Miter Cuts for Small Moldings

Miter Cuts

When you want to make a precise cut at forty-five degrees, it helps to have a miter box. I needed one for my recent project. I did not want to spend much, nor do I have house room for a dedicated power tool. One like the twelve inch sliding compound miter saw I used to use would take up too much space.

So after a bit of a rummage in my parts bin, I came up with  what you see in the photo. It is a leg section from a maple bed I mounted on a flat board. First I mounted it along the edge, and tried a few cuts. Then I changed my mind. The guide is now in the middle of the supporting board.

I designed it so it was a convenient length for my workbench to grab. The top has two grooves cut in it. They help place the clamp for the pieces to be cut. You can see the small traditional hand-screw design clamp in the background of the top photo.

A clamp makes for more precision. The molding or frame to be cut cannot move when being cut. You may also notice the complete lack of any groove for the saw blade. That is because my design calls for the work to be held by a clamp, and my free hand is then able to press the saw lightly against the wall of the angle guide. This in turn avoids the slop and angle error when the saw rattles around in the typical narrow guide slot.

I cut the angle by hand with a Japanese razor saw. The second photo shows the measuring process. I trued it up with a low angle Stanley plane, using a machinist’s 45 degree rule to gauge the angle. When there was no daylight between the steel rule and the wooden guide, the angle was close enough for small work. I used an antique square to make sure the cut was at right angles to the board as well.  Possibly close enough for government work.

With the guide in the middle of the board, you can place the item to be cut on the front or the rear of the guide, depending on which end is to be cut off.

Possibly not precise enough for large pieces, but for the small trim moldings I cut, it is cheap and effective.