I recently renovated our kitchen and it included the purchase of a
laminated hardwood slab that I needed to make into an L shape with one
side around 20" wide and the other section 14".
I kept thinking I would like to miter this and glue the joint together,
perhaps with biscuits, some type of fastener across the bottom to keep
the miter together.
My point is this, I am well aware of the effects of wood swelling and
shrinking. What I do not understand is why do we go into some kind of
denial thinking it won't happen to me, at least not this time.
Fortunately a friend of mine who is a trained cabinetmaker was over just
before I was going to cut the miter. He said keep the grain running in
the same direction and just do a butt joint. He then told me he did
something similar when he renovated his own kitchen a few years ago and
in denial decided to do a miter. Surprise surprise, it split open after
less than a year.
Are we the only ones who go into this temporary denial, continue to try
to beat mother nature only to find out the laws of physics remain
constant???
Glen Duff
On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 09:18:44 -0400, Glen Duff <[email protected]>
vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email
>Are we the only ones who go into this temporary denial, continue to try
>to beat mother nature only to find out the laws of physics remain
>constant???
Pilots, parachutists, motorcyclists, stuntmen, armed robbers, sword
swallowers, people who have frequent unprotected sex......
On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 09:18:44 -0400, Glen Duff <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I recently renovated our kitchen and it included the purchase of a
>laminated hardwood slab that I needed to make into an L shape with one
>side around 20" wide and the other section 14".
>
>I kept thinking I would like to miter this and glue the joint together,
>perhaps with biscuits, some type of fastener across the bottom to keep
>the miter together.
>
>My point is this, I am well aware of the effects of wood swelling and
>shrinking. What I do not understand is why do we go into some kind of
>denial thinking it won't happen to me, at least not this time.
>
>Fortunately a friend of mine who is a trained cabinetmaker was over just
>before I was going to cut the miter. He said keep the grain running in
>the same direction and just do a butt joint. He then told me he did
>something similar when he renovated his own kitchen a few years ago and
>in denial decided to do a miter. Surprise surprise, it split open after
>less than a year.
>
>Are we the only ones who go into this temporary denial, continue to try
>to beat mother nature only to find out the laws of physics remain
>constant???
I've seen a lot of maple counter tops mitered into 'L's without
problems. I *think* the secret is not gluing the miter but allowing it
to move a bit. Most of the ones I've seen have some sort of cross bolt
arrangement that holds the miter together but would still allow for a
bit of movement. I've never seen a professionally installed maple
kitchen counter that wasn't mitered, so I would be just a wee mite
suspicious of your friend's advice.
Tim Douglass
http://www.DouglassClan.com
"It's just eighth-grade Sewickley."
Chuck Knox
I'd miter with a spline to maintain the surfaces flush. Slide a dovetail
in each - no glue except on the final inch of the most visible part.
Pinning the spline at one end and pins in grooves would work, too, but not
as well. Of course, I'd also finish the bottom equal to the top.
"Glen Duff" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I recently renovated our kitchen and it included the purchase of a
> laminated hardwood slab that I needed to make into an L shape with one
> side around 20" wide and the other section 14".
>
> I kept thinking I would like to miter this and glue the joint together,
> perhaps with biscuits, some type of fastener across the bottom to keep
> the miter together.
>
>