A tight-fitting miter is an attractive joint; however, on its
own, it has little strength. To improve its durability,
try adding a spline to the miter. Splined miters are strong
and handsome joints suitable for cabinet doors, picture
frames and boxes. In this article, I will focus on making
splined miters for cabinet doors.
To begin, joint and thickness the stock. Miters are
somewhat unforgiving of wood that isn't straight and
flat, so check your stock carefully. Cut the profile
for the inside of the frame, which includes routing
the groove or rabbet and the inside-edge profile. If
you are installing a panel in the groove, check the
fit, taking seasonal wood movement into account. You'll
want to take the time to sand the inside profile now,
since sanding is difficult once the panel is in place.
When I forgot to do this, I discovered that sanding the inside profile
against the panel is a chore. (The outside profile can
be sanded later, after assembly and splining.)
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