Am I the only one who got stuck for hours on a mitered corner that just wouldn't close?

Last month I was building a small maple jewelry box with mitered corners. I cut everything at a perfect 45 degrees on my table saw sled, but when I did a dry fit, one corner had a gap you could slide a piece of paper into. I spent the next four hours checking my saw setup, recutting pieces, and even trying a shooting board. The problem turned out to be my clamping pressure during the dry fit. I was using too much force from just one side, which twisted the joint. Once I used a proper band clamp, it pulled together like a dream. That tiny gap cost me most of a Saturday. Has anyone else lost a bunch of time to something that seemed simple but had a sneaky fix?

2 comments

2 Comments

xenar141mo ago

Actually, clamping pressure can definitely warp a dry fit. The band clamp spreads force evenly, which is why it worked. It's a common trap with miter joints.

the_phoenix1mo ago

Guess my clamps need to read the manual too.