Carpentry and Woodworking - basic 45 degree cut. ?? :(

Covering viciously sharp bad brick steps in treated pine; steps are actually 2 sets of steps formed 90 degrees to each other. So, I'd like to "45" the 2 x 12 treads inside that "right angle". Every time I try a 45, even on a power miter saw, I get a gap. Yes, I think I understand that the steps may not be exactly 90, but is there a trick to making the 45s better? Basic issue I know. :(

--Bryant

I'm having trouble visualizing. Any chance you can post a picture?

That's why my dad had an adjustable carpenter square in his tool box and a carpenter's pencil behind his ear. Oh, the memories of fresh saw dust! I was my dad's gopher until I was 14.

Thank you, really. These stairs/steps are the exit out of our mudroom into the double car garage, also providing the entrance to the adjacent workshop. They are a set of three steps (treads) each.........if you can imagine, stepping out of our mudroom, you'd be standing on the top step of three steps....they'd be running left to right, laterally, in front of you....three steps down. Now, at your right hand, visualize an identical three steps/treads that are mortared/built together....running at a 90 degree angle from the extreme right edge of the lateral set, forward....away from you, as you might thrust out your right hand. Imagine a backwards/transposed "L".....__] <----sorta like that thing...only they'd be indentical. :(I've no digital camera...but I can get one in the morning....??

It is to the treated pine 2 x 12 that I'd like to "45" at the inside 90 degree corner.

About to cover some viciously sharp brick steps in treated pine. These stairs/steps are the exit out of our mudroom into the double car garage, also providing the entrance to the adjacent workshop. They are a set of three steps (treads) each.........if you can imagine, stepping out of our mudroom, you'd be standing on the top step of three steps....they'd be running left to right, laterally, in front of you....three steps down. Now, at your right hand, visualize an identical three steps/treads that are mortared/built together....running at a 90 degree angle from the extreme right edge of the lateral set, forward....away from you, as you might thrust out your right hand. Imagine a backwards/transposed "L".....__] <----sorta like that thing...only they'd be indentical. I've no digital camera...but I can get one in the morning....??

I want to "45" the pine treads at the inside 90 degree corners. When I try mitered cuts I always get a gap, or too tight. Any tricks?

If two 45's don't match up, it sounds like you are describing an angle that is greater than or less than 90 degrees. So, if you've put two 45's together and you have a gap on one end, the simplest thing to do is to just cut it again by changing the miter and split the difference.

So if the point of the corner is tight, but the inside corner has a 1/4" gap on the heel, change the angle on the saw so that you're cutting 1/8" off the point, but nothing off the heel. Then do the same thing to the other half of the miter. Cut 1/8" off the point and nothing off the heel. (The angle of your miter should be the same each time... such as 44 and 44... in order for them to match up.

That would be the trial and error method of matching a miter. You just have to be sure you start out with a board that is too long when you do this. Otherwise as you cut the miters shorter, the board will be too short!

This question that you originally posted in the deck forum is being answered there.

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?p=1239818#post1239818

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