Had to pick between a custom jig and just winging it on a tricky miter cut

I was building a built-in for a client's weird angled wall last month. The angle was 22.5 degrees, not a standard 45. I could either spend half a day building a perfect sled for the table saw, or just try to dial it in with the miter saw and hope. I went with the miter saw to save time. Big mistake. The first two cuts were off by maybe 2 degrees, and the filler gap looked awful. I ended up wasting a full sheet of plywood and had to build the jig anyway, which set me back a day. Anyone have a better method for odd angles that doesn't eat up so much material?

2 comments

2 Comments

burns.patricia1d ago

Ever try to save time and just end up making more work for yourself? I've been there.

thomas_scott1d ago

Yeah, that "saving time" trap is real. I once tried to batch cook a week's meals but used the wrong lid. Everything steamed instead of roasted, turned to mush, and I had to order takeout. The worst part was cleaning that sticky pot for an hour. Sometimes the shortcut needs more setup time than it's worth.