Sawing at 45 degrees tool. How to cut corners: we cut the ceiling and floor plinth correctly. Homemade cutting attachment for a circular saw

17.05.2020

Those people who are far from carpentry often express bewilderment at the word "miter box", you can even hear chuckles and jokes about this unusual word. However, experts easily explain the meaning of this simple word.

What it is?

This word comes from several ancient foundations that are included in many European languages. “St” - in translation means “to approve, put”, “sl” - “fold”, the ending “o” indicates that it helps to add and connect. Let's take a few words as an example. For example, a chisel is what helps to gouge, a drill is what can be drilled.

As you can see, the very meaning of the word "miter box" encrypts its use. With it, you can make parts that are stacked with each other. There is also one old concept: “connect in a mustache” (without flaws) - some masters translate the name of the instrument in this way. The same meaning is encrypted in the more understandable word "hang out" - to meet, connect, get together.

A miter box is an auxiliary carpentry tool designed for cutting materials at a strictly specified angle. The correct angle, as well as a neat cut, is especially important during installation. finishing materials, for example, such as ceiling or floor plinth, baguette frames or platbands.

This convenient device is fixed on a workbench or other surface with screws, clamps or self-tapping screws - only reliable fastening can ensure the quality of the cut.

Having mastered the miter box, any master will significantly reduce the amount of marriage, thereby quickly paying for this simple but necessary tool.

What is it needed for?

Initially, the miter box was used as a device that washed down boards at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees. Modern tools allow you to saw the workpiece at different fixed angles. The rotary miter box provides adjustment of any cutting angle.

The need for sawing at an angle arises in many carpentry works, for example, when washing down a door frame, because a mistake can be expensive in the literal sense of the word: you will have to purchase a new frame. But even relatively small work, such as the manufacture of frames, material for platbands and skirting boards, does not allow distortions and inconsistencies.

To work, you need a special hacksaw. It differs from the usual version in small teeth and a small divorce, which allows you to make a narrow neat cut.

The handle of such a saw is fixed at the top of the blade so that it is possible to use a hacksaw along the entire length.

Varieties

The design of the miter box has been developed for a long time. Its shape resembles a tray or box without end walls, which has a U-shaped section. Slots are made in the side walls at a certain angle. Initially, the device was made of wood.

For some work, a do-it-yourself tool made from scraps of bars and boards with clearly calibrated angles is quite suitable.

You need to work with such a miter box very carefully, since you can easily saw the tool itself along with the workpiece.

Step by step, the manufacture of the simplest wooden miter box can be represented as follows:

first of all, it is necessary to choose an even cut of the board up to 50 cm long and 10 cm wide;
screw side boards of the same size as the base onto it with self-tapping screws;
using a protractor, mark the side walls for slots, make angles of 90 and 45 degrees;
carefully saw through the guide grooves in both side walls.

Modern products have become cheaper as they are mass-produced from plastic or polyurethane. They weigh a little and are suitable for mobile repair teams.

The plastic miter box has one, but quite a serious drawback - rapid wear.. The slots gradually expand, and it becomes impossible to work with such a tool. However, due to the low price, it is always possible to replace a worn device with a new one.

Metal (aluminum) products - the most reliable and durable. Many professionals use just such tools. The only drawback of this type of product is its price.

However, when constant use a metal miter box will quickly pay off.

Structurally, tools can also be divided into several groups.

Simple. Such a device fixes the workpiece for sawing at a right angle and an angle of 45 degrees. It can be successfully used for sawing skirting boards, slats, platbands, baguettes and other details. For this type of tool, a special hacksaw with a small set of teeth is produced.
Swivel option makes it possible to rotate the hacksaw to almost any angle: from 15 to 135 degrees. This type of tool is of little use for small household work, but it is very convenient in workshops, as a stationary tool that works in a constant mode. Some inconvenience is the rather laborious setting of the required angle. But if the blanks are sawn in several pieces, then this factor will not be relevant.
Electric miter box is a circular saw mounted on a special machine with a turntable.

The last two types of tools will be useful for large volumes of work - they can cut several products at once. A special clamp helps to cut, for example, several blanks of floor or ceiling plinth, products for frames.

Some models allow you to cut workpieces in the corners for a connection called a dovetail.

How to use?

Before starting work, you need to prepare everything necessary tools: miter box, a special backing hacksaw with fine teeth (sometimes sold complete with a miter box), pencil, tape measure, sandpaper.

Using a miter box requires some skill.

Common Mistake- insufficient fixing of the workpiece or the tool itself, which often leads to displacement of the material during the sawing process. In addition, loose parts and elements are a direct path to injury.

Safety precautions when working with this tool require special attention - this applies to both fixed parts and a movable hacksaw.

The workpiece is placed in the fixture so that it fits snugly against the bottom and one of the side rails. It is necessary to monitor the correct position in accordance with the required cutting angle. It is necessary to cut with a hacksaw to the end, otherwise, in the process of breaking the workpiece, splitting of the end may occur.

It is very convenient to cut a baguette using a miter box for finishing frames or a special ceiling baguette made of polymer materials. Since there are often decorative fillets on the outer surface, the requirements for the quality of the cut are always very high.

For a more thorough fit, you should stock up on a clerical knife - a baguette is easily processed with this tool.

The cutting principle is the same.

It is described below.

Before cutting, you need to carefully mark the workpiece so as not to confuse the corners.
It is necessary to lay the workpiece in the miter box so that the marked line coincides with the corresponding groove of the tool.
Then you need to press the workpiece and cut it off with a hacksaw strictly according to the mark.
When cutting the second workpiece, you need to clearly understand how it should be docked with the first one - it is important to correctly position the baguette in relation to the grooves of the tool, otherwise the work will have to be redone. When you are convinced that everything is installed correctly, the operations must be repeated in the same order.

In order to saw off the corners of the plinth, the miter box is installed on a workbench or table. Both adjustable plinths are placed in the miter box at once - it is important to follow their precise fit to the opposite walls of the fixture.

Excellent miter box copes with the preparation of cable channels. This element of the interior can be difficult to hide, and all the flaws in their laying and installation are in sight. Using the miter box in this case is not difficult, and the effect will be amazing.

Nuances

Sawing a workpiece at the right angle with the help of a miter box, at first glance, is not difficult - it, in fact, was invented for this.

However, special requirements are placed on the hacksaw. An ordinary tool for fine work will not work - a wide set and large teeth will not give the expected effect. The cuts will be rough, and the miter box groove will gradually be expanded so much that the hacksaw blade will begin to “walk” in it, after which you will have to purchase a new fixture.

A manual circular electric saw, which is simply called, is a convenient tool for cutting and cutting lumber.

Included with it are usually supplied devices that help the master in his work.

But the same devices can be made or improved with your own hands. Yes, and work experience will sooner or later lead to the appearance of completely home-made devices (as they are called), which, for all their simplicity, can greatly facilitate sawing and save time.

Parallel stop

Conventional rip fence for a circular saw - good example how a small addition can bring great benefits. Almost every hand-held circular saw is equipped with parallel stop for a longitudinal cut of the set width. This is a really useful tool.

The standard stop has one drawback. For safety reasons, it is set to values that allow it to cut with a width of less than 20–25 mm. This is done so that the stop does not interfere with the movement of the protective casing of the saw. But it is enough to attach a wooden block to the parallel bar of the regular stop with screws - and its capabilities will increase, while the minimum cutting width will not be limited in any way.

Note! We must remember about safety - when making cuts less than 15 mm, the bar does not allow the protective cover to close the saw blade.

Stop for transverse and angled cuts

A cross cut device is also often used. With it, boards are cut quickly and accurately at an angle of 90 °. Such an emphasis is also used for trimming boards. Its base is a sheet of plywood 10 mm thick. A guide bar or rail with a height of at least 20 mm is fixed on it with glue or self-tapping screws. An emphasis is attached to the underside of the base, perpendicular to the guide and made of the same bar.

The excess part of the base (from the guide to the saw blade) is cut off. Since this distance is different for each model of a manual circular, the fixture is always made individually. It is usually attached to the material being processed with clamps.

Advanced craftsmen make their fasteners from wooden washers, one of which has the shape of an eccentric. The clamp is carried out with a wing nut on the screw. Such a clamping device allows you to very quickly fix the stop on lumber of different widths.

If you install the same bar on the other side of the guide, but fixed at an angle of 45 ° to the first one, and then also cut off part of the base at 45 ° with a saw, you will get an angular universal stop for cuts at both 45 ° and 90 °. A more versatile design of the corner stop will be obtained if the bar rotates. And observance of the angle can be monitored by the protractor, fixed on top. It should be noted that making a do-it-yourself protractor for a circular is a more difficult task.

saddle stop

If you have to saw a lot of identical bars with a circular saw, then you should spend time making a simple saddle stop. Its use will more than return the spent minutes. The saddle stop works especially effectively when sawing thick bars, for which the disc requires two cuts from different sides.

Emphasis-saddle has a U-shape. The base is a board 25 mm thick, its width is exactly equal to the thickness of the sawn timber.

Side surfaces of 10 mm plywood are attached to the base. The width of the sidewalls must be greater than the width of the cant in order to support the platform of the circular until the saw blade comes into contact with the cant.

The saddle is put on the beam at a distance from the cut marking, corresponding to the working distance to the saw blade, and is pressed against the beam with clamps through the sidewalls. Using the sidewall as a stop for the saw platform, cutting is carried out. If the thickness of the beam is such that one cut is not enough, then it is turned over and another cut is made. The position of the stop does not change in any way.

Guide bar

For cutting large and long sheets of lumber on the table, a long guide bar will be useful for circular saw made by hand.

The basis in this case is (8–10 mm) plywood strip with a length exceeding the dimensions of the sheet to be cut. The tire itself can be wooden (a bar 15–20 mm thick) or metal from a U-shaped profile. The tire is attached to the base with glue or screws. On one side of it should remain a narrow edge of the base, sufficient for fastening to the sheet with clamps. On the other hand, the first cut is made with a saw along the base. After that, the edge of the base will exactly coincide with the passage of the circular disk. When working, it is combined with the markings on the sheet, the stop is fixed and the sheet is sawn.

Edge stop

This is already a rather complicated device that requires time and precision in manufacturing. It allows you to cut parallel to the edge of the material being cut. It will be useful to make a drawing of it before starting work, so as not to miss the size. In fact, such an emphasis is included in the circular saw kit, but its short length does not always provide an even cut. Large size and desired strength require the base of the stop to be made of plywood with a thickness of at least 15 mm. From it you can also make a stubborn bar.

Steps for making a stop:

at the base, longitudinal grooves are made for the dowels;
hardwood dowels are mounted on a thrust bar;
between the longitudinal grooves, another through groove is made to secure the thrust bar during operation;
a hole is cut in the base for the circular saw blade;
on the sides of the base, restrictive strips are placed for the installation of a circular and clamps are provided for its secure fastening.

When the stop is placed on the material being processed, the stop bar moves in the grooves of the base to the required distance and is fixed through the through slot with a clamping wing screw. In order not to suffer every time with a ruler, you can fix it (or a piece of tape measure) on the basis of the stop along the guide grooves.

There are such small devices that even a tool is shameful to consider. At the same time, they are great for cutting. These are the tricks of experienced masters.

Setting bars

The simplest detail that facilitates the installation of any stop and a marking guide is a bar of small section. Cuts are applied on it, the distance between which is equal to the segment from the end of the saw sole to the saw blade. Two of these bars will help to install any guides quickly and accurately at the required distance from the marking line. It remains only to fix the guide.

Pull-out protection

Protection can be any bar, the width corresponding to the thickness of the workpiece being cut. If it is fixed at the exit point of the saw blade from the material being processed, it will act as a limiter and serve as protection against tearing and chipping.

These devices are not limited to a set useful homemade, which make it easier to work with a hand-held circular saw. These are the easiest to make. Others require time and skill. But craftsmen even make such a device as a protractor for a circular with their own hands. There would be a desire.

The installation of baguettes and skirting boards gives the repair a finished and neat look, but only if the trimming is done correctly and all joints converge perfectly evenly. For cropping, different tools and methods are used to facilitate the work, but it is also important to take into account the many nuances that we will talk about today.

Types of ceiling and floor plinths, choice of tools

Installation of baguettes and skirting boards is no less important stage of repair than any other. And trimming the corners here is the hardest part. It is important to choose the right tool for the job and the most appropriate cutting method.

Ceiling plinth

A ceiling baguette, also known as a molding, fillet, border or just a plinth, is most often used to finish the joint between the wall and the ceiling. Although sometimes they cover the inner corners, make decorative frames or panels, decorate niches and architectural elements. There are several of the most popular materials for the manufacture of ceiling moldings:

Plastic (polyvinyl chloride). Wide and rigid moldings are more convenient to cut with a hacksaw. If you need a more gentle tool, use a jigsaw.

Styrofoam (polystyrene foam). Very light and porous material, which is best cut with a sharp construction or clerical knife.

Wooden baguettes. For cutting, helical-toothed saws, specially designed for baguettes, are suitable. You can also use manual or electric jigsaws.

Floor plinth

A modern floor plinth can hardly be called a plank that closes the gap. This is a constructive component that complements the design and emphasizes the overall design. Skirting boards are made from several materials:

Wooden can be made from solid wood or veneer. For trimming use flat or circular saws, jigsaws.

Plastic skirting boards- "dangerous" competitors to the traditional tree. Easily installed and cut with a conventional hacksaw for metal.

Aluminum skirting boards- the last word in interior design. They are usually cut with an electric saw or a hand saw for metal.

Only on wooden skirting boards will you have to do the corner trimming. The rest are cut evenly and connected using special corners.

Corner types

Corner joining and plinth trimming differs depending on the type of corner, they are distinguished: internal, external and non-standard.

Interior angle, in other words, the angle of the room is less than 180°, typically 90°. When trimming an inside corner, the bottom of the ceiling plinth always protrudes above the top. First of all, it is still necessary to measure the angle between the walls, if it is standard and equal to 90 °, then the planks are cut at an angle of 45 °. Baguette, which is glued with right side should be cut from the left, and the left plank from the right.

The outer or outer angle is less common, it is more than 180 °, usually about 270 °. In working with such angles, everything is exactly the opposite. The edge of the plinth, which will be pressed against the ceiling, should be larger than the bottom.

Irregular corners. These most often mean angles with a degree greater or less than the standard of 90 ° and 270 °, as well as various kinds of rounding. Pruning in this case is carried out "by eye" or with markings in place. Sections with roundings are assembled from several small elements, each of which is adjusted in turn.

Methods for cutting skirting boards

If the corners are standard, it is most convenient to cut the baseboards with a miter box or a stencil. In other cases, they resort to the method of marking in place.

Cutting a baguette with a miter box

A miter box is a carpentry tool that is designed specifically for cutting a baguette. It can be made from plastic, wood or metal. The shape resembles a tray with slots (grooves) on the walls. The miter box helps to correctly determine the angle of inclination and evenly cut the bar at 45, 60 or 90 degrees. Some models may have more graduation guides.

When working with a miter box, it is important to correctly place the baguette:

The baguette in the end section has the shape of an irregular triangle, so the side that will be glued to the ceiling is pressed against the bottom of the miter box, and the wall side against the wall of the tool.
The cut is made through opposite grooves. If you need to cut the baguette under the inner corner, then it is cut at an acute angle, and if the outer one is at a blunt one.
Ceiling plinths are always laid against the nearest wall. The left side is placed on the left side, and the right side, respectively, on the right side.
Floor plinths are applied to the far wall of the miter box, “away from you”. Corners are cut according to the same principle.

A stencil is nothing more than a flat imitation of a miter box. Make it easy. To begin with, it is worth arming yourself with a ruler, a pencil and a protractor.

Two parallel lines are drawn on a flat surface, the width between which should not be less than the width of the baguette. A perpendicular is drawn in the middle of the segments. All angles must be 90°. Further, this segment connecting the two parallels is divided in half and two more lines are drawn through the point at an angle of 45 ° from the perpendicular. A baguette is placed on the stencil, as in a miter box.

Cutting with pencil marks

This is another way to cut a baguette straight without a miter box.

For the inside corner. The plinth is applied to the ceiling as it will have to stand, to the left of the corner, and a line is drawn on the ceiling. Then the segment is applied to the other side, to the right of the corner, and a line is also drawn on the ceiling. The two lines should form an intersection point. The plinth segments are again applied in turn and a straight line is lowered from the intersection point to the lower edge of the plinth, it will be the cut line.

For outer corner. A plinth is applied to the right of the corner and a line is drawn on the ceiling with a pencil beyond the corner of the wall connection. After that, a plinth is applied on the left side of the corner and a second line is drawn to the intersection with the first. The intersection point is transferred to the upper edge of the baguette. The point where the corner of the walls converges and the inner bottom edge of the baguette will be the second mark. Two points connect and cut the baguette along the line.

Cutting a wide molding with a pattern

If a large pattern on the surface of the curb fell just at the junction of the inner corner, it will have to be adjusted, otherwise the overall look will be spoiled.

A section with a pattern is cut out of the ceiling molding, leaving 5 cm of margin on the sides. The resulting area is divided in half, that is, an even cut is made in the middle of the pattern. After that, the baguette is alternately cut in the miter box or by eye.

Some useful tips to help you get the job done:

It's worth practicing on a short cut before you start on a fine cut.
The baguette should be cut with front side, then the cut irregularities will remain on the reverse side.
The saw cut can be carefully trimmed with a knife or sandpaper.
Cut the plinth on a hard, flat surface.
If a miter box is used, for convenience it can be fixed to the work surface with self-tapping screws.
If the result is unsatisfactory and the gaps at the joints are still visible, they can be carefully puttied.

If the corners in the room being repaired are even, you can buy ready-made corners for the selected type of baguette and completely avoid the stage with cutting corners.

Miter box - a tool for sawing blanks at a certain angle. These blanks can be made of wood and plastic. Most often it is used for cutting door frames, skirting boards, wooden blocks.
You will not be able to manually cut a bar at an angle of 45 degrees, which is why such a tool was invented - a miter box.

They come in different widths and lengths, depending on the size of the workpiece.
Here, for example, in the photo below is the most common.

One of the inexpensive models, it can be used to cut workpieces measuring 65mm in width and 35mm in height. If the workpiece is higher, then the saw cannot be inserted into the grooves.
It is possible to cut at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees.
This is suitable for small thin bars and narrow platbands. The kit includes a simple saw with a small non-hardened tooth.
This option is quite suitable for infrequent homework, the plastic is rather flimsy.
Approximate price for 2013 - 120 rub.

If you use the miter box constantly, then take better option more expensive, but better quality.

The miter box itself is already noticeably wider, you can cut workpieces 100mm wide and 52mm high. Unlike the first option, it is possible to cut not only at an angle, but also at an angle,

those. it will turn out to make an angle in a different plane. The plastic is already much thicker, the case due to this is more rigid and reliable. For convenience, it can be attached to the table with bolts or screws. There are two holes for this.
There is a marking on the case for convenience.
The kit includes a saw with a hardened tooth, a powerful rubberized handle, it sits perfectly in the hand. To prevent the canvas from bending, there is a stiffening rib on top of it.
Estimated cost 350 rubles.

Another option. With eccentric clamps that allow you to fix workpieces of any shape, not only rectangular even, but even round.

There are angles of 22.5 degrees, 45 and 90, you can also saw at an angle.
Width 110mm, height 75mm - for quite serious workpieces.
Made of thick plastic, can be mounted on a workbench.
The saw is not supplied, it will have to be purchased separately, it costs 150 rubles.
The miter box itself is 300 rubles.

When planning in the premises of their apartment, many people think about how difficult the work can be. However, everything is not so scary: you can install the ceiling plinth with your own hands - the main thing is to know about some of the features of the materials from which this finishing element is made.

Different materials and their features

Wood . The most durable material compared to the other two below, the advantages of which are hardness, impact resistance and the ability to withstand certain mechanical loads. Nevertheless, wooden skirting boards (another name is fillets) glued to the ceiling are also relatively easy to process - they can be cut (a hacksaw is used for this), varnished. The tree will give warmth to the interior. Of the minuses, one can name a higher cost than that of polystyrene. However, appearance wooden fillets last longer than foam ones.
Styrofoam . Perhaps this material is the most fragile - it is unstable to mechanical damage, scratches and even minor impacts. Of the advantages - light weight, the ability to stain in various colors and ease of processing (it can be cut with a clerical knife - however, very carefully).

Styrofoam . This material can be considered a type of foam, however, its strength characteristics are slightly higher (extruded polystyrene foam is denser than polystyrene). As for processing - polystyrene foam is just as easy to cut with an ordinary sharp knife, and also has a small weight, and this important factor taking into account the load on the walls.

Both foam plastic and expanded polystyrene have one significant advantage: the softness of the material allows you to press the baseboard as tightly as possible to the corners and to each other, as a result of which there are no gaps. In addition, modern polystyrene skirting boards are made in such a way that they have a small recess - especially for hidden wiring.

Useful. able to transform the appearance of a standard apartment into an elegant stylish interior.

Miter box - a tool for cutting skirting board corners

There are two ways to cut corners - with a tool (miter box) and without it. We will look at both methods.

Plastic miter box

A miter box is a carpenter's tool, which is a small rectangular tray (you can make it yourself from wood or buy it ready-made from plastic or metal), in the walls of which there are grooves. The grooves guide the hacksaw blade at a certain angle to the axis of the tray.

Important: the cutting angle of the edge of the plinth is always oblique and equal to 45 ° when processing elements intended for butt installation in the corners of the ceiling. An oblique cut provides a tighter fit of the fillets.

Making a miter box with your own hands

Unfortunately, not everyone at home has the whole arsenal of carpentry tools, but you can make a similar miter box yourself. To do this, a rectangular tray is knocked together from planks, then grooves are sawn in the walls - at an angle of 45 °.

Homemade plywood miter box

To measure the angle, you can use 2 downed boards and a protractor or an ordinary right-angled triangle - that's the miter box and you're done!

Method 1 - trimming the edge of the plinth with a miter box

It is worth noting that the ceiling corners can be both internal and external, and the difference between them lies in the methods of joining and different angles of cuts. The first ones are found at the joints of two walls and the ceiling, the second ones - when decorating ledges, columns, outer edges of niches, pilasters, etc.

The angle of inclination of the groove in the miter box can be equal to 45°, 60°, and 90°. Professional carpenters purchase a miter box with a swivel mechanism - it is very convenient to turn in this cutting tool when cutting plinth.

Cutting "internal" corners

Important! To cut the “inner” corner, the fillets should be placed on the bottom of the miter box top- the one that will be glued to the ceiling. In this case, the lower part of the bar should be firmly pressed against the wall of the tray.

Step 1: the correct measurement of the length of the plinth according to its marking on the wall, drawing a “serif” with a pencil on the material for the future cut.

Step 2: installation of material in the miter box. The correct placement of the skirting board in the tray will determine the correctness of cutting the edges of the fillets, and, accordingly, the accuracy of placing them on the ceiling.

Step 3: after the plinth is installed and tightly fixed in the miter box (you can simply press the material firmly with one hand), a hacksaw is set into the groove at 45 °. Now the material can be cut. The edges of the second plinth, which will be installed adjacent to the first, are cut in the same way, only as if in a mirror image (the plinth is installed in the opposite direction, the edges are also cut at an angle of 45 °).

Important: when trimming the edges of the fillets, jewelry accuracy is needed - otherwise the material will be damaged, and the appearance of the skirting boards at the joints of the walls too. If polystyrene foam baseboards are used, then the edges can be cut off with an ordinary sharp knife without a miter box. However, it should be remembered that cutting corners must be done from the front side.

Cutting "outer" corners

The difference between cutting the “external” corner and the “internal” one is that the skirting boards should protrude slightly from the edge of the wall - for the so-called overlap.

We repeat steps 1, 2, 3 in the same way as cutting "internal" corners. However, it should be remembered that the upper part of the plinth (one of the edges) should have a small allowance. The second (adjacent) overlay is cut in the same way, only mirrored to the first.

Cutting the edges of a wooden ceiling plinth is easiest (and best) with a hacksaw for metal - with fine, frequent teeth. Then the cuts will be more accurate and even. And the foam is well cut with an ordinary sharp knife (or construction) - but the blade must be well honed, otherwise the material will crumble when cutting.