To cope, or to miter?

[DevinL'Ecu]

Okay, this has been bothering me for a good long time- why is it that almost universally tube to tube joints are called miters, when the more appropriate term is a cope? We're not cutting two tubes at complimentary angles; we're wrapping one tube around the other.

Any finish carpenter worth the term would laugh you out of earshot if you called a coped transition a miter.

So what gives?

[Eric Estlund]

Jig:fixture
Brass: bronze

It's short hand, and we know what we mean. Call it what you want- people will follow along.

Copes and miters are also both clothing, but we let that slide.

[EricKeller]

you will find the word cope occasionally, but if you want to search for something about coping tubes, you should probably look for miter. I don't think the framebuilding world made up that terminology. Just a simple google battle shows that mitering tubes wins with a 4700000 hits over 1060000 hits. I'm going to make a wild assertion that many of those are not cycling related.

OTOH, maybe the information you find with a search for "coping tubes" is better, and not just more pedantic

[DevinL'Ecu]

Eric Estlund- very true, just spelled "mitre."

Eric Keller- I feel like it just gained traction as a term because people cope fewer joints (it being the more difficult method and all (speaking for carpentry, not framebuilding)) and it somehow infiltrated the vernacular as a catch-all.

Anyone here consistently refer to their joints as copes?

[suzyj]

Well given that all my frames get little fish decals, I'm gonna have to admit to calling them fishmouths.

[Eric Estlund]

just spelled "mitre."

Also spelled "mitre".

That's the cool thing about English. We're both right!

[DevinL'Ecu]

Wow, I actually did not know that "the" hat could be spelled "miter." Learn something new everyday!

[Mark Kelly]

They all derive from the same root "mitre" OF, itself from "mitra" L = turban.

The reference is to the similarity in shape.

"Cope", on the other hand, has no reference to shape, it's simply the english version of "coupe(r)" F = cut, best known from the past participle "coupé" (in reference to a car with the back half cut off)

[Mike Mcdermid]

there are days when i just cant cope at all

[dsaul]

As a woodworker, this has bothered me as well, but I just go with the flow. It seems to be the accepted term and not worth making waves about.

Dave Saul
Flickr: David Saul's Photostream

[devlin]

there are days when i just cant cope at all

so you mitre as well go for a ride.

[EricKeller]

As a woodworker, this has bothered me as well, but I just go with the flow.

I think "cope" is more of a trim carpenter term, I would have to say that woodworkers use miter fairly often, but there isn't a whole lot of coping going on.

[Jonathan]

Also spelled "mitre".

That's the cool thing about English. We're both right!

Is miter English or Murican?

[dsaul]

I think "cope" is more of a trim carpenter term, I would have to say that woodworkers use miter fairly often, but there isn't a whole lot of coping going on.

I see what you did there Woodworkers are sometimes cabinetmakers and there is a fair bit of coping involved in making cabinet doors, although it is usually done with router or shaper bits.

[crumpton]

fact is in finish carpentry, you cope after you miter. the miter provides the profile that the coping saw follows. but so few people do this anymore. just chop, jam and caulk these days.

[Todd Mosley]

fact is in finish carpentry, you cope after you miter. the miter provides the profile that the coping saw follows. but so few people do this anymore. just chop, jam and caulk these days.

I used to do remodel work and bossman required coping, just as you described. You'd still have to caulk though.

[e-RICHIE]

It takes at least 10,000 hour before it's mitering atmo.
Until then, you are just coping.

[Andrew R Stewart]

It takes at least 10,000 hour before it's mitering atmo.
Until then, you are just coping.

I've been trying to come up with a witty pun on this thread. Richard gets the award! Andy.

[e-RICHIE]

I've been trying to come up with a witty pun on this thread. Richard gets the award! Andy.

It was only half wit atmo.

[EricKeller]

fact is in finish carpentry, you cope after you miter. the miter provides the profile that the coping saw follows. but so few people do this anymore. just chop, jam and caulk these days.

Fine Homebuilding recently had a article about coping miters. I wonder if there is a house in town newer than the '50s where the trim is done that way. Cletus probably hasn't heard the term.