Miter Half Laps by Hand
An Aesthetic Twist on the Half Lap Joint
The miter half lap might actually be a bit weaker than the standard half lap since we are reducing the glue surface by mitering the lap. But you do introduce an additional wall for the joint to but against so that could offset the loss in glue surface. Regardless I don't consider half laps or any joint that won't hold together without clamps to be weak. These are best reserved for smaller projects that don't undergo a lot of stress and load. Or you pair the half lap with another joint to bolster the strength. I did this with my tool cabinet doors by building a miter half lap frame and then gluing it to a dovetailed box underneath.
Regardless of it's application, the miter half lap is cut just like a regular half lap and it is laid out identically as well. The different being that you take an additional step on the male side of the joint to cut a 45 degree miter into the lap. I choose to transfer that shape to the female side of the joint to allow for any slight error in the angle. Much like the transfer of one dovetail part to another, this simplifies the process greatly.
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