Miter Fold

[jschiffr]

I'm an avid reader of FOG, and have learned many great techniques from some of the more prolific and sharing folks on this board.

This is a photo of one of my first completed all-festool projects, a 3 piece dresser set.

Getting the mitered edges of these cabinets to line up was a challenge, and i'm wondering about a technique called 'miter folding.' There are v groove bits available which route out a 90 degree channel in your wood. Plunging almost all the way through veneered plywood, for instance, should allow you to fold two sides, bending the veneer, and keeping a contiguous grain pattern around the 90 degree corner.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried this technique, and has any advice or opinions on it? I'm especially interested in whether the festool 1400 router could handle the dust created by such a cut, since i'm looking for a good excuse to replace my Rigid...

Jesse

 

[Frank-Jan]

I have read about that technique being advertised by festool for drywall, but in that case it's only the paper that bends at a right angle. I doubt veneer can bend that sharply without breaking.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Yes it will, I have seen it done on a CNC machine.  put a little bit of tape on it and it folds right up.

 

[mwhafner]

I used this technique for a project using the MFT, OF1400, but...................

The material thickness has to be perfectly constant.  any variation will cause problems.

The slightest twitch with the router or shift with the material, will cause problems

If I had to do it over again, I would buy a little cheaper ply and add my own veneer.  The technique would probably work pretty well on short spans, or as WarnerConstCo.  mentioned, if you had a CNC setup. 

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I would think it could be done with a TS, maybe take some practice to get the hang of it.

http://www.contractortalk.com/f13/miter-folding-cnc-machine-56548/#post649910

Check this out.

 

[Loren Hedahl]

That looks like a dresser set anyone would be proud to own!

Concerning the miter fold, it works pretty well if the fold line is in the same direction as the grain and if the grain is straight.

Across the grain, I don't know.  I've never tried it, but I think it would depend on the species of veneer since some woods are much more brittle than others.  It could be if you could dampen the veneer or steam it without loosening the glue, that would help.

 

[The Toolman]

http://www.betterleytools.com/page_7.htm
Here is a mitre cove system

 

[woodshopdemos]

I have done it in small jewelry boxes. It make for a very neat corner. BUT, I didnt leave any veneer in the cut...I went to zero and had taped the corner to keep it stable.  One real plus is keeping grain perfectly matched around each corner.
  I think the OF1400 is particularly well suited for it with the dust extraction devices that it offeres.

Only picture I could find is of Maureen and she was using a 60* cutter and it was router table mounted.

 

[peter halle]

I seem to remember an old article in FW and speaker boxes.  This is on my opinion certainly an experiment before the final try.  How about veneer softening solution on the thin portion of the corner then dry clamping to set the angle?

Peter

 

[Warrior]

I think the miter fold would work better along the long grain vs cross grain.

I always thought the miter fold was when:  you cut the miters then layed the pieces flat face up and the points touching, tape across and along the entire joint. flip the pieces over, glue, fold together.

 

[justinh]

Amana makes insert cutters designed for routers to cut miter folds.  I have yet to try them but they look slick.  I was talking to a guy who had and he said that for a 90* corner he used the bit with the 45.5* angle to allow for glue and slight variations in the materials.

 

[doganbora]

Miterfold was a mass manufacturing process in the 70's to build square cases  such as entertainment centers and  case-goods rapidly.  In the early days it was applied to low density strand board and wrapped in "wood grain printed vinyl veneer" that was then heat treated to soften and wrap around the 90 degree bend after a V bit cut the folds on a CNC machine to a precise depth on a flat steel table.  Later other better looking synthetic veneers as well as composite natural vaneers called "tech-wood" that could tolerate the bend without checking were used.  The problem was the equipment was so costly, set up was so precise and lengthily only large runs were economical.  Machines that are more tolerant and can change quickly so shorter runs, ideally one, is possible.

 

[monkeyswithhammers]

Jesse

You can do a miter fold technique on a table saw.  It is a fairly complex (but often used) set up involving application of  a subfence to your tablesaw fence.  The subfence is attached to the fence, but not resting on the table.  Often the material I'm miterfolding is 3/4 inch thick.  If that is the case I place the subfence 23/32 above the table.  That gap prevents dangerous kick back when the cutoff falls away.

Then, tilt your blade 45 degrees and run it into the subfence.  This set up will allow you to cut particle board with plastic laminate without chipout.  When two panels are cut like this, placed edge to edge, packing tape is applied, the panels flipped over, and glue placed in the bevel.  One common use for this technique is to make drop edge shelves from a prelam panel. 

The process is best displayed with a cross section drawing of the board being beveled on the saw, but for all I know no one is even reading this post.  Send me an email if your interested and Ill do the drawings and scan them in.

jim kehoe
cabmkr@verizon.net

 

[woodshopdemos]

I put the Maureen example up above and clearly forgot about something Beth and I did with the Festool TS55 at 45?.

Here is the story: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/fes-50.htm

And if you want to get to the Festool Menu on the website: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/men-fes.htm

It amazed me but worked.

And let me make a comment about using a router and a 45? bit. That is a bit that works hard at removing wood or MDF. At the top is does better than at the bottom. If you study the bit, at the very peak (tiny point) there isnt much of a cutting surface. I found that I always had to make the cut in at least two passes.

 

[mikeneron]

Where do you find all these assistants? 

 

[Vindingo]

It can be done with a TS55.  It takes a few test tries but with a nice sharp blade and the guide rails clamped it can be done. 
This photo is with the grain, cross grain with zebra didn't take so well.

as far as dust and the OF1400, I have routed 3/4" dados in MDF all day with that thing and it still amazes me how little dust gets out. 

 

[Tezzer]

Where do you find all these assistants?   

We need a poll to see who is our favourite... Jessica by a mile

 

[woodshopdemos]

Where do you find all these assistants?   

We need a poll to see who is our favourite... Jessica by a mile

I forgot about Jessica. She was (is) a dish. When she took a job that precluded working here, I cried.
Realy though, my favorites are: Beth, Maureen, Elena,