It's like cheating

Why is it that the miters sometimes looks awful even though you've done everything to the book? This might be the answer your looking for.

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SOCIAL:

[fredio]

Dear Swede, this was a masterclass in how to stretch 5 seconds of advice into 8 minutes and 22 seconds without irritating your audience too much. :-)

[RobRobertson]

There are two ways the blade can be out of square on a table saw. Either the plane of the saw cut is not aligned with the mitre slot - OR - the saw blade does not run square against the arbour, that is it might have a wobble. It is important to check for both, especially if you have an older table saw or are using cheaper blades.

Checking both factors is similar but subtly different.

To check the first, mark a spot on the blade and check that spot both as far forward and as far back as possible.

To check the second, keep the dial indicator in the same spot fore or aft, and rotate the blade to see if there is a wobble. While the dial indicator is on the saw table we may as well check both factors.

The 44.9 trick is always good.

One other tip is that if you are cutting mitres in hardwood the piece often will shift under the pressure of the blade pushing against it (either that or the blade bows as it gets into the meat of the cut. I kind of suspect that really). I once got a very slight bulge on the mitre face in hard Maple. Only when I started clamping the pieces down firmly on my sled and used a freshly sharpened blade with a slow cut did that go away. It seems that neither hand pressure or a stop are firm enough. (I guess I am OCD when it comes to getting those mitres right :) )

Thanks for the great videos. Keep it up.

[Meevious]

How to actually, with any saw:
- Cut a piece of scrap in two.
- Flip the offcut and cut it again, removing the edge that you cut first. Now both pieces of scrap have the same angle.
- Put the two pieces together against a straight edge to make a straight line.
- Did it fit? Profit.

- Did itn't fit? Adjust the saw and start again.

You can use whatever you want (a square, an electronic meter, a cardboard box, your intuition etc.) to get it close to begin with, but the method for actually getting it right is always the same.

[alpaul]

There may be another dimension to adjust on your table saw. Once the blade is aligned with the miter slot, angle the blade to 45 degrees. Then cut a 45 on a a wider board, and push completely through. If there is a secondary cut off the back side of the blade, then the table needs to be tilted back to front. Check both miter slots. Insert shims on the bolts holding the table down, typically on the front side. When there is minimal saw dust raising from the back of the blade, it's in tune.

Hope that makes sense. Happy woodworking.

[kimokahikolekalihi]

YouTube put this in my feed and I'm grateful. I just got a table saw and never thought about about any of this. Getting miters and cuts perfect has never been my strong point but I aim to fix that. Thanks

[mwoody]

I’m really enjoying your channel. I don’t think I’ll ever make such a charging station, but that’s ok. I like seeing the tools used, how they’re used, and different techniques. I also like hearing different folks describe things. Different people different explanations added together usually enhances understanding. Like the first comment about the wrong angle. I right away understood the error of the comment. Frame of reference is always important. The discussion helped bring that out. Thank you for another great episode. I know we are in a very global culture these days where we are becoming more unified, but if there are any unique Swedish woodworking styles, tools, or processes, I’d love to learn about them.

[wesjones]

So thankful that you specifically mentioned this can be done not just on the one tool you displayed in the video but others. So many times I watch a how to video and they show only one tool and never explain or show if the skill they are demonstrating can be done with other tools. Thank you!! 😊

[IanKjos]

The other secret is: When the blade is tilted, it pulls the workpiece sideways, tending to throw off the bevel. This is even a bigger problem with miters. My miter gauge has holes allowing me to screw in a larger back-stop. If that back-stop has a strip of high-grit sand-paper glued to it, then the added friction from the sandpaper solves the problem.

[carll]

Dear Swede, thanks so much for this video. As somewhat of a newbie I appreciate the dialogue and process you went through to get the results you ended up with. Your detail are beneficial to someone like me! Thank again!

[amBreakthrough]

Thanks, great advice. There is something we call in Switzerland and maybe generally "fixing something to death" This is a translation in Swiss German it sounds much better. I made a box with miters.. There were ugly as .. I was so angry I cut off the corners with another 45 and glued new wood to the corners. Which then of course looked like an accident. 12 hours later "fixing something to death" the box ended up in the stove.. I am very happy for your videos - shortening my learning cycle by copying good practice ;-)

[hugsncuddles]

Lots of respect to you for committing to a response for each comment. I've not seen anyone else do this in my YouTube experience.

Excellent video as well. I like how clearly laid out the video is and compliments the voice over. It is clear you put much time and effort into your video.

I've just subscribed! 👍

[hmzbqng]

Enjoyed the video and attention to detail, including tips on checking for square. The 8:22 flew by in what felt like 5 seconds. The photography and editing were top notch. And I find your voice/accent soothing for some reason. Subscribed.

[graffixak]

A very well explained video for all to enjoy. Something I would add to the discussion around cutting a 45 degree angle is an error in measuring that creates the need to go "just past" 45 degrees. The digital device used for measuring angles is displaying the angle created between the table saw surface and blade-body instead of between the table saw surface and blade-teeth. As shown in the video, the blade would need to rotate an additional small amount to account for how the teeth extend past the blade-body.
At the same time, a small right-angle was shown on the underside of the blade, leaving a gap at the bottom. Instead of focusing on the gap, a speed square with a 45 degree side can be used to have the blade-teeth just kiss the 45 degree side as they pass by, insuring the underside (or left side, as shown in the video) is now set to 45 degrees at the plane of rotation for the teeth. Both sides should, in theory, then be set to 45 degrees at that point; but, as we often see, where theory meets reality there is frequently a gap, and hence the need for videos like this to help close that gap physically and geometrically.
Thank you!

[vincentmarotta]

I imagine wood filling and/or wood glue on the inner ends will help with providing strength to it. Staples also help give extra support.
I make stretch boards for paintings, and also the frame. With the frame I need to be more accurate, however this is an eloquent solution for stretch boards. Thank you.

[elwoodcidre]

Again a very cool video.
So it is all about setting up the saw correctly. I have learned to take a closer look at my own setup and to give this extra 0.1° to get a closed miter at the edge 😉 Thanks for that.

[PerfectNearly]

That was really wonderful to watch! I struggle with miters on non-box items so much that I simply don't bother trying to make boxes at all (my frames/boxes always come out looking shoddy). So thanks! I'll give your tips a go!

[Woodworking]

Excellent advice. Personally I prefer the 45 triangle over the digital reader as I’ve found them to be non-repeatable. So, if you’re really serious or you’re using 500 dollars in walnut on your miter, use a triangle and throw away the digital angle finder.

[miserablesod]

"The screwdriver trick" is known as burnishing and has been used for centuries... A perfectly appropriate operation in mitre joints.

[ethanekern]

Love the new camera quality, added lighting and ambience of your shop.

[iesusegoconfidoinvobis]

Fantastic, I will try all the suggestions. I've been plagued with bad mitered joints ever since I started woodworking many, many moons ago. I like your idea for the charging station too.