# miter clamping with ease



## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

I was thinking about making some picture frames but didn't want to buy any more specialty clamps and along came this video tip from Woodsmith in my emails. : )

I hope you might find it helpful as well !
http://www.woodsmithtips.com/2011/09/22/foolproof-miter-clamp/?utm_source=WoodsmithTips&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5156


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## cloakie1 (May 29, 2011)

great idea….thank you very much for posting


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

Thanks Len… that is a great tip… and so simple…


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

I'm saving this because it seems like a great idea. However….. I have learned through experience that my miters are never 100% dead-on 90 degrees. As long as they are pretty close, a band clamp that pulls all four corners together at the same time will equalize the inaccuracies and give you a pretty good result.

Using the one-corner-at-a-time method in the video will work fine if your miters are perfect. If not, though, you're going to glue three corners up and find out the fourth corner is wayyyy out. (Don't ask me how I know this.) 

Having said that, I probably need to work on more accurate miters, and then this method shown in the video will be a big help.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Charlie , I am well aware of "the perfect 3" !!! 
I've always heard that anyone can make a perfect 3 sided frame…..LOL


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## LeeJ (Jul 4, 2007)

Great tip, Len.

Lee


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

beat cha ;-)) http://lumberjocks.com/topics/30286 ;-))


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Charlie - how DO you know this?!?


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## DarrylJN (May 20, 2011)

That is a great idea and I plan on using that one ASAP!


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

This reminds me though - in the woodworking show that took place in Springfield, MA last year one of the presenters was marketing finishing and related products. he demonstrated a technique to glue miters easily and quickly using nothing more than brown paper (he joked about how we could just use the paper bags from the grocery store, of he can sell us one for $50).

the technique was based on the fact that paper is thin and glueing it to underside of the parts being mitered-jointed together dries very quickly "locking" the paper to both parts in a matter of ~30sec at which point you can just leave it as is for the joint itself to dry as it is already locked in position and without the use of clamps all together - that was a pretty cool technique… never glued up miters since though


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

PurpLev, How does the glued paper dry in 30 seconds?


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I needed more than the one band clamp I own to glue up a big shadow box (48"x23"x6") yesterday and I am too cheap to buy another $30 band clamp. I improvised with a 1" 'cargo strap' ratchet. This worked very well! And they are cheap! You guys probably already knew this tip but it was new for me. I never use the corner block plastic thingys that came with my band clamp. Charlie - I used to be a 3 good miter guy. Then I solved this problem with my 'Super Sled'. Probably the most useful thing I ever built.


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## jack1 (May 17, 2007)

THat looks good. Thanks.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

*Topamax*: since the paper is only a few 0.001" thick the glue penetration process happens fast, and the drying time is quick as well, it does not have to be fully dry in order for the paper to grab a good solid hold of the wood to act as a clamp. the guy was demonstrating it live and it was quite impressive to see and test it within a minute or 2


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

That gadget will give perfect miters every time since that method automatically compensates for small errors in the angles. IOW, if one is at 46* the other one will be 44* and the miter will be a perfect 90*. No big deal unless the frame has a lot of detail which will be a bit off if the miters aren't perfect.

Like Charlie says, the other problem will be that the first three miters will be fine, but unless the fourth cut is made on pieces EXACTLY as long as the others, the miters won't close up right.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

*TMax*, I saw the same display at the show as Sharon did….it was impressive ,but I haven't tried it yet myself.
Actually . I think the Partimers set in and I forgot all about it until reading Sharon's comment here.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Guess I will have to give it a try next time I glue up something that is appropriate.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Barry , if I'm not mistaken , I think it was Bill Bush (Bush Oil creator) that did the glue-ups at the Lakeshore Hardwoods booth. No videos found on YouTube though : (


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

Andy, you obviously forgot the #1 rule of clamping "Always buy clamps in pairs". LOL!


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