The first time I encountered the joint shown here — which I’ve since seen referred to as a “hunting miter” — I attempted to treat it like any other miter. But it was immediately obvious that something was wrong: The mitered moldings met at the corners, but the profiles wouldn’t align. This problem becomes very noticeable on a wide, detailed molding. In order for the profiles to line up properly, the miter must be curved, as shown in the sketch.

To see the steps that I follow to produce the joint, click on the slide show.