I’ve always had trouble putting up trim. I know it takes practice, but it usually takes more practice than I have trim in the target room. One of my biggest problems is measuring mitered joints correctly. I don’t trust my measurements on angled cuts, and so my usual method is to mark long, then nibble away 4 or 5 times until I get the perfect fit.
The Miter Aid, made by Trim Clip LLC, looks like it was made for people like me who occasionally do trim work, but never enough to get really confident. This made-in-the USA tool clamps on the end of a piece of trim that has been cut with a 45° miter, and provides a secure hooking point at the inside corner for your tape measure.
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The Miter Aid will hold the end of the tape in the correct place while you mark the measurement. This should be really helpful when you are trying to use a tape measure with casing longer than your arm span, and helps to eliminate the need to enlist a helper or grow an extra set of arms.
Not only is Miter Aid useful for measuring mitered pieces, you can use it to mark 1/4″ offset reveal lines.
Trim Clip markets the Miter Aid as a part of a complete solution for framing trim around windows, doors, and other openings as shown in the above video. They make it look easy, here is their process:
- Use the Miter Aid to mark 1/4″ reveals
- Measure the horizontal and vertical distances between the markings
- Make the left 45° cut
- Use the Miter Aid to help measure out and mark the second cut
- Make the right 45° cut
- Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 for the remaining three pieces of casing
- Hang the trim using the reveal markings
Of course, they don’t tell you what to do if your opening is out of square.
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The best pricing for the Miter Aid online is at Amazon where it’ll run you $15, or you can buy it locally at a Rockler for about the same price.
Buy Now (Miter Aid via Amazon)
Buy Now (Miter Aid via Rockler)
Miter Aid isn’t the first and only tool of its kind that’s designed to make putting up casing easier. Bench Dog and Milescraft sell similar tools that are slightly cheaper, but they don’t seem quite as easy to use.
Compare (Milescraft Trim45 via Amazon)
Compare (Bench Dog Trim-Loc via Amazon)
Farid
Thank you Benjamin. I’ve seen this before on Amazon and thought about.
I wish I had one of those when I built my sun-room years ago. I had 11-windows and 2-doors to to trim. Some of the windows were trapezoidal shaped. I managed in the end but there was a lot of measuring and nibbling in some instances where the framing was off.
Jerry
For $15 if it saves botching up a couple pieces of hardwood trim, it could pay for itself by that alone. It looks like a good idea, with the built in clamp. I read the reviews to the other jigs mentioned, and it seems the number one complaint with them was keeping the jig properly positioned while measuring.
Something to keep in mind the next time I do trim, because I also fall into the cut it long and nibble away at it until it fits club.
fred
A wooden reveal gauge is a useful tool that can be made from a square scrap of hardwood 1×3 or 1×4. Cut a different width (corresponding to different reveals) rabbet along the face each edge and you’re set to go.
John
A perfect example of why I love ToolGuyd. Just the kind of tool I need, and the embedded video sold me.
Dennis
I have the Benchdog one. It worked great for trimming doors. For the time and effort it saves you, it’s worth the cost.
Greg
This looks awesome. Never knew a thing like this existed. Thank you. I ordered one and even got it for free with amazon points I had saved up. I will be using this Friday to trim out a door and a closet and let you know how good it work.
fred
Lee Valley also offers a jig for this task:
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=60005&cat=1,42936,50298&ap=1
skye
As a finish carpenter I would say it looks pretty silly to me. All those things do. this one with the clip sort of makes sense but I wouldn’t trust the clip there are many ways to accurately measure to the heel of a miter. Mostly I lay the piece on the saw table (or floor) and burn an inch on it and lock the tape in place. But also whenever possible do some math if neeeded to measure to the toe of the miter instead. Also 1/4 reveals are lame because the hinges often rub on the trim. Go 5/16 instead
Benjamen
Good point about the 5/16″ reveal for doors.
My dad (general contractor and finish carpenter) has told me the story more than once about one of his workers taking to long to cope base for corners. He made the guy take a coping saw and length of base home with him and told him he could stop practicing when he could get a perfect fit the first pass.
I have a feeling I know what he would think of this product.
skye
You know I never understand why coping is often so difficult for people. I think often people just don’t cut the miter the correct direction or simply try to freehand it without first cutting a miter.
Chad
cool tool that will come in handy at least once a year!!!
i like the 1/4 reveal part — i bought the kreg tool multimark when i was doing an addition to my house 3 windows and 4 doors it was a handy tool — one of those impulse buys while getting lumber and things as it was on sale at lowes for 10 bucks — i think it was normally 14-15 bucks – still worth it
NERemodeling
if you know the short side (inside) measurement that your piece of mitered casing should be and it has 90 degree corners (2- 45 degree miter cuts) some very simple math is all you need to figure out the long side (outside).
say you are using standard 2 1/2″ casing on a door frame.
if the inside measurement of the right and left legs of the casing is 81″ then the long side will be 83 1/2″ 2 1/2″ longer
for the top of the casing, since there are two miters you have to add twice the width of the casing say your inside measurement for the top is 36 1/2″ then your long measurement would be 41 1/2″ 5″ longer
with the long measurements you can just hook your tape measure right on the point of the miter and get to work! no special tools needed
if anyone wants further clarification just let me know