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Warning about that 'quick fix' with painter's tape for miter joints

Had a tight deadline on some window trim. Saw a tip online to use a strip of painter's tape across the joint to hold it while the glue sets. Tried it on a 45-degree cut for a crown molding piece. The tape held the face, sure, but it let the back end slip just enough. Wound up with a 1/16 gap you could see from across the room. Had to re-cut the whole piece. Lost two hours. Anyone have a better trick for holding tricky miters without a fancy jig?
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2 Comments
the_angela
My buddy tried that exact tape trick on some baseboard. It pulled the top edges together but the bottom flared out, left a tiny wedge-shaped gap full of dried glue. He ended up using a ratchet strap around the whole workpiece, which was overkill but it worked.
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river_jones
Watch shortcuts always create extra work later.
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