Mitre joint
This article will cover what is a mitre joint, why use this joint, and one way of making a mitre joint.
What is a Mitre joint?
A mitre joint is a decorative joint found on the corner of boxes, picture frames and small cabinet doors that connects two pieces of timber together that have been cut at 45 degrees to make a crisp 90 degree corner.
By itself it is a rather weak joint as the end grain surfaces do not glue together very well. But as we can see on the box above the joint can be strengthened through the use of splines (the darker contrasting timber pieces that go through the corners) which can run across the joint in a decorative fashion, as seen above with the darker timber, or along the mitre for a more hidden joint.
There are various versions of a mitre joint that combine more complex joinery when the maker desires the aesthetics of a mitred edge with the strength of a dovetail, mortise and tenon or bridle joint.
What do I need to make it?
A mitre joint can be made on the mitre saw, table saw or router table, it really depends on the project and where the mitres are on your piece.
What steps do I take?
Watch the video to learn how a mitre joint is used for picture framing. This technique can be applied to a range of different design outcomes.
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