Replies

1. 
   saschafer | Oct 09, 2007 08:37pm | #1

   It depends on the crown molding angle, but there is a table for the most common angles (58/32 and 45/45) here.

   -Steve

    

1. 
   UPNORTH | Oct 09, 2007 11:16pm | #2

   Crown molding is 1 5/8s.  I layed the molding flat with good side up.  I have the same chart.  I went to the 135 degree number and used those numbers and they didn't work.  I'm missing something and its a bit frustrating not to what it is.  thanks steve

   Bob

1. 
   saschafer | Oct 09, 2007 11:40pm | #3

   Well, either your molding isn't one of the two standard angles, or else you mis-set the cut. Cutting crown molding is one of those things that can't be worked out without visual aids, so I'm working blind here....

   First check to verify that you haven't swapped the miter and bevel angles.

   Now look at the miter angle. When you set the two pieces in position, is the gap between them (a) at the top, (b) at the bottom, or (c) neither. If the answer is (c), then the miter angle is correct. If (a), the miter angle is too large, if (b), too small.

   Once you've gotten the miter angle pretty close, move on to the bevel angle. Again with the two pieces set in position, is there a gap (a) at the front (outside), (b) at the back (inside), or (c) nowhere? If the answer is (c), then you're done. If the answer is (a), the bevel angle is too large, if (b), too small.

   -Steve

    

    

2. 
   oldusty | Oct 10, 2007 12:17am | #4

   UN ,

                 When you say you "  layed the molding flat " did if you cut it like that ? , there is a good chance that's the problem if you did .

          You cut crown sort of upside down and backwards on the chop saw

                            dusty

1. 
   saschafer | Oct 10, 2007 02:56am | #5

   "You cut crown sort of upside down and backwards on the chop saw"

   That's only if you're using a simple (not compound) miter saw.

   -Steve

    

1. 
   oldusty | Oct 10, 2007 04:04am | #6

   I cut my crown that way on both simple chop saw and sliding miter saw as well .

                 Do you mean laying the molding flat and tilting the blade ?

2. 
   saschafer | Oct 10, 2007 04:13am | #8

   The blade on a simple miter saw rotates only around a vertical axis. With such a saw, you have to cut crown molding "in position," but upside down, held up against the back fence.

   The blade on a compound miter saw rotates around two axes, one vertical and one horizontal. (The two angles are called the "miter" and "bevel" angles, respectively.) You can cut crown molding in position with a compound miter saw, too, of course; you just don't make use of the bevel capability. But you also have the option of cutting "on the flat," with the flat back of the molding resting on the bed of the saw.

   Cutting on the flat has a couple of advantages: The molding is held more stably and is therefore less likely to slip during the cut, and you can cut much larger profiles than you can cut with the molding in position.

   But cutting on the flat also has the disadvantage that the geometry is much more complex, so it's more work to figure out what you have to do to get the cut to come out right.

   -Steve

    

3. 
   oldusty | Oct 10, 2007 04:21am | #9

     Steve ,     yes you are correct , I never said anything to the contrary.

4. 
   UPNORTH | Oct 10, 2007 05:27am | #10

   Well guys I'm sooo far into the woods I can't see the trees anymore!!  The molding is 52/38 and I have a Porter CAble compound chop saw.

5. 
   mike4244 | Oct 10, 2007 08:05pm | #13

   Kitchen cabinet crown you are using is different from regular crown. I only cut this type a couple of times,took me a half hour to figure what I did wrong.

   If I recall,I cut the crown right side up insteaed of upside down. I think I held the crown in the installation position against the fence. This is easy because of the small size. Try it,am pretty sure I'm correct.

   mike

6. 
   oldusty | Oct 10, 2007 07:50am | #11

   Steve , I'm sure you know that you can also cut crown flat on the table saw as well as the compound miter saw .

        d

7. 
   saschafer | Oct 10, 2007 04:34pm | #12

   "I'm sure you know that you can also cut crown flat on the table saw as well as the compound miter saw ."

   Sure. You can do it with any setup that allows you to independently vary the blade angle along two perpendicular axes of rotation. The tablesaw does that via the miter gauge and blade tilt angles (corresponding to the miter and bevel angles, respectively, on the miter saw). It's perhaps a bit awkward to use a tablesaw to trim the end off of a piece of molding that's 12' long, of course.

   I don't know if such a device exists, but it would even be possible to build a machine where you directly set the crown angle and the angle between the walls, and it automatically converts those into the appropriate miter and bevel angles.

   -Steve

    

2. 
   bones | Oct 10, 2007 04:05am | #7

   Here is a really good site that gives more information than you can shake a stick at.  I stumbled across it as I was looking at getting the starrett protractor.

   http://www.installcrown.com/index.html

   Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases:
   If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
   And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
   
3. 
   colebearanimals | Oct 11, 2007 02:03am | #14

   Hi UPNORTH,

           It doesn't't matter what kind of chopsaw you use. I find the easiest way is to turn it upside down with it laying against the fence and bed of the saw at an angle. That angle would be its' installation angle only upside down. Then just cut it like it was a flat piece of stock. No compound cut required.

                                                        Paul

1. 
   oldusty | Oct 11, 2007 02:34am | #15

   Hi Brother Duck ,

                   I see it the way you do , some folks got to make it sound more difficult then need be .

                  I hear your getting some big Salmon in your area

                             dusty

1. 
   colebearanimals | Oct 11, 2007 04:38am | #16

   Howdy dusty,

         That's what I was thinking. It's being over analyzed.

         Yea. They've been getting some real monsters, I've heard.

         GO DUCKS

                                        Paul

1. 
   Dave51 | Oct 11, 2007 07:43pm | #17

   I agree with all who use the upside down method.  The only other suggestion is to clamp a stop on the horizontal table of the miter to hold the crown at the correct angle. 

   Dave