Mason's Mitre in Basingstoke

(Basingstoke Carpentry)

A mason's mitre is a type of mitre joint, traditionally used in stonework or masonry but commonly seen in kitchen countertops. In a mason's mitre, the two members being joined meet as for a butt joint but a small section of one member is removed creating a socket to receive the end of the other. A small mitre is made at the inside edges of the socket and on the end of the intersecting member so that edge treatments are carried through the joint appropriately.

The mason's mitre allows the appearance of a mitre joint to be created with much less waste than occurs with a common mitre joint, in which triangular sections must be removed from the ends of both joint members. It permits the bond of the masonry courses to continue around the corner unbroken without a staggered vertical mortar course. The mortar course being truely in the corner.

There are two cuts to make with every mitred joint. The female cut is the cut which is made in towards the centre of the worktop from the front edge of the worktop. The male cut protrudes from the front edge.