Three Gluing Techniques for PERFECT Miters

What's the best way to glue up a miter? The world may never know. But here are three techniques that I use in my shop often.
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[@GeeDeeBird]

That paper trick was worth the price of admission (metaphorically). Thanks, man!

[@andrewmurphy2688]

For small boxes I use blue tape to line the edge of each piece to make getting rid of the inside glue squeeze out easier. I have had too many “ negative” experiences with the interior corners being discolored when applying finish.

[@gerarddelmonte8776]

The trick is to finish off the interior before glue up. I wax too, so that the interior squeeze out is easy to remove. Any tiny amount remaining basically dries clear.

[@thomasweaver905]

I normally never comment; however, this video deserves a well done for content and presentation.

[@CameronLockey]

Thanks for the brown paper trick! I made the mistake of using CA glue to attach my glue blocks directly to eastern red cedar on a recent project and sadly got a BUNCH of tear out when removing a few of them.

[@markkaeder9018]

That glued clamp blocks trick was a lifesaver today. I'm building a mid mod style recreation of a vintage hifi speaker for a client. I glued up 24" deep by 32" x 36" boxes of solid sapele panels. This technique made the whole operation so much less stressful than previous large miter boxes I've done. True to description, the glued blocks provided great clamping pressure and popped right off leaving a little paper residue that was easily cleaned up with a card scraper. Make sure you coat the entire surface. The only section that failed on me had incomplete glue. Some quick acting with ca glue solved that. I just used the offcuts from cutting the miter on my table saw. Anyway - Thanks for the awesome tip.

[@wildpat03]

Very instructive! Thank you for sharing. Another trick I use is the fix the clamping blocks on 2 10" strip of plywood. Then each is clamped securely on each piece and a 3rd clamp provides the pressure perpendicular to the miter joint. Not mine, it's from the Wood Whisperer.

[@meperson]

This is great video and you are excellent teacher. Thank you!

[@kennethbezanson4266]

The figured top of that example box is Gorgeous! Really pops with the darker border.

[@SeanRefsnider]

This one time, with band clamps… 😂😂

[@ENCurtis]

Dammit that was RIGHT THERE for the taking too. Can’t believe I missed that one 😂

[@awlthatwoodcrafts8911]

@@ENCurtis every time I hear the phrase "band clamps", that's the first thing I think of. And then there was this one time in band clamp.

[@JosephSastreShowsYou]

Came here to make sure someone had already made this joke.

[@twfc7]

Great tips, great music. Thanks for the advice.

[@Jizzlewobbwtfcus]

MY GOD that mitre taping technique blew my mind :O Those other techniques KILLED ME! You are my new Woodwork GOD!!!

[@chrismurphy3538]

Just what I needed! Thank you! Perfect instruction!

[@miguelrotaeche8582]

Bravo for the third one!

[@JoeSimmerman]

That brown paper trick is a thing of beauty! Learn something new everyday.

[@zhyvchikbos]

Everything was clearly shown. Thanks for the advice!

[@paulmaryon9088]

Ah another great video dude, thank you, I have a great set of ancient corner clamps(too difficult to describe) that work really well especially on picture frames, thanks again from the UK, keep 'em coming

[@GarrySanchez]

Nice can't wait to try some of these tips.

[@MrJNiece]

Thank you! I appreciate you do condescend to the viewer - great tips!

[@ENCurtis]

Thank you! I'm glad you find some value in my videos

[@kurtbrad7470]

Thanks mate. Appreciate ya work.

[@1deerndingo]

Nice trick with the brown paper. And nice edge on the waterfall too.

[@philosophusbellator]

This is exactly what I needed. Many thanks!

[@kevinboyle129]

The brown paper technic also works well when you don’t have a chuck big enough to hold a piece of flat wood and you don’t want to use the worm screw. Thanks Eric for your words of wisdom.

[@ENCurtis]

Oh interesting! I’ve never considered it on the lathe. I may have to try that sometime…

[@kevinboyle129]

I used this method to turn a piece of stair tread into a large coaster for my wife’s large base coffee mug.

[@NolanBuilt]

Great video Erik! 👌🏾clear, concise, and Detailed!

[@gerarddelmonte8776]

Another issue is the best way to clean up the inside squeeze out.

[@tommoeller7149]

Brown paper between the glue blocks. Effin' brilliant. Thank you so much.

[@CunninghamWoodWork]

Great tips Erik!

[@ENCurtis]

Thanks brother!

[@_Rikk_]

never thought of the brown paper.. like that one

[@ENCurtis]

That ones on the house 😎

[@brucemiller1696]

@@ENCurtis nice. But i have mostly always used masking tape, NOT blue tape. Its not sticky enough. I use 1" or 1 1/2" or 2" wide x 4" or 6" or 8" or whatever length of tape across the joint, as many as needed. Then i use whatever wide masking tape on the joint and maybe several. All this up to cabinet size. I then clamp a board to the parts to keep them stable as i flip them over. Larger projects would get biscuits and clamps. I also tape inside joint edges for easier glue cleanup. Rarely use band clamps or ratchet straps.

[@shanelaird9032]

Best woodworking channel on KZbin! 🎉

[@ENCurtis]

Thank you!

[@jsuewrs135]

Awesome! Ive been persisting with the blue tape and CA glue to hold my blocks on large mitres. Which fails 80% of the time. Tried the thin cardboard/paper and success! Thanks for the tip mate!

[@AlvaroLucard]

Thank you, Curtis for the lesson. I also liked RULE 7. 😎

[@malcolmsmith5903]

Nice job with the glue blocks and brown paper.🥰 I have approx 8" sticks that I cut 90° notches near the end. effectively creating extended 'glue blocks'. The length means I can either clamp it to the piece or doublesided tape (full length) is more than enough.

[@mikeabrahams3686]

love this guy

[@wetdog440]

Brown paper tip is awesome. I've used both blue tape and packing tape for miters over the years with great success. But just recently, when using packing tape on a large box, had the packing tape pull small chunks of veneer off some expensive plywood when I removed it. I'm not sure if the tape was too sticky, or the veneer was not secure.

[@knowmater]

Great video. The brown paper reminds me of the way we laminate bowl blanks to the face plate with news paper mache.

[@lrbrad4d]

Ok. Brown paper. I was hoping you were gonna slip HOW in there, but nope. Love the video. I've been watching you for awhile on Insty, but now I know.👍🍻

[@rollingstone3017]

I'd love to see more about your experiment with texture on that lil' tool cabinet behind you.

[@pauleubank2474]

You can buy the same stretchy cord that holds tent poles together to use for small boxes etc with the tape technique. I wrap the box with cord and cut it,knot it and make a double loop and put it around d the box.

[@trooper1228]

Brown tape, awesome idea!

[@xl461]

Love the craft paper trick! Do you use regular wood glue for the paper and the clamping blocks?

[@donesry2902]

No! Use CA glue with some accelerator spray. CA glue is not as strong as wood glue.

[@rm4305]

Genious bro , subcribed

[@cgrovespsyd]

Thank you! Tweaked my technique so I didn’t over glue it and learned some new stuff! And as you said: “There’s more than one way to skin a cat”. And my multifarious collection of vivisected felines lends mute credence to the veracity of that aphorism. And I’ve been waiting 40+ years to be able to use that line, so thank you for that opportunity! 😬😎

[@soualidjerbi]

brown paper tip rocks! thx

[@pcwriter]

That clamp blocks idea is gonna come in handy, thanks! I'm building a 10' wide floating console (in 2x 5' sections) for the living room, with mitred corners so the grain pattern runs around each. Getting those mitred edges clean & perfectly matched is a bit of a challenge though as I live in a 4th floor apartment, so I don't have a table saw and use just a circular saw at 45deg and a straight edge.

[@davegurney4354]

I also don’t have a table saw. I’ve been using a trim router with an angle base to dial in those kinds of mitered edges.

[@richardsalas248]

Your work is very beautiful. Could you make videos translated into Spanish? greetings from Chile

[@dpmeyer4867]

thanks

[@walterrider9600]

thamk you

[@JohnLaudun]

Okay, the coffee cup and opening line gets me every time.

[@michaelallenyarbrough9503]

Great! A no cost band clamp is a rope tied in a loop, then stick a pencil etc in the loop and twist it to tighten. Fix the pencil from spinning back with tape/string. Use 45° blocks to prevent the rope from digging into the corners. This can put a ton of clamping pressure on a box / picture frame! I don’t own a band clamp, but I imagine the clamping pressure this provides is similar.

[@GJ3Chameleon]

This was great. What holds the brown paper, though? CA glue? And that won't impact the finish?

[@tinycuisine6544]

How did you do the patterned colored plywood?? Looks great

[@robjeffrey7544]

Thank you! content aside, appreciate low key background music vs the frenetic club tech others use.

[@douggarson50]

Good video, especially the brown paper trick but I think you left out checking for square by measuring opposite diagonals and adjusting with a diagonal clamp when necessary.

[@myerscok]

Wow Erik. Great video. Learnt a lot. I love your style of presentation. One question: do you soak the brown paper in glue or just apply the wood glue to both side of the paper or wood? Ken from Southport UK

[@mattgoodstadt2372]

Thanks. I wanted to know that too.

[@brodrick3164]

When you put the 2nd band clamp on flip the project so the clamp rest on the workbench prior to applying pressure.

[@robbieklein6162]

What kind of glue system was used for the "glue blocks"?? Hot glue?

[@SomewhatAbnormal]

Tip, you can CA glue a corner block to blue tape instead of brown paper and get decent clamping pressure. This works well if your glue joint is not large, and you don’t have a convenient way to clamp like on a waterfall situation.

[@steverdooley]

All good stuff. Anyone tried hot melt glue for the clamping blocks? My concern is that when used with veneered board there will be too much surface damage. I find the main challenge is when strengthening the mitred corners with dominoes. It takes a lot of pressure to get the joint to close. I have taken to lightly sanding the dominoes so they are an easier fit.

[@route13customs]

So this is my first time seeing brown paper as a quick release. Do you apply glue to the bottom of the corner blocks as well as the bottom of the brown paper to your work surface? Also, (maybe I missed it in the video) what kind of glue is best for this practice. I do a lot of smaller waterfall tables and I really want to adopt this technique correctly the first time around.

[@elisagonzales4262]

Great video! Very helpful! I’m brand new to woodworking and I’ve got a small piece with mitered corners that I need to glue up. I was struggling with how to get a clamp on them but now I think I’m going to go the blue tape method. The project is a towel bar for the bathroom. Do you think glue is enough or should I reinforce with splines?

[@ENCurtis]

Glad it was helpful! If it's only holding a hand towel or something small, a well glued and clamped miter should be fine. If you're nervous, you can either size the joint (seal it with a primary layer of glue) or use TB quick and thick. A spline will certainly also get the job done. Good luck!

[@davidmeyer9204]

Sorry I am late to the party. Catching up on all your videos. I found this useful and a good refresher, My memory is not what it used to be. Thanks Erik!

[@PushkarajBhagwat]

What kind of glue did you use for the brown paper? Did it cause any issues on the waterfall table when you tried to stain the table? Or were you able to completely scrape off the top layer where the glue had seeped in?

[@PeeterJoot]

For the L glue-up, I wondered how you attached the clamping blocks, since I could see something in between? ... but I just wasn't patient enough.

[@michaelholmstrom7677]

I have bought multiple of the quick corner clamps you see ads for on social media, so far none have really worked. Anyone use spring clamps for smaller boxes that was next on my list to try?

[@johnhassan2074]

I have a request please: could you do a video on how to glue up mitred compound angles often seen on serving trays often the sides and ends are at an angle between 10-15 degrees Thanks

[@rxplusplates646]

Do you use CA glue with the brown paper or just wood glue? Great tips!

[@twandieltjes1359]

I did a glue up of a picture frame with miters last week. I should had seen this video with the brownpaper trick before. In my country, I don’t know brown paper. Is it something special? Which type of glue did you used for gluing the blocks? Thanks for sharing !

[@user-cd6qz4rd1t]

👍👍👍👍

[@Familytreewoodworks]

I’m assuming the paper is also glued down? Or does enough glue bleed through the paper when clamping the blocks down?

[@AnthonyDelleCave]

What are those band clamps you’re using?

[@jamiebrind1642]

Hey, I’m trying to find the right glue to glue with. What glue do you recommend for it to be strong and never really ware out. I’m from the UK if that makes a difference. Thanks, Jamie

[@sigung01]

lf you use hide glue on your corner blocks you can release the glue with warm vinegar water.

[@NormanCollinsTeaching]

On the glue blocks, did you put glue between the brown paper and the finish wood or did you just put it on the block for the clamp and let it soak through?

[@kevinwright3564]

Instead of using brown paper on your glue blocks, could you use hot melt glue? Would it have enough adhesion strength for the clamps?

[@gudwinag]

Eric thanks for the gluing ideas especially the brown paper technique. Quick question, I have the same older hand plane. Did you get a new chip breaker and iron or are you using the original ones. Thanks…Andy

[@ENCurtis]

Nope, I’m using both the original iron and chip breaker 🤙

[@pbalcena4272]

6:30 Interesting technique on the cabinet. How did you do it?

[@Milestogo961]

Enjoy your saying "Many ways to skin a cat" which is a southern saying referring to cleaning catfish which have skin not scales. Enjoy your channel.

[@Ferbeldeyberb]

I remember this one time, at band clamp.

[@derekhawkinson4091]

I have trays that I'm about to make that uses 22.5 miters. 8 of them that I'm having issues getting a good way to clamp around bottom of tray. Any ideas,

[@brianhawes3115]

I glue my blocks to a thin piece of plywood and clamp the ply to the board and then clamp the mitre. After it sets I just unclamp the thin ply and the clean up is only the small edge.

[@user-bf9nv7ld7q]

so, how many cats have you skinned? Great video, any chance you can do a video on how you created that texture?

[@geedee8462]

at what angle did you cut the miter? perfect 45 or +/- ?

[@saliyalokeshwara7055]

This video would have helped me out so much if it came out like 2 weeks ago😂😂

[@bartoszbielinski1514]

probably a stupid question but how does the brown paper glue-up work? as in, how do you glue the paper to the piece and then how do you glue it to the wooden bit? what kind of glue, does the order matter etc?

[@CustomWoodWorkDecor]

What do you do about staining over the glue squeeze out? I try wiping it off but it still stains horribly.

[@trustmawarire3468]

Hie what can I use for a piece that is 2000×100 in hardwood can I still use blue tape or metal clamps?

[@MrBlakePratt]

What brand of band clamps are those?

[@workingwithwood1528]

What kind of wood is the first premade box

[@TheJimsock]

Paper...Duh! Why didn't I think of that? BTW...High marks for thd Blues Music.

[@jackskalski3699]

I am curious about that texture cabinet technique. Seems funky and cool:)

[@ahmedalsanea6079]

we need a video on how you made the blue pattern paint on the cabinet

[@ENCurtis]

Perhaps at some point I'll do just that!

[@agentchodybanks9120]

I prefer to clamp the angled blocks instead of glue them. Much faster and no clean up required

[@louish.9414]

What if used loctite instead of glue on white painted miter joints.

[@martinkalitis5500]

@ENCurtis Instead of PVA as the glue you use with the brown paper, try hide glue; the liquid stuff is fine if you don't want to brew a batch. Glue the blocks as per normal with the brown paper, clamp the job and once dry break away the clamping blocks. Now for the secret sauce....just add water, preferably hot water and peal/wipe the rest off. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Ta, ./M

[@jonathanbolding4164]

What brand of clamp are you using...Bessey? Oh, and at 62, I'm enjoying the lessons:)

[@SomewhatAbnormal]

Since you mentioned “skinning cats” twice, I need to look up the origin of the phrase. At what point were we skinning cats, in multiple ways mind you, to the degree that it landed in our lexicon?

[@tintansigloXXI]

In the first minute it grabbed me like a late night infomercial,

[@gabrielbermudezchacon3606]

I never achieved to make a single good mitter cut, I tried my best to cut it straight but at the end when joining the pieces, the cuts were unaligned and distorted

[@ENCurtis]

Miters are tricky! Making sure you set your cross cut sled perpendicular to the blade is key

[@paulhawkins3763]

What kind of glue did you use for the blocks? Did you glue the paper to the work piece and then glue the block to the paper? Why on earth would you leave that part out of the video?

[@michaelbradford4444]

What bothers me about having tape on corners is that I'm unable to see the miter leaving me to wonder if the pieces have shifted when I stand the box on edge .

[@williamlutsch4259]

One summer.. at band clamp

[@marcusburnett22]

No cats were harmed in the making of this video