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That time I tried to rush a mitered corner on a walnut cabinet...
I was in my shop last Thursday, fitting the face frame on a built-in. I cut a 45 degree miter, but the grain was tricky and I forced the joint closed with a clamp. It held for about an hour before I heard a quiet crack... the corner had split right along the grain line. I had to stop, cut a whole new stile, and redo the joint, which set me back almost half a day. Now I always double-check the grain direction and dry-fit without pressure first. Has anyone found a good trick for dealing with tricky grain on tight miters?
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the_logan1mo ago
Ugh, that crack sound is the worst! I've been there. One thing that's saved me is making a tiny scoring cut with a knife along the grain line right where the miter point will be, before I even make the 45. It gives the wood a weak spot to break cleanly at, instead of letting the split run wild into the good part. It's like controlling a tear in paper. I'll do it on the back face where it won't show. Takes two seconds and has saved so many pieces of nice stock for me.
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jennifer96521d ago
Solidarity from someone who's definitely been there. Do you do this trick on all your miters now, or just the risky ones with tricky grain?
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jennysullivan21d ago
Wait, you do this on the BACK face where it won't show? My brain just short-circuited reading that. I've always tried to hide the cut on the inside of the miter, but it never works right because the saw blade just rips through it anyway. @jennifer965, you might want to try this trick too, because I'm definitely going to start doing this on the back of every risky board from now on.
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