What is a mitre joint? Why would I chose to use it if i were making a storage system that is hexagonal shaped?

Question

What is a mitre joint? Why would I chose to use it if i were making a storage system that is hexagonal shaped..

My teacher told me to make hinges with mitre joints..

Now i have to fill out this form, and it says...

I have chosen to use ..... joints for .... because ...

But I dont know what a mitre joint is, why would i chose it? whats an advantage of using it? what is it ?

Thanks

(If im asking this question on the wrong forum, can somebody please direct me to the correct one?)

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miter_joint

http://www.diyinfo.org/wiki/Constructing...

Here are a couple of sites that will help answer your question. If you need to make a shape other than square or rectangular, divide the number of sides into 360. This will give you the angle for each corner. A hexagon has 6 sides. 360 divided by 6 equals 60 degrees for each corner.

Answer 2

A mitre joint is a cut you make at an angle normally 45 degrees but can be 30, 221/2 or any angle you need so that the wood appears to be one piece. If you used butt joints the work would look like 5hit. Any way If you don't really understand what it is you shouldn't be attempting to build anything hexagonal shaped

Answer 3

A mitre joint is ordinarily made when the edges of the boards to be joined are chamfered along their length, each at 45 degrees, so that when assembled to form a right angle there is no joint line.  It is very neat and as there is a considerably large mating area quite strong for most purposes when glued. When putting together a hexagon though, remember each of the joints is 60 degrees so the chamfers actually need to be 30 deg on the edge of each board in your case.  You can also fit piano hinges or the like instead of permanently attaching the joints, but the principle is the same.

Answer 4

I'm guessing a mitre joint is one where two objects have angled edges so when they are joined together, they make a specific angle (in your case, a repeated succession of 6 lengths of wood would create a hexagon).

Answer 5

A mitre joint is one where the ends of the timber to be joined are cut at suitable angles, for a right-angle joint f'rinstance both parts would be bevelled at 45 degrees.  Makes a neater and stronger joint, with no end-grain showing, than if you'd just nailed the timbers together at right-angles . . .