Question
Recently, I began to incorporate 3-7/16" wide mitered corners with applied reeded and roped half columns and capitals into my bath vanities. They look great and customers usually opt for this style. However, the usual methods (two 45's on the mitered board, or four 22.5's on both board and stiles) are difficult to keep aligned with traditional corner miter clamps.
Screws counter-sunk through the adjacent stiles usually don't have enough purchase (3/4" stock) in the 45 degree miters unless the edges are left proud and planned fair after. And while the 22.5 degree miters are relatively better in this regard, there are extra cuts involved along with the usual clamping difficulties.
Has anyone had any suggestions that would save time (and aggravation) constructing this type corner? I haven't tried the locked miter 90's or 22.5's bits or splines yet, mostly because while helping to keep the joints aligned, the clamping issues remain problematic.
Forum Responses
(Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum)
From contributor R:
Scotch or 3M #355 V-fold tape works wonders. You can apply it to a finished product, it is very strong and won't stretch. To remove after the job is done, use naphtha; it won't affect your finish. Naphtha dissolves the adhesive.
Put wood pieces face up and butted together, put a couple of small pieces across the joint to hold together, last put a strip down the entire joint. Flip over, put glue in the open joint, and fold. The use of corner blocks will keep the angles true while drying.
Ironically, the last two cabinets currently under construction, I had run out of turners tape, and substituted duct tape. (It is truly amazing how much I rely on turners tape and how much of it I use!) These have proved the most problematic... Mostly the tape I guess, but also the boards were slightly bowed.
In the past I had constructed a back-bracing of sorts, so that I could pull the joints in tight with screws. However while working well, the time and materials spent on constructing the bracing led me to find a more efficient way.
I'll give your method a try on the next units. It seems that the quality of tape used is critical and I suspect this might work even with slightly bowed stock.
I shot some brads into the tops and bottoms of the mitered column where they would be hidden by trim molding, say, but I shy away from having to use wood filler in visible locations (small though the brad heads be). And brads generally work better if the joins are pulled up already.
The mitered corners tend to be popular right now, especially in kitchen islands, corner cabinets and such. It's hard for me to believe that someone has not developed a good 22.5 miter clamping system. Someone suggested a web clamp and gluing several joints at once. Though I question the technique on large carcass construction (I'm usually busier than a one-arm octopus gluing just a few joints at once).
I think that if I do come up with a workable jig or clamp, I'll market it and make a gazillion dollars. Then I could retire! (Just kidding... wood dust is in my blood and I probably would not survive long without it.)
