Cutting Crown Molding

[KorporatePunk]

Your right Im fine!!!!



[KorporatePunk]

I tried your technique and cut off my fingers, Im suing!

Dam you!!

[AsktheBuilder]

@KorporatePunk You learn fast to type with your toes. That means you'll be just fine.

[ethomfactusest]

Tim sorry but this does not make much sense. I agree that this is a good method but, what are you going to do if you have four corners that are not all 90 deg. In reality we know that not all walls are perfect.

Your suggestion is to make sample cuts for each corner?  It will take all day and probably double the amount of crown moulding actually needed. Perhaps the correct measuring tools would be the better option wouldn't you say.

I

[AsktheBuilder]

@ethomfactusest Thanks for the comment. I believe you miss the point. You can reuse the test pieces countless times.

[hdestin]

Thank you very much. I wish I had watched that video before I started cutting!

[birdysim55]

Thanks for a great tip (which I already knew though). One thing I would like to add though, Make sure that your materials are dry. Otherwise the moldings may shrink over time, and you will get a gap in the corners no matter how good the corners were initially. I have made that mistake a few times. I lay all my moldings right on the floor in the living room and let them stay there for a couple of weeks. If you live in Texas, this is probably not a problem. But in Scandinavia it certainly is.

[packetattack]

Tim is right on. I just did crown molding for a whole house. It's all about being smart, resourceful and knowing the right tools to use. While the seasoned carpenters who are set in their ways were coping everything to finish one room, I had two rooms done and starting on a third by using a BOSCH Digital Protractor. I had tight miter joints with no gaps. I don't care how well you cope, nothing looks as clean and as sharp as a tight sharp miter. All of my power blade tools are Wixey calibrated.

[heydanno777]

AsktheBuilder is right. The only PRACTICAL way to ensure ideal results is to physically place cut pieces next to each other in the corner. Great video!

[emutiny]

This is NOT the proper way to cut crown. Set your mitres at 36.2 and 31.6 respectivley.  I think these are the angles, however they are marked on just about every miter saw available. Just set your peice in there flat and bring the saw down. Flip the peice over to cut the other angle. Using this method you should not have to adjust your saw. It is harder to get the hang of then simply putting your peice in at an angle but you get perfect results.

[AsktheBuilder]

Thanks for your comment, but I respectfully disagree. There are any number of correct ways to determine the precise angle each piece of crown needs to be cut. My test-piece method creates perfect miters in any corner. If your method is faster and better, tape a video for all of us to see. I suggest you share your knowledge in that fashion instead of spending hours making comments.

[malanga13]

Well I think this video will help me to get my project finished. I did a 3x3 foot cabinet for the bathroom that came out really pretty, in really beautiful pine, but when I installed the crown molding in the top base I messed up big time. This is the first time I do cut a crown molding but I'm going to experiment with the damaged piece. I only have a table saw, so I'm going to angle the blade 45 degrees and do it by trial and error. Thanks for the helpful video.

[AsktheBuilder]

Rent a power miter saw and watch my other Crown Molding videos.

[malanga13]

well i was successful! It's been 3 hours since I watched the video, and my cabinet is drying now! I still used the table saw, but after many tries, I figured that if I held the crown molding in the very same position as it was supposed to be, the cut would be perfect (I saw it on another of your videos). And it was, perfect. Thanks.

[AsktheBuilder]

Congrats! It can be done with a table saw, but I couldn't come to advising a person to use one. Pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.

[airborneSGT]

You should do a segment on how to shim and correct gaps that can occur.

[canuck88]

Why wouldn't you just use a protractor to determine the actual angle of the corner??

[AsktheBuilder]

Because a standard protractor is a semi-circle. The different test pieces cut at 43, 44 and 45 degrees for inside corners are the way to go. You keep them in a bucket and use them forever. Cut 45, 46 and 47 degrees for outside-corner test pieces.

[AsktheBuilder]

Because the test-test piece method id faster and easier.

[bin11001010]

Nice tip, I am not sure what the termonolgy is but lets say that was in inside corner, how would you do a outside corner for those rooms that are not retangular in shape but have that tricky corner in a L shaped room.

[AsktheBuilder]

I cover this in past columns about crown molding at my Ask the Builder website.

[eganair]

Awesome tip, thanx!