpedo42]

Yeah, and that is TOTALLY a tip. Not even tip-adjacent.

[@realstaceylewis]

One of my favorite channels. Always good stuff.

[@rhernandez513]

Not a tip, but a Thank you, for inspiring me to refurbish and make my dinning table long lasting. I saved the wooden table and made brand new legs out of steel... It was 35-40 years old... it should last another 50 easy. Gracias very much.

[@carldavis6902]

Thanks for all the great videos. I’ve followed both of your video lives for awhile now. I’ve made several of your projects and twisted them into my vision. Thank you both for helping me be better.

[@cyrilnorrie8450]

Great tips. These will be very useful. Thanks for sharing them.

[@nicholasmarshall3191]

I love how you guys are essentially woodorking artisans, but in the background, there is an engine, showing other intetests.

[@RobMacKendrick]

Also, you obviously need to keep a large tape ball on hand in case somebody needs to say something. Thanks for the great video! Saved to my shop playlist.

[@paulbadger6336]

There are numerous details involved when cutting any joint in wood. Not only the angle, the alignment of the blade to the fence, the flatness of the blade and grind of the teeth, the balance of the blade and the quality of the bearings with the driven shaft. Tip; when glueing scraps for clamping, place paper between the surfaces and there will be less chance of tear out when you remove them.

[@team_rex]

The last throw… *chef kiss*

[@bradlyf]

Tip: When your thumb is bleeding, try a band-aid! Total game changer for wound care.

[@danielfernandeznungaray8996]

A true tip is to stop the bleeding by pressuring half a fresh red tomatoe against the wound

[@paulalderson6920]

Excellent info & entertaining. Nice combo.

[@alanr745]

Ok, the tips and such are helpful, but he editing is just hilariously intended, and that's what makes your videos unique and great!

[@ShadowVipers]

A solution (for those who have this as an option) to getting those clamping jigs for awkward angles, since it was mentioned to no longer be for sale, would be 3D printing. Also you could make a lot of them too by making multiple of them with a single print job! Naturally I'd recommend a very high or 100% infill for this given that the part will be under load in this use-case.

[@roveriia6334]

Great next level concepts like using scrap end pieces. Thank you for imparting your learnings/knowledge that are on another level then most. I subscribed as a thank you and I am interested in learning more

[@efrenhernandez4849]

These episodes are the best. Very usefull. Hi from Mexico

[@prestonfeivor5488]

For the clamping blocks, I like to use the blue tape/super glue trick, which you can use on the finished piece and not worry about messing up 👍

[@lesk7427]

These are great tips for me as a novice wood worker. Thanks guys!

[@justgoballistic]

About tear out, Your tip is really important when routing. I always start with the end grain first and end with the long grain. Always cleans up the corners.

[@MatsNordgren]

You guys just leave me with a sense of wanting to travel to the US to go out for a beer. Are you really this likeable?

[@SSBailey77845]

I have so much to learn…brilliant!

[@jadedblackpill5009]

Excellent presentation!

[@3rd_stall]

I too make sure I add a little DNA to every project.

[@Toyotajunkie]

🤣

[@DubYaJsWorld]

If a piece of me isn't left on the job site I feel like it's not going to be a good job

[@lefty1024]

You guys rock, please keep bringing them

[@andre1987eph]

2:43 that looks really nice.

[@007bennett]

PLEASE PLEASE show how to do mitered corners without a domino!! Love your stuff, you guys are awesome.

[@jasonsahadeo5740]

You can use dowels. If you have access to a drill press you can make a doweling jig. Otherwise you can buy them for way cheaper than a domino. However, as someone who gave up on dowels, lol, I have to say it does take some skill/ time to get good at. Also, probably don't buy the cheapest one you can get, those don't work very well imo.

[@jeremyspecce]

If you read some of the other comments, and even watch some other four eyes videos I believe, you will see the technique of taping the miters and then simply folding them together to glue them up. Afterwards you can make splines if you need extra reinforcement.

[@wayneyancey6422]

I use this same tip for miters in base board using a chop saw . 40.5 degrees for outside corners. I do not use shaped moldings. I butt inside corners.

[@lefty1024]

You guys rock. Please keep these tips coming

[@bradleytuckwell4854]

Great tips guys thanks for sharing

[@nathanek6598]

Nice tutorial. Great videography and graphics!

[@tomstark28]

buried miter cuts are really the answer

[@giobianchi3232]

Amazing video! Great techniques and also I’m inspired to make a tape ball with all my wasted tape

[@davido1490]

That tape ball catch at 0:33 was like a crisp high five

[@Hakuwoodworks]

You guys have too much fun with the ball... well done. Really enjoying this series, thanks

[@arth.4196]

2nd Time I've heard. I'll try it with scraps Saturday 🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙

[@billkamp3284]

Thank you. Learned three thing i need today

[@Maffy0Bear]

You guys are pretty great.

[@Suicaedere666]

Hahaha amazing vid guys! Glasses off at the end cut haha, amazing!

[@robertroberts5218]

Overshooting 45° for the Box miter is a great trick at our cabinet shop I work at we overshoot miters by 10 or 15 degrees when it the inside is not going to be seen. This makes for a great looking outside edge

[@robertroberts5218]

@@Plankyoutube I'm sorry. 10-15 degrees is the total gap on the inside of the joint. So, cutting pices at 38-40 degrees and running off the other side of the blade with a sled. We have a really wide table built out from the saw.

[@MiLeuthner]

Love your ball game! Good tips!

[@davidcarr4464]

Love these videos, please keep them coming....

[@Mark_Wood]

Useful tips I'll actually use!!!!

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Im an idiot. Instead of 44.5 I set mine for 45.5. NO WONDER!!!! Great video thank you

[@jbenson9403]

Great sanding tip

[@ViniCavin]

Could you guys make plans for a gaming table? I’m not sure about your audience but I’m kinda of a geek, and I have some board games to play with friends every now and then! A multi purpose dining table with your design touch would be awesome :)

[@theungoliant9410]

"Tip adjacent" I'm so glad you were precise in pointing out that detail. (eye roll)

[@royksk]

One of the tips I learned as an apprentice joiner over 60 years ago was that for a quick, on-site way to cut a 45° mitre, say on a skirting board, without a guide. So long as your saw is clean and a little reflective (as it should be) angle you saw whilst looking at the reflection, when you see a right angled reflection, start sawing and keep looking 👁👁

[@Hazdazos]

You guys sound so super serious in these videos.

[@gsus3918]

You should catch an object that isn't the thrown object just to mess with people. Great video!

[@mariusgreeff3143]

1:30 The table of your table saw must be 100% level to the floor before you can set your blade using the digital meter, or first calibrate your digital meter to 0 degrees on the table of the table saw and then set your blade using the digital meter, otherwise you set your blade to an angle of your floor.

[@jeremyspecce]

Important note but hopefully anyone using one of those understands that calibrating your meter to your reference surface is always the first step in using it. In fact, I’d be surprised if one of those was even calibrated to the level of the earth out of the package.

[@alfredomarquez9777]

What most people seldom take into account, is that even with a "perfect" 45 degree table saw, the disk has a very small but inevitable oscillation (it is NOT perfectly rigid") Therefore the tip still applies. Back in the 1970s I built quite a few (0ver a hundred) speaker cabinets, all had 90 degree corners, necessitating 45 degree joints. At that time, I preferred to cut all the cabinet sides one millimeter too long on both sides, to be able to correct the fitment, as the table saw never gave me the perfect 45 degree cut.

[@Dave5843-d9m]

There is no need for a 100% level table. The electronic mitre is zeroed to the working surface. Then your cut angle will be correct.

[@xl000]

No. Have you seen the zero button on the digital meter. This is to set a reference angle..

[@researchandbuild1751]

​​@@alfredomarquez9777 the blade will also flex a bit when cutting too. That's why old craftsmen use a shooting board to correct and make the angles perfect

[@beyondlimitsproductions1468]

Great advice here... btw hope your thumb feels better !

[@grahamwilson4354]

Great tips - a tad confused about the 45 angle for boxes- you mention going over to 45.1 but then show an angle at 44.9..Which one is correct please? Thanks

[@jerrybrown1446]

It depends on whether you measure the angle starting from 90 degrees, or 0 degrees. Just be sure to go slightly over, and make all of your cuts on the same side of the blade. For example, your blade is normally set at 90 degrees, so decrease the angle to just a little past 45 to 44.9. If you put a gauge on your blade and it is zeroed out, then increase the angle from zero to 45.1.

[@acmelvin6360]

You are always very entertaining and informative! 😄Keep up the good work!

[@ricklowery9369]

Did Chris slice the crap out of his finger with the sander at 9:48? OUCH!!

[@ctcummings21]

I was just wondering the same thing.

[@ShadowVipers]

That must have hurt, judging by his reaction (or lack thereof) it seems like it's not an too uncommon of an occurrence. At least, I imagine it's not always as severe as what we saw.

[@neil7620]

its a little more work but i tend to cut at 45 and hand sand the inside corners a little it's always worked perfectly for me :)

[@Yevgen6R]

Thank you!

[@johnlanger7852]

tip for glued on clamping cauls, use tape and glue to caul to the tape and then use the caul for clamping your project up

[@poepflater]

about to 3d print a few of those clamp jigs, thanks

[@VozimoSe]

Big LIKE for 6:33

[@eladsinay6914]

I’m new so I got confused. The picture of the video shows 45.1 but in the video it looks like you were using 44.9 so which direction do you go ? Above or below the 45?

[@josephmurphy4503]

So what’s the answer?

[@eladsinay6914]

dont think i ever got a reply@@josephmurphy4503

[@altoidyoda]

Yup, same confusion. Even worse, some other people’s videos say 45.1 and some say 44.9. I think the confusion comes from the fact that some zero the angle gauge on the table, and others on the blade. It this video, you can see the angle is decreasing from 90 as he tilts the blade, so it means he zeroed it on the table. So I believe 44.9 is correct and “just past” 45. Not sure why the thumbnail is different though.

[@stevenm6289]

Ok great for you guys using biscuits, dowels and all those FessTool things, but really set your cut for 45 degrees (nothing is perfect) and glue it up using masking tape, YES MASKING TAPE, not clamps (unless it is a big box, clamps help). Then when your have everything square, burnish that corner, rolling over the fibers of the wood into the corner (your gonna "ease/sand" that corner anyway). Done. Wait for it to dry then pull off the tape and sand.

[@KarelKubela]

Great tips guys!👍🏻👏🏻

[@markstohel8471]

I wonder if you can use the great masking tape and super glue trick to temporarily glue on the odd shaped clamping blocks and then easily remove them without having to do special trimming and clean up. For those that doesn't know this trick... look at videos from Crimson Guitar. Not sure if he created the trick, but that's where I learned it. It's a fabulous trick!!

[@Toyotajunkie]

I have had issues with the tape sticking enough on crazy angles like their table and chair examples. But, I have had 2 out of three attempts work with hot glue only. And the pieces break off and clean up easier. Just a thought, and I am NOT saying it will always work... lol.

[@ThatEgghead]

A video with a thumbnail hook that gets answered immediately and has some good tips?! Is this Nirvana?

[@torinhalsey6313]

Well done. Good info.

[@VioletTheCamaro]

Great tips

[@willemkruger4564]

I am still grappling with the concept of getting a mitre joint "perfect". In a previous communication you say that "set the blade 45.1 from the vertical, or 44.9 from the horizontal"In this video at1:39the digital gauge was at 90 degrees in the vertical but you set the blade to44.9 degrees (not 45.1). Could we choose another example to illustrate your point a little more clearly. In making a hexagon, the angle would be 30 degrees from the vertical and 60 degrees from the horizontal? Is this correct? So would I set my blade 29.9 degrees starting with the blade at 90 degrees and the gauge zeroed to the blade and 60.1 degrees starting with the blade at 90 degrees and the gauged zeroed to the table, then placed on the blade that then is lowered to 60.1 degrees. I realize this is a long question and that you are busy. Thanks.

[@HowsItHappening]

Man, you got me good with that thumbnail. I read it and thought "yeah right, what kind of nonsense is this, or is he gonna use some mathematical formula that is basically the same as just using a 45". So, I clicked thinking I would get a good laugh. I'm glad I was wrong, this is such a simple yet effective tip.

[@radishpea6615]

great tips

[@mrcryptozoic817]

I avoid tear out by adjusting the blade depth to about 1/8" and making a cut, then make a second cut at full depth. It seems that the blade striking along the plane of the wood doesn't tear but striking through does.

[@royharkins7066]

A great tip is a little sand or salt maybe sugar when gluing as it stops the peace’s sliding as the glue gets compressed ..

[@tsaltyginger]

In the first tip what kind of mirka sander were yall using to sand the box?

[@rockymarquiss8327]

Interesting terminology... 44.x is PAST 45? where I come from to be past 45 you have to have more than 45...

[@martyjosephson4937]

With regards to clamping angle pieces, I thought I sent you a diagram with a nice alternative clamping blocks

[@brandonrenouf278]

I like Shaun’s disappearing glasses at the end.

[@charlie-CharChar]

That first one reminds me of "Grinding a rail in Tony hawk Pro Skater" or various other tricks. but usually there's 2 ways to fail, out and in. it you fail outwards, you loose your score (by landing on your face), but if you fail inwards you land the trick (by landing on the wheels of the board). fail inwards.

[@richardh568]

44.9 or 45.1??? Not sure which you mean? Thanks

[@dredbud9272]

Thanks

[@l.k.1011]

Does anybody know the brand of these clamping blocks at around 5:15? Thank you in advance!

[@MrPetfel]

Great video well done :-)

[@abiraffawoodwork]

What 3d program you used?

[@martyjosephson4937]

One better that your clamping block with set angles, one one end have a circle 2" to 3" diameter and a tail tangent to that, about 6" or 7" long. Use the (2) tails to clamp this to the opposing surfaces then use the circles to clamp between this way your always perpendicular to the glue joint.

[@mindyhall4638]

Loving this series!

[@guy6567]

9:44 how'd that cut happen? sanding?

[@megsman4749]

Thanks.