What is the main function of a miter cut?

Question

What is the main function of a miter cut?

Answer 1

When "trimming out" a house, the miter saw is used at corners and joints in long runs of molding. When used to cut an "outside" corner (generally 45 or 90 degree corners) the angle is set to one half of the actual corner (a good trim carpenter will adjust the cut by testing the "actual" measurement of the corner angle with scrap, or with pre-cut pieces that are labeled with the angle of cut required for that corner) - i.e.: a 90 degree corner would require two opposite 45 degree cuts.

When two long lengths of trim need to be joined, along a floor or ceiling, especially; the joint is often called a "scarf cut". It can be anywhere from 20 to 45 degrees, with the top part of the joint facing away from the point of entry into the room (or away from the vantage point from which it is most likely to be viewed). A "steeper" angle provides more surface area for wood glue, and also allows small brads to be driven through both pieces of the molding.

At "inside" corners, the miter cut is used as a guide for the "coped" joint. The first piece of molding is cut flat against the wall (a "butt" joint), the carpenter will follow the front of the miter cut with a coping saw, pitched a little bit back from the face of the molding, This will result in the piece for the inside corner matching the profile of the piece it butts into. By coping your inside corners, instead of using the amateurish method of cutting two miter cuts, you accomplish two things. First, you will not have to adjust the angle of your inside miters to match the in-exact angles produced by out of square room corners that is then exaggerated by the drywall taping (resulting in the job taking almost half of the time of mitering both sides of the corner); second, when the wood trim shrinks (as any wood does when it dries out), the gap at the corner is FAR less noticeable than when two mitered pieces shrink away from each other.

Miter cuts are also used around window and door casings, and on some cabinet doors.

When using a compound miter saw; the "side-to-side" adjustment of the saw is referred to as the "miter" setting, and the blade angle in relationship to the saw's table is referred to as the "bevel" angle.

Answer 2

To make angle cuts like roof rafters, window and molding trim, picture frames, cupboards, furniture and many things. Roof rafters sometimes have two or three angle cuts.

Answer 3

Miter cuts are used when turning any sort of corners when you are installing base or trim.  The most common miter cuts are 90 degree miter cuts.  For example, when you are installing base in your bedroom and you get to a corner, you have to cut an inside 90 degree miter that goes in the corner, and then another inside 90 degree miter on the next piece to come out of the corner to continue on down the next wall.  All miter saws are adjustable so that you can swivel the saw left or right in order to cut the appropriate angle.

Answer 4

Achieving specific angles

Answer 5

The classic miter would be 45 degrees, as seen on the corners of a picture frame.