The video “How to Make a Mitered Half Lap Frame on the Table Saw” is by Inspire Woodcraft. In this post, we’ll dive into the steps and techniques shared by Jodee for creating mitered half lap frames, a perfect blend of aesthetics and strength.
Understanding Mitered Half Lap Joints
Mitered half laps are similar to regular half laps but with a twist—the top face is mitered. This design gives the appearance of a simple miter joint from the face while retaining the strength and rigidity of a half lap joint. Perfect for framing projects!
Getting Started
To begin, the material needs to be milled to the appropriate length and width. All pieces should have the same width, but there will be two different lengths: two short and two long. In this case, the shorter pieces will be mitered.
Setting Up the Blade
The blade height must be set to half the thickness of the material. A simple height gauge can be made using a scrap off-cut. By adding a stop lock to the miter gauge and beveling one end of the off-cut at 45 degrees, it becomes straightforward to measure.
Choosing the Right Blade
Next, it’s time to switch to a flat top grind blade. This type of blade provides a clean square kerf, which is ideal for removing material where a dado stack isn’t practical.
Making the First Cuts
With the blade height set and the appropriate blade installed, the fence should be adjusted to match the width of the work pieces. For the first cuts, a shim equal to the width of the saw blade is used to offset the initial cut. This is crucial for ensuring accuracy.
To prevent tear out, a sacrificial piece is placed behind the work piece during cutting. After making the first cut, continue making passes to clear out all material to the end. Repeat this process for the second mitered piece.
Setting Up for Longer Pieces
With the mitered pieces cut, it’s time to set up the longer material. The miter gauge should be set to 45 degrees with the short side of one mitered piece against it. Align the square part of the cut with the outside of the saw blade’s teeth, and adjust the fence accordingly.
Final Cuts and Adjustments
After confirming everything is aligned, replace the mitered piece with one of the longer pieces and make a cut through to create a mitered cut halfway through the material. This cut should exit perfectly at the corner of the work piece.
Clearing Material
Now, clear away all the material to the right of that cut, just like with the mitered pieces. This process is repeated for one end of each of the long pieces before adjusting the miter gauge to cut the other ends in the same manner.
Conclusion
While there’s some setup involved in making mitered half laps, the actual process is quite efficient. The end result should yield tight, square, strong miters suitable for any framing project. If any pieces sit a bit proud, a quick sanding can easily resolve that issue.
With these steps, anyone can create sturdy and visually appealing mitered half lap frames.