How fingers make picture frame miters a LOT stronger

This joint looks complicated, but it's super easy to make and it will make all your mitered frames and boxes a lot stronger.
See more about this joint►acanthus.com/2020/10/07/make-...
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[@StumpyNubs]

See more about this joint►acanthus.com/2020/10/07/make-a-mitered-box-joint/ Visit Chuck's website►acanthus.com/ When you use this link to visit our sponsor, you support us► MyWoodCutters: mywoodcutters.com/ Subscribe (free) to Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal e-Magazine► www.stumpynubs.com/subscribe.html

[@tibbar1000]

There are a lot of great woodworkers on KZbin, but you are the best woodworking teacher I have seen in this media.

[@christophercast5290]

Great tips! I grew turning wrenches and metalworking, but thanks to your videos I just finished my first project with wood. I built a desk for nephew who is doing school from home 3 days a week. I used framing lumber for the body of the desk and built the top from 1x6’s that I jointed on my Grandfather’s jack plane. The plane hadn’t been touched in the 20 years since he passed, and after watching your restoration videos, I was able to get perfect curly shavings and a square-edged polished looking surface. I am truly thankful for what you do here. I’m a 34 year old disabled guy who learned a new craft and created something beautiful for my nephew. I have proven that anyone can learn to woodwork by studying your videos then putting the knowledge to use. With the knowledge I gained from you, and more than a little patience, I am becoming addicted to working with tree cadavers! I don’t even miss my welder! Thank you for everything, -Castor

[@overtorqued]

There is something about this that's more satisfying than splines. Just two piece of wood joined in a strong and attractive way. I'll give it a try. Thanks!

[@jlh5995]

Hey James, thanks for the easy to understand tutorial on miters on frames.

[@timhockersmith3934]

What a fantastic joint. Thanks very much.

[@clemmcguinness1087]

I've been trying to buy a large sheet of pegboard in Northern Ireland for ... ever. Finally decided to go with a plain board for my tool wall, then I saw your video. Your timing is excellent! Thanks

[@CodyBrandt580]

As a beginner in woodworking, I certainly aspire to making a beautiful and complicated joint like this soon. I don't have the skills or equipment to do such precise work at the moment, just a cheap benchtop table saw with a garbage rip fence and a sloppy mitre gauge, a drill powered bandsaw and a cheap mitre box with hsndsaw combo from harbor freight. My solution for strengthening my mitred frame corners comes from watching many other woodworkers, including yourself if I'm not mistaken. I built a small sled with opposing 45° cuts to hold the workpiece skewed 45° to the saw top to make a through cut on the corner. Then I use an 1/8th piece of contrasting wood(sometimes I don't because all I have available are off cuts from what I bought for the project at hand) to glue into the kerf made by the saw blade, then trim it flush with the frame. Fortunately, none of the frames I've built using this method have failed yet. I can absolutely see the benefits of using this method with larger and thicker frames, and I look forward to practicing this new joint if I have any off cuts leftover from my next project. Thank you for all of the quality content you put out! I always look forward to seeing your videos and learning something, even if I'm not necessarily able to put it to practical use right away. I'm slowly improving my skills in woodworking and I do my best to select projects that incorporate new methods or techniques I want to learn. My next project is to build a rebate plane using a 1/4" chisel as the base, then using that to practice making rabet joints.

[@acanthuscarver]

But you have all the tools necessary to make this joint. You said you have a table saw and a miter box. You also said you built a sled for the table saw, which is exactly what you can do to make the box-joint jig. You may not be able to use a stack dado, but you can use the single saw blade to make the fingers.

[@CodyBrandt580]

@@acanthuscarver the benchtop table saw I have isn't very good. I really only use it to rip sheet good down to more manageable size and use hand saws for my precise cuts. I'm looking to upgrade to a better saw soon. The mitre box i have isn't precisely 45° either, but the 90 is dead accurate. Any mitred cuts i make on that setup i have to fine tune with a block plane.

[@CodyBrandt580]

@@acanthuscarver I will certainly practice making this joint with any scraps i have from my next project. I definitely want to learn everything I can. I just try to work around the limitations of the equipment I currently have. The small sled I had mentioned previously is the only sled I have been able to make because I had scrap left over from a previous project. An it's by no means a precision tool, but for cutting splines in mitered joints it doesn't need to be either lol.

[@acanthuscarver]

@@CodyBrandt580 I started in my parents' basement with a Craftsman table saw, bandsaw, and router. We all start by working around the tools we have. It's how we get better at woodworking. If you ever get stuck on a workaround, contact me through my website - I'm happy to help.

[@CodyBrandt580]

@@acanthuscarver thank you very much. I've been resourceful enough to figure out a workaround for most problems that come up. And it's nice to know that professionals like yourself are willing to help out the new guys like me. Stay blessed sir.

[@jasontalley8796]

Thank you for all your content. I am a very novice woodworker with limited ability and equipment.I hope to gain some skills by watching these types of tutorials.

[@irmalujan8680]

Great Job. Thanks for share!

[@JamesSims]

I am always amazed at how much I learn from you! Carry on!

[@Yawles]

Amen!

[@watermain48]

Great lesson James, thanks for sharing it. I would love to have the kind of tools that merit a display like that...

[@Oberon4278]

I spent this morning in the shop with my dad assembling a dining room table for my sister, then came inside to watch your video on a good workbench. Before I knew it the afternoon was gone and I've seen half your videos! I really enjoy your work -- they're clear, no longer than they need to be, and cover interesting topics. There is one small thing I would ask you to change, though. At the end you have the "Subscribe to my KZbin channel" screen, and there's a misspelling of the word "truly," which is my pet peeve. That said, I'm looking forward to your next video!

[@greggdrennan]

James, Thanks for another concise but very instructive video. I'm getting ready to build a frame for a wooden flag and will definitely be trying this joint.

[@MCsCreations]

Pretty interesting!!! Thanks a lot, dude! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@williamellis8993]

Another great video, James. It's always interesting to see other ways of doing things. 71 and I'm still willing to learn. Take care. Bill

[@crankstonshnord6591]

Thanks for the clear explanation! I've seen these types of frame joints before but always been slightly baffled as far as the best way to cut them. This made it crystal clear.

[@mattbowers5342]

Cool joint I wasn’t familiar with, that’s why I watch!

[@johnslaughter5475]

I like that. I'll have to give it a try on my next frame. Adding a peg of a contrasting color through the joint would be a nice option.

[@paulkeating2049]

No glue?

[@johnslaughter5475]

@@paulkeating2049 Not necessary. A pin, especially if it's offset just a shade, will be more than enough holding power.

[@mcorrade]

wow that joint maker pro is great. I had no idea they made something like that. I do believe that I could diy that.......maybe

[@gilbertomanzanilla4333]

Wait done go yet, you deserve a cold one, and we deserve to smash that subscribe button. awesome mr. nubs👌🇧🇿

[@eggster71]

Nice!

[@flguy7331]

That is a neat way to do a mitered joint, but I have one question. Why did you use a hand saw to remove the rest of the fat finger? Why not just remove the rest with the table saw when you made the first cut?

[@acanthuscarver]

You certainly could, but you'd have to use a jig that holds the frame material at 45° relative to the table of the saw. I only had four joints to make, and cutting them by hand was faster than setting up a jig. Besides, I'm a hybrid woodworker by nature.

[@pitsnipe5559]

I’ve seen this type of joint before but never could figure it out. Not that hard when you know how it’s done. Thanks!

[@jvmiller1995]

I use to cut a 45 then would cut one or two cuts in the face of the 45 on a router then cut a little tongue to go in the grove and hold them together. almost like a biscuit but it goes through the end where you can see it. Once cleaned up it looks kind of like that and is strong as hell too. But I will have to give this ago sometime. I have a real nice finger joint jig.

[@criswilson1140]

Definitely cooler than using a spline.

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

I prefer adding a couple of hardwood splines. Almost as strong, and way quicker.

[@weldabar]

This is a cool concept to be sure. But splines can be equally as strong and are much easier to do. I think appearance is nearly the same. Still, I'm going to try doing this because it looks fun.

[@SteveC38]

Yes Sir👍

[@rjtumble]

That's a cool process, I'm going to give it a try. What's up with the blades in your saw? Is that an upcoming video topic?

[@cidercreekranch]

How does it compare to a spline miter for strength?

[@StumpyNubs]

It would be similar in strength to a joint with multiple splines. But I think this looks better, and sometimes it's nice to try something new :)

[@johnfisher4910]

Seems complicated. I just made a little jig that pushes the pieces through, tilted at whatever angle I need. It's similar to the finger joint jig, but with an angled base for the wood to ride against.

[@ParaBellum2024]

That's what I was thinking. Set up precisely, and with no need to re-set the angle between cuts, there should be less room for error too.

[@jamartin1]

Yes, the fat finger!:) thanks for sharing!💜

[@candinmuniz3225]

Would this technique also work on longer frames? 84×43 for example?

[@DavidLunney]

Nice joinery but top much work for a professional picture framer, Hoffman dovetails are pretty good and v quick by comparison

[@dougprentice1363]

Cool joint. I'll stick with splines though.

[@StumpyNubs]

It would be similar in strength to a joint with multiple splines. But I think this looks better, and sometimes it's nice to try something new and add to your your catalog of skills :)

[@dougprentice1363]

@@StumpyNubs definitely. Good point. I like using darker wood splines. But such a neat joint, I should try it.

[@MC-wq4fk]

@@StumpyNubs Even if I don't use it, it's good to see new and different things in case you can apply it somewhere else.

[@Borescoped]

James, would this be the strongest miter joint to use? Asking for a friend who’s planning on making a military shadow box for another friend...

[@StumpyNubs]

It would be. But if you want the same strength with less challenge, you may just make a splined miter joint (Google it).

[@lanzcabinets1571]

Go Wings!

[@paulheitkemper1559]

I think I'd rather use a spline. Although if you want to do it for whatever stylistic reason, then sure, go for it.

[@Myrkskog]

Niiice!

[@tommyj7087]

Okay, you ACTULALLY opened the Billy Beer? How bad was it after 40 years? My Dad hated the taste of it when it was fresh. :-)

Great joint, but hard to do.

[@yrmh1]

Billy beer? You are not actually drinking Billy beer?

[@johnmanning4577]

I never thought I would be making picture frames but who can resist trying something requiring a fat finger that you don't have to make by hitting your thumb with a hammer?!

[@Pete.Ty1]

😊👍

[@jakelilevjen9766]

Wouldn’t it be faster to use the table saw to clear out the waste on the fat fingers? I must be missing something. Why would this not work?

[@mardakworkshop4450]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👌👌👌👌👌👌

[@markkoons7488]

Thanks for posting this video and for anyone who hasn't visited mywoodcutters.com, they look really promising... especially when you're already relying on online suppliers.

[@jeffstanley4593]

No way that was "BIlly Beer" you were drinking. I am in GA and that was a beer that came out when Jimmy Carter was president. He had a brother named Billy and that looks like a can.

[@StumpyNubs]

It's a Billy beer can. But there was nothing in the can ;)

[@jeffstanley4593]

@@StumpyNubs Its more than 40 years old then.

[@alexjohnston2401]

How the hell is this different from witchcraft - its like a spell - I will use this to build my demon summoner

[@davidanderson5767]

"fat" finger?

[@tylerkrug7719]

Seems really complicated, lol

[@tickfarmwoodworks]

Billy Beer! You're dating yourself big time.

[@mikefas5406]

Looks cool but really too much work. How much strength do you need? Lol

[@StumpyNubs]

Don't you think there's value in learning new skills and doing something different? If we just want to avoid "too much work" we should buy all our furniture at Ikea. I think woodworking is about craftsmanship and creativity. :)

[@mikefas5406]

@@StumpyNubs of course but to be time efficient is also very important and this isn't very time efficient. Also, if there is no need then why bother? I haven't come across a miter where I needed "crazy" strength or had to worry about it. Comparing use of the skill and reasoning, I just don't see it.

[@photohounds]

Bloody awesome, cheers from Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺 MAGA2020 🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@BaconDanish]

First