I'm having a tough time achieving perfect mitre joints while building picture frames. No matter what I've tried, I'm consistently off by a fraction of a degree. I've got this old Ryobi 10" table saw, but it can only tilt to 44.8 degrees. My first attempt at cutting a frame ended up with big gaps in the corners after gluing. I then bought a compound mitre saw, but it's pretty inaccurate—while it locks at 45 degrees, there's too much play, making it better suited for rough work than precise mitres. I've also purchased a high-end mitre gauge with precise locking teeth, but unfortunately, it doesn't fit on my table saw. I'm now contemplating whether I need to invest in a whole new cabinet table saw. Does anyone have any tips or tricks to help me cut the perfect mitre given this situation?
6 Answers
You might want to try using a shooting board and a plane for those dead-on mitres. It can take a little practice, but it’s worth it for the precision. Rob Cosman has some great tutorial videos that can help you get started on mastering this technique!
Check inside your saw for screws that act as positive stops for angle adjustments. I don't know about your specific Ryobi model, but many saws have them. Adjusting those might help you get closer to a perfect 45 degrees. Also, investing in a good miter gauge is key! I recommend looking into ones with positive stops if you haven't already. They can drastically improve your cutting accuracy.
Go 'old tech'! First, cut as close to 45 degrees as you can with your power tools. Then, clamp the joints at 90 degrees without any glue, and use a handsaw to correct the joints from the inside corners. This might mean losing some of your frame's dimensions, but you can adjust for that in your cuts. Corner clamps with a split fence set at 45 degrees can also help out a lot if you can find one.
If you're only doing a few frames, consider getting a miter box. They're super cheap—about $20 at Harbor Freight—and can really help with getting clean, accurate cuts without all the fuss of power tools.
Another option is to make your miter cuts and then clean them up on a disc sander. It can help eliminate any small gaps and ensure a snug fit when you assemble the frames.
That’s an interesting method! I’d love to see those corner clamps in action. They sound like they could be a game changer for getting those tight joints.
Yeah, there’s definitely a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be amazed at the results!