One of the things I'm really keen to produce is small boxes. Jewellery boxes, small trinket boxes and the like.
I've had a go with hand cutting dovetails and am pleased with the results, but I am struggling to cut accurate mitres as an alternative corner joint.
I have borrowed a cheap (very cheap) compound mitre saw, but it really doesnt cut the mustard. Too much play in all of the components and a very inaccurate guage. Realised tonight that my square isn't that square after all!! Spent many hours trying to setup this saw, but just cant get it right. Think it came from screwfix actually.
I'm keen to carry out most of my work with hand tools if I can so can anyone suggets what I might try? Are mitre boxes actually any good?
The pieces I am aiming to prepare are small (for small boxes obviously).
I have already made a shooting board for planing boards square, so thought that maybe a mitre box and mitre shooting board might give the accurate results I am after??
In which case I will need to purchase a good angle guage of some sort to set it up. Any recommendations? Maybe a good combination square such as this? (as long as it is actually square!)
Mitre boxes are, in the main rubbish and only for the amateur.
Try using a hand mitre saw, such as The Nobex, there are cheap alternatives on sale as well.
Look in my gallery at my mitre shooting board, especially designed for the shooting of box mitres to and accurate finish, this will give you all you want.
I have recently made and posted one to someone who requested, and was having the same trouble as you.
If you need any help with this shooting board, then message me and I will describe it further for you.
Thats what I need! Do you put a piece of scrap wood behind the piece to prevent breakout or does the side rail do that for you?
I guess the only issue now is cutting the end pieces accurately enough to give me the 45º required. I'll have a go this evening.
I have found a friend with a cheap version of the nobex you mentioned which I'll use for that. I'm going to pick up a combination square to give me more accuracy too.
Paul when I started out all the mitres were cut by hand, shooting boards were used in the joinery shop but on site we had to make do with a decent combination square ( the one in your link looks to be equal to my Rabone Chesterman one I have used since my apprenticeship) tenon or panel saw and a sharp block plane. Thankfully I got most of my practice on architraving and skirting board work on a housing estate where filler and paint reigned supreme!
The practice has stood me in good stead though! The point of a shooting board is to finish the joint by cleaning the sawn edge back to the line to make a precise jointline. Therefore accurately sawn joints, as long as they do not cross the line, are not so important when useing a shooting board. They just reduce the work required in finishing the joint!
Got to go and top up my alcohol stream now as the pesky red blood cells seem to be taken over yet again and it's nearly bed time!!!
Shooting board and first results. I'm so chuffed with this so far. As you can see I'm planning to make some small boxes, so accuracy seems to be key.
I'm going to pickup some elastic bands I think for holding the pieces whilst the glue dries.
No top or bottom yet, just a test piece on some 6mm hardwood boards I got some time ago. Glued up they fit snug.
Thanks very much for sharing your jig. Its worked a treat. Coupled with my standard shooting board (i'll upload some photos of that one) they produce a pretty accurate start
Spot-on, I knew it would do the trick, Screwfix do some very cheap four corner band cramps that work very well, (as do others, though much dearer), I've got two sets and I use them all the time when I'm assembling mitred objects.
Looks like Derek Jig really works I'll give the one Derek gave me a go when my plain grows up a bit. It's too small for the jig. I'll have to make a smaller one and give it a go.
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