Replies

1. 
   BG | Aug 13, 2002 01:09am | #1

   Ken..you got it right..if the corners in the room are square.  Do all the things you said and set miter to 45 degrees. However, internal corners are rarely square...so most do cope (sp) internal corners.  To do a cope is a little tricky to explain (picture worth a thousand words thing).  Basically, one board goes in square ended to the wall corner and the ajoining board is cut out with a coping saw around the outline of the perpendicular piece.  There is an easier way to do this, but trying to expalin it is kinda hard....maybe someone else has a web page to suggest.  Good Luck     

1. 
   uncommontree | Aug 13, 2002 04:54am | #2

   B.G. and Ken

   Your verbal disscription is right on. I was allways told when cutting the cope side you put it in the saw upside down and backwards. Say you want to cut a cope on the left side of your piece , you place your piece on the left side of your saw table up side down. Set the saw so the blade will cut left (pointing towards your left hand). Make your cut. You now need to place your piece on a solid flat surface and clamp it down so about 4" to 6" are over hanging the edge of your work table. With your coping saw cut along the sawcut outline. Allways undercut your cope about 20 deg. or so this will save you a lot of rasping later if your joint is a little off. KEN...... This is exactly what BG was saying with a few more words hope this helps.

2. 
   KenCoe1 | Aug 13, 2002 06:57pm | #5

   It seems unanymous, use a cope cut for the internal corners. How about the external 45's and 90's? Can I set the piece up in the saw, with an auxiliary fence, upside down and make a direct cut? Would the angles be 22 1/2 and 45 or would they be something else? Thanks

1. 
   pkeena | Aug 13, 2002 07:47pm | #6

   Ken, Dewalt's web page has all the angles for setting up the mitersaw table and bevel.  This is if you want to cut the crown as it lays flat on the mitersaw.  This is the way I learned and it has become easier for me to do it this way then setting up another fence.

1. 
   KenCoe1 | Aug 14, 2002 12:55am | #9

   Thanks for the info on the Dewalt site. I printed out the chart and it is pretty impressive. However, I think it still involves some test pieces to get a good fit. I'm not sure if any saw is graduated accurately enough to set miter and bevel angles to two decimal places. I know mine isn't. But it is a very nice chart. Thanks again.

1. 
   wallygs | Aug 14, 2002 07:34am | #10

   You have received sound advice in the previous replys but there are a few tricks you can use. To miter an inside corner start with a 44º cut and see how they fit. It's usually very close. Also on the outside cuts start at 46º and check the fit. A cutting jig helps to hold the pc. at the same angle and keeps the mldg. from moving while being cut.

   Wally.

   
2. 
   KenCoe1 | Aug 14, 2002 05:43pm | #11

   Thanks for the picture. It looks like a good place to start for my situation. I assume you make one jig for 45 degree molding and one for 38/52 degree molding. Also, you must be careful not to cut the jig all the way through. Thanks very much.

3. 
   quatersawn | Aug 14, 2002 11:13pm | #12

   Also, if you put some chamfer stips on the wall first, that match the angle of the crown as it lays against the wall, and screw them to the studs, you'll have a much better surface to attach to. You don't need them the entire length of the walls. You can space them out. I would certainly do them near the inside and outside corners. Are you going to use a pnuematic nail gun? I would suggest it. A strip of wood nailed on the wall first, to lay the bottom of the crown on also helps to hold it in place while you nail it off. Downside is you need to fill and paint the the hole. Sometimes this is preferable, considering some of the difficulties with crown, and unsquare walls.  If you've got another pair of hands around, it'll help too. if not, long strips of wood to wedge between a another wall or the floor and the molding, can help. Good luck.

2. 
   JAllen9301 | Aug 13, 2002 11:15pm | #7

   Coping is a good skill to learn and works great on inside corners. But both inside and outside corner joints can be mitered, even on walls that don't meet perfectly square. To do this, just check the angle the wall meets at with a sliding bevel and a protractor, and set the Miter saw to an angle which bisects the wall angle.

3. 
   BG | Aug 13, 2002 11:38pm | #8

   Ken,

   Jallen kinda answered your question.  For outside corners ..whatever the degree...you need some scrap wood and experiment around the 45 degree angle to see exactly what the correct angle is to make a tight fit.  A bevel helps if you have the tool.  Remember, one little trick to lengthen a cut is to shave off or sand a bit of the flat back side.  Good luck..

2. 
   mike4244 | Aug 13, 2002 07:07am | #3

   Ken, Bg post is right on but I would like to add a couple of things.After making miter cut for the cope joint, install a 14 tooth metal cutting blade in a saber saw.Clamp the molding to the mitersaw fence. Make relief cuts first on the molding profile, keep the base of the sabersaw flat on the cut edge, this will backcut the crown 45 degrees. The toughest part is the flats on the crown, they have to be paper thin.After removing waste with sabersaw clean up the edge with files and sand paper.Check with a short length of crown held at right angles to the coped piece.

   If the back cut is less then 45 degrees you will have a lot of rasping to do.If you have problems getting the coped piece the same height as the previously nailed crown then the flats are not thin enough.Practice with scrap , take your time  and enjoy it.

1. 
   quatersawn | Aug 13, 2002 09:18am | #4

   There is a tool you can buy from a company named Collins, it is called the Collins Coping Foot. I think it is online somwhere, if not I can find his card for you. The foot goes on your Jig saw in place of your regular base plate, and it is rounded, it allows you to follow the contour and profile variation in the crown. A little bit of practice and even the most complex crown is coped in just a couple of minutes. As for mitering. The others have stated it nicely, but go slow, crown is the epitomy of measure twice cut once. Always leave it long first. This tool is very slick. It's about $25