# measuring for mitered pieces



## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

i have a box that i am trying to put some accent moulding around the botton and i am having trouble cutting my pieces to the proper length with the 45s on each end.i am new to this angle stuff so its a bear for me to get it right. i can take pics if needed.


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## tito5 (Apr 5, 2011)

Funny you should ask this as I am about at the same place you are. I hae a project that calls for mitered corners, but I have never done them. Thinking about going the easy route and not doing the miters as, it would look nice but is not needed, and would make the piece a lot easier to build....
so if anyone has an miter tips post them up there is interest!!!!!!
ps All I have is a cheap cheap tS, great circle saw, and a jig saw.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

MidGAOutdoor said:


> i have a box that i am trying to put some accent moulding around the botton and i am having trouble cutting my pieces to the proper length with the 45s on each end.i am new to this angle stuff so its a bear for me to get it right. i can take pics if needed.


I don't know of a "formula" per se. What I do is cut a sample left and right 45 deg. It's just a short length maybe 3" or 4". Then I cut the moulding with a left 45, and fit the end to my sample so the fit is perfect. Then I hold the moulding tight, and mark the other end along the edge where the 45 will start. I then mark a 45 degree line on the moulding. When I set up the moulding in the miter saw, I will cut just ahead of the line by a smidgen. 

Then I take the moulding back and fit it to the left sample, and get a good fit. If it fits the right sample, that piece is done. If it's too long I'll trim a feather off, and fit it again.












 







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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

What C-man said.
For me...lots of T&E. 
One trick I found is to cut one 45 on one side and the mating piece on the other so that the result is always 90 deg. That's with a miter saw. On the table saw, I use a sled with a permanent 90 guide fence, set so it presents a 45 to the blade and then I cut on both sides of the blade.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

Miters made easy.

1 Measure the inside of the frame that the mitered edge is going to enclose.
2 Measure the width of the frame material.
3 Cut one end of the frame at 45°.
4 Measure and mark on the long side of the frame, the calculation of the length of the inside edge plus twice the width of the frame material. Cut at the mark.

BTW - Always use the same edge of the miter material against the fence when cutting. It is also to cut using both sides of the blade so that the angle always remains constant. If your miter saw is off slightly, it may be necessary to sand or burnish the meeting corner of the frame.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

You are getting VG advice above.......some may call this cheating but its more about,uhh well maybe it is cheating?

Find out on a chop box which angle or direction you seem to favor.IOW's is it easier for you to cut rights or lefts?For me its a R.Holding pce with my left hand its just a touch easier cuttin R's.

This is the direction(where you can)that you should finish with.IOWs,will do a L cut first.....jam it against test block.....mark and finish on R end.BW


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## TS3660 (Mar 4, 2008)

Yep. Cut one end and sneak up on the other. Takes time but.....


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

I made this jig for making small picture frames. It makes cutting multible pieces to length a breeze.


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