mjd wrote:
Front view, right-hand front piece
looks like this

| \
| \
| \
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the right side piece is beveled top and bottom so it can lean up and
stand flat along with the front which is straight up vertical (not
beveled on the bottom). Due to the taper, I (think) I can't just cut
the edges 45 degrees the way I could if it were two sides of a
straight up box.


Not sure I understand the configuration correctly, but assuming a flat
rectangular piece at the top and bottom and a flat tapered piece on
each side, 45* miters may or may not be appropriate.

Assuming that the edges of the joint are supposed to meet at the inner
and outer corners, then 45* miters will work if and only if the width
of the bottom piece is the same as the maximum width of the tapered
side and the width of the top piece is the same as the minimum width
of the tapered side .

Otherwise, the miter angles cannot be 45*. The correct angles, will
be:

Miter Angle for Bottom Piece = inverse tangent (Maximum width of
side piece/width of bottom piece)
Miter Angle for Side Piece at the Bottom = 90 - Miter Angle for
Bottom piece.

Miter Angle for Top Piece = inverse tangent (Minimum width of side
piece/width of top piece)
Miter Angle for Side Piece at the Top = 90 - Miter angle for Top
Piece.

Note 1) Miter angles defined above are the standard definition where
the angle of the cut is measured relative to the square end. e.g., 0*
miter angle equal a square cut

Note 2) If the two mating pieces have the same width, the equations
above reduce to the common 45* mitered corner.

Note 3) For the tapered piece, the inside edge should be the reference
face placed against a miter gauge set to the calculated angle.

Note 4) The above calculations can be used to determine the miter
angles for any joint in which the members have different widths.





For the top angle

Tom Veatch
Wichita, KS
USA