Expert: Stuart Mawle - 5/24/2009

Question
First, I'm a total (and female o.a.p.) newcomer to woodworking!!
I want to put beading(wooden) around the bottom edge of a small wooden box to cover where the base and sides meet. I need to know how to measure what length of beading is required for each side and where to cut the mitres, please. Thanks for your kind help.
Regards.
Pat

Answer
Sorry not answer before...away from home. The first thing you need to do is have plenty of beading. Cut the beading first for the long lengths...you need to add on plenty...if the box was 400mm long, the moulding thickness was 20mm then I would rough cut my lengths to about 480 - 500mm. I cut a mitre on one end then check it, I have chop saw and morso mitre cutter so they are spot on...you do need something as it hard to cut free hand. This is where it get hard...I align the back of the mitre to the external corner of the box, with a sharp pencil mark on the opposite side...the pencil point should run up the side of the box so that there is a line close as possible. You need to cut the mitre on this end so the cut is smack on the pencil line....this is where a mitre cutting device comes into it's own. I repeat this for all the pieces. I dry assemble and using a band cramp just tighten the pieces together to ensure all the pieces fit correctly. I use pva glue and glue the mitres and moulding on to the box and use band cramp to pull it up together and allow to set for about an hour. I hope this helps you. Stuart