# church pew 45 degree cut



## farmall (Jan 8, 2012)

A friend has contacted me and wants me to help him convert a church pew into a corner bench for his breakfast nook. What would a guy need to do the cut a 45 degree miter on a pew to make a 90 degree corner? any ideas??


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I've restored some church pews*

Mine have a separate seat and back so a circular saw can be used to make the 45 degree cuts with a straight edge guide. You can either cut them assembled as a pew or take the back and seat apart and make separate cuts. Since I was refinishing them, I took mine all apart.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I would take the pew apart. Trying to get a good clean fitting with it assembled would be very difficult. It likely could be done that way with a shop made angle jig, and a reciprocating saw, jig saw, or a hand saw. Manipulating a handheld circular saw would be difficult. Then it could be better defined after the cut (which could be left a bit long) by using a hand plane, or if you are experienced with a handheld belt sander.


















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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

Just a quick note: If the back is not at a 90° angle to the seat, and the pew is disassembled, the 45° cut on the back will be a compound angle cut.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*good point and...*



Alchymist said:


> Just a quick note: If the back is not at a 90° angle to the seat, and the pew is disassembled, the 45° cut on the back will be a compound angle cut.


To join the 2 pieces at a 45 degree angle will require a 45 degree bevel on both pieces to form a 90 degree corner. That means there will need to be 2 opposing cuts, 45 degrees to the left and 45 degrees to the right and then since the back is NOT 90 degrees it will get CONFUSING! 
Probably a better and far easier solution is to cut them at 90 degrees and make a corner filler section with a rabbett or dado to accept both sections. That's what I would do. :yes:


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Alchymist said:


> Just a quick note: If the back is not at a 90° angle to the seat, and the pew is disassembled, the 45° cut on the back will be a compound angle cut.


It can be looked at as a larger picture. Lets suppose that you have a left and right pew, but they are each assembled. If you had a humongus miter saw, as the way the pew sits on the floor, if you put it into that big azz saw, and set the miter to 45°, made a pass down, and then did the other side, they would fit just like doing crown moulding that way. 

Actually, if you could strike the 45° line down the back and across the seat it could be just a straight cut.


















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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

*Another Thought*

This will test your skills. Instead of trying to make two beveled edges meet, straight cut just one, and cope fit the other one, just like an inside corner of a moulding.


















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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I would cut the pew in half or to whatever dimension fits, miter the seats and make a straight one piece filler that fills in the missing corner of the backs, basically a triangle or trapezoid with the edges and bottom mitred to fit.

This would depend on how the pew is made to begin with, so it is all just speculation.


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## farmall (Jan 8, 2012)

Oh I could do it...:no: I just need a bigger coping saw!



cabinetman said:


> This will test your skills. Instead of trying to make two beveled edges meet, straight cut just one, and cope fit the other one, just like an inside corner of a moulding.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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