Miter joint clamp

1. A miter joint clamp comprising:

a base having a planar top side; and

a sled mounted on the base for linear movement with respect to the base relative to a miter joint plane perpendicular to the top side of the base,

wherein the sled comprises:

a first sled fence that has a planar first sled surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned at a 135° angle relative to a first side of the joint plane, with the first sled surface being resiliently compressible relative to the sled in a direction perpendicular to the first sled surface; and

a second sled fence that has a planar second sled surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned at a 135° angle relative to a second side of the joint plane, with the second sled surface being resiliently compressible relative to the sled in a direction perpendicular to the second sled surface, and

wherein the base comprises:

a first base fence that has a planar first base surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned generally parallel to the first sled surface; and

a second base fence that has a planar second base surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned generally parallel to the second sled surface and

wherein the first base fence is pivotally mounted relative to the base on a first pivot axis extending parallel to the miter joint plane and further comprising: a first cam actuator operable to pivot the first base fence about the first pivot axis, whereby the parallel alignment of the first base surface relative to the first sled surface is adjustable to within +/−2°.

2. The miter joint clamp of claim 1 wherein the first and second sled surfaces having friction enhancing workpiece engagement faces thereon.

3. The miter joint clamp of claim 1 wherein the first and second base surfaces have friction reducing workpiece engagement faces thereon.

4. The miter joint clamp of claim 1 wherein each sled surface is biased away from the sled.

5. The miter joint clamp of claim 1 wherein the sled has a member that engages the base to fix the sled's position along the joint plane relative to the base.

6. The miter joint clamp of claim 1 , and further comprising:

a first surface extension panel removeably mounted over at least a portion of the first sled surface; and

a second surface extension panel removeably mounted over at least a portion of the second sled surface.

7. The miter joint clamp of claim 1 wherein the base has an open section therethrough between the first and second base fences.

8. A miter joint clamp comprising:

a base having a planar top side; and

a sled mounted on the base for linear movement with respect to the base relative to a miter joint plane perpendicular to the top side of the base,

wherein the sled comprises:

a first sled fence that has a planar first sled surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned at a 135° angle relative to a first side of the joint plane, with the first sled surface being resiliently compressible relative to the sled in a direction perpendicular to the first sled surface; and

a second sled fence that has a planar second sled surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned at a 135° angle relative to a second side of the joint plane, with the second sled surface being resiliently compressible relative to the sled in a direction perpendicular to the second sled surface, and

wherein the base comprises:

a first base fence that has a planar first base surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned generally parallel to the first sled surface and wherein the first base fence is pivotally mounted relative to the base on a first pivot axis extending parallel to the miter joint plane; and

a second base fence that has a planar second base surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned generally parallel to the second sled surface and wherein the second fence is pivotally mounted relative to the base on a second pivot axis extending parallel to the miter joint plane; and

a first cam actuator operable to pivot the first base fence about the first pivot axis, whereby the parallel alignment of the first base surface relative to the first sled surface is adjustable to within +/−2°; and

a second cam actuator operable to pivot the second base fence about the second pivot axis, whereby the parallel alignment of the second base surface relative to the second sled surface is adjustable to within +/−2°.

9. A miter joint clamp comprising:

a base having a planar top side; and

a sled mounted on the base for linear movement with respect to the base relative to a miter joint plane perpendicular to the top side of the base, wherein the sled has a planar first sled surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned at a 135° angle relative to a first side of the joint plant and a planar second sled surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned at a 135° angle relative to a second side of the joint plane;

wherein the base comprises:

a first base fence that has a planar first base surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned at a 45° angle relative to the first side of the joint plane, wherein the first base fence is pivotally mounted relative to the base on a first pivot axis extending parallel to the miter joint plane, and wherein the first base fence comprises a first cam actuator operable to pivot the first base fence about the first pivot axis; and

a second base fence that has a planar second base surface extending perpendicular to the top side of the base and aligned at a 45° angle relative to the second side of the joint plane.

10. The miter joint clamp of claim 9 wherein a first operative angle alignment of the first base surface relative to the joint plant is 45°, and wherein the first base fence is pivoted by the first cam actuator to within +/−2° of the first operative angle alignment.

11. The miter joint clamp of claim 9 wherein the second base fence is pivotally mounted relative to the base on a second pivot axis extending parallel to the miter joint plane, and wherein the second base fence comprises a second cam actuator operable to pivot the second base fence about the second pivot axis.

12. The miter joint clamp of claim 11 wherein a first operative angle alignment of the first base surface relative to the joint plane is 45°, wherein a second operative angle alignment of the second base surface relative to the joint plane is 45°, and wherein each base fence is pivoted by its respective cam actuator to within +/−2° of the respective operative angle alignment for the base surface of that base fence.

13. The miter joint clamp of claim 9 wherein the first and second sled surfaces have friction enhancing workpiece engagement faces thereon.

14. The miter joint clamp of claim 9 wherein the first and second base surfaces have friction reducing workpiece engagement faces thereon.

15. The miter joint clamp of claim 9 wherein each sled surface is resiliently compressible relative to the sled in a direction perpendicular to that sled surface, and wherein each sled surface is biased away from the sled.

16. The miter joint clamp of claim 9 wherein the sled has a member that engages the base to fix the sled's position along the joint plane relative to the base.

17. The miter joint clamp of claim 9 , and further comprising:

a first surface extension panel removeably mounted over at least a portion of the first sled surface; and

a second surface extension panel removeably mounted over at least a portion of the second sled surface.

18. The miter joint clamp of claim 9 wherein the base has an open section therethrough between the first and second base fences.