Mitered-frame cabinet doors

[John Hollaway]

I'm gearing up to build some mitered-frame cabinet doors rather than the standard cope & stick. I have numerous miter clamp set-ups for all the picture frame building I've done, but none that I really like using. For those of you building such doors, what do you find to be the optimal choice for clamping your miters? Thanks

John

[Chris Padilla]

Regardless of the material, I like to either put an #10 or FF biscuit in that mitered joint or my latest one is to use a 4 mm Domino.

I like using the strap clamps, myself. I have one from Bessey that works nicely for me.

[Gene Davis]

I use strap clamps for that. Here is a pic of what I made from some left over 3/4" baltic birch ply, for the corners. Work great.

[Phil Thien]

I use strap clamps for that. Here is a pic of what I made from some left over 3/4" baltic birch ply, for the corners. Work great.

I made something similar to Gene's pic above, and I use string with a trucker's knot to apply pressure.

BUT, if I were to do it again, I wouldn't drill the hole in the corner, as it just allows the wood to wiggle around.

[Chris Padilla]

...as it just allows the wood to wiggle around.

Hence why I like to reinforce the joint.

[Steve Jenkins]

I use Bessey clamps with the 4stands for clamping doors.

[Frank Drew]

I like to glue on offcuts (from the mitering) so that you get parallel faces for strong clamping across the miter; I use brown paper in the glue up to make the small blocks easier to remove afterwards. Completely agree on the need to reinforce these joints.

[George Bokros]

I use Bessey clamps with the 4stands for clamping doors.

I use the KP blocks also but do not believe they will work for doors with mitered corners as the miters are prone to slip when applying pressure with the clamps.

[Jon Nuckles]

I don't make them often, but have had good results using strapping tape applied to the edge of the pieces flat and then "folded" to ninety degrees. Just like is done for mitered boxes. You need good strong tape and a big flat surface to make it work for doors, but I've done 24" x 24" this way.

[Steve Jenkins]

I use the KP blocks also but do not believe they will work for doors with mitered corners as the miters are prone to slip when applying pressure with the clamps.

I've done dozens of mitered doors with the kp blocks. You just have to tighten the clamps evenly. I also put a biscuit in the joint to reinforce it a bit.

[George Bokros]

If you finesse the clamps and use biscuits I can see how it could work. I think the key is the biscuits.

[John Hollaway]

Thanks everyone for some great suggestions. I've always used biscuits for picture frame miters, even the little 3/4" molding. I've used the Woodhaven football-shaped "Itty-Bitty Biscuits" and the corresponding slot cutter in my router table. Works super well. For larger, heavier mitered frames I've used the larger, thicker variety Woodhaven football-shaped biscuits and cutter in my router table. I've also tried the Lamello No. 11 round biscuits and bit, also in the router table, with great success. And while they all work well with the Stanley style dedicated picture framing vise, one miter at a time, my reason for the original post was to determine the best method to clamp all four corners at the same time. Again, thanks for all your suggestions.

John

[Lee Schierer]

If you want the mitered look and greater strength, do a mitered half lap joint. They look like miters from the front, but are really half lap joints and much stonger than a plain mitered joint.mitered_half_lap_joint.gif

If you do go with plain mitered corners, apply some watered down glue first, let it dry and then apply the glue for your glue up. Mitered joints are essentially end grain joints and will suck the glue right out of the joint creating a glue starved weak joint.