A miter joint can be defined as a joint in which two pieces are cut at a 45-degree angle and then joined to form a right angle. These joints are mainly used for making picture frames and decorative molding. Although simple and attractive, a miter joint is extremely weak and often needs to be strengthened with spline, dowels or mechanical fasteners.
Mitered corner joints are found in many cabinet-type pieces like pianos, and they are often reinforced by dowels or a plywood spline that runs through the length of each joint. In cheaper varieties of furniture, a miter joint may receive support from a strip of wood that has been attached by nails or screws to its inside corner. In certain cases, strength is provided by triangular glue blocks while the blocks are supported by screws. For miter joints, special clamps are required that can be joined with glue, or glue and nails or screws, or with a biscuit or spline.
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The most common problem we encounter with picture frames is that of loose joints. Although loose or open miter joints can be fixed in a number of ways, glue seems to be the best of them. If the joint refuses to remain closed, it can be glued and nailed. In case the frame is a precious antique, a corner spline instead of nails can be used to close the joint.
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