Angles for cutting crown mouldings

sjrhome

Does anyone know the angles for cutting crown in a compund saw? I saw on a tv show once a guy lay the crown flat and set the saw to one angle and the bevel to another...It was 2 different #s somewhere around 33 degrees ...anyone?

dkpbxman

For 52*/38* crown the angles are 31.6 miter and 33.9 bevel

For 45*/45* crown the angles are 35.3 miter and 30* bevel

sjrhome

Thats what I was looking for..thank you

allthumbs

sigh... and what happens when the pieces you cut using these settings don't meet up very well ??

The first corner I am trying to do is 91 degrees... if have gone to a bunch of different sites and charts etc.. and have seen 4 or 5 different miter and bevel numbers for my mouldings spring angle... (52)

i guess my question would be... how the heck does someone just do crown with a miter box?? wouldn't they end up with a bunch of perfect corners on walls that are not perfect??

this is really confusing me!

jproffer

Lay the first piece in straight and nail. Cut the second piece backwards from what is "normal" and cope it.

AtlanticWBConst.

Corners are rarely 'tru' 45 degrees inside or outside. That is why baseboard and crown is generally 'coped' cut on inside corners....

On outside corners:
When installing any kind of trim, especially crown molding, you may have to do some 'test' cuts because each corner might be a little 'off due to plaster or drywall compound 'build-up'.
(We had one guy that worked for us doing taping). He did a good job except that, he would do his inside corners with a plastering corner tool instead of a taping knife and 'wreck' all the inside corners. They would get built up to 'not even being close' to a 45 degree.)

A test cut can be done using a scrap piece of crown molding (BTW- if doing crown molding for the 1st time...Make sure that you buy ALOT of extra length)
Each test cut piece should be a minimum of 1' in length. Use the degree guide as a starting point. Use the TWO opposing degree.... 'test cut lengths' to check a corner when you get to it. If it is slightly 'off' - try to figure out if it's more or less that have to be adjusted. Cut TWO at the adjusted lengths and then put them up to the corner to see if you got it right. Do this until you get the degree measurements right. make sure that you MARK or WRITE what the degrees are on the back of the test cut pieces when you do get it right. Put those test cut's aside and use them when you come to a corner that is 'slightly off'. Hold them up and check....and re-adjust your saw to compensate. When you get it right, then do your cuts on the full length pieces.
You will be flying along like a PRO...before you know it...

__________________
- Build Well -

allthumbs

uh... i better get some more moulding! i have found i am also horrible at copeing too

mikemy6

Rub the leading edge with the side of a pencil point this will give you an easier line to follow also small fine rattail files will help.

VA Beach Trimmer

A coping saw blade with the most teeth will help also....

rgmetro

if its white crown moulding you're putting up, then coping is the way to go.

when you're done take out your best friend, Mr. Caulk.

I've installed moulding by cutting it flat...using a bevel/miter and it came out really nice too...but i found it easier to cope.

after i cut with the coping saw, i shape it with a dremel and tiny sanding drum.

RPB Construction

turn your crown around put the face of the crown to the inside..Get your angle with an angle finder first and practice buy an extra length and practice....I just had to install some new crown moulding on half a house that was ice damaged my 45's were 35's and my 22 1/2's were 21 a 45 degree angle has become a rarity forr some reason..

joe3534

Try this for fool-proof cuts.

GaveUpOnTV

i'm a decent finish carpenter and I've both coped and used tables for installing crown. When everything works well, tables are faster. My secret is using that book from Home Depot, I did a search and it's here http://www.compoundmiter.com/. It has worked real well for me, and does stuff that I've never done, and probably won't (transitions to coffer or cathedral ceilings, and misc.) Like I said, it's also faster. Just have a decent chop saw (and it tells you how to check and true this even)
The trick is using their protractors to measure the wall to see it's it's 91 degrees or 88-1/2 etc You then look at the table and it will tell you what angle and what miter to use. Enough said, check it out, you gotta have a Home Depot close by, keep reciepts and if it doesn't work you can get your money back.
I said when everything works well, if you calc wall angles (with angle tool) everything WILL work well when using tables.

VA Beach Trimmer

The measuring tool that you need to go with the $20 book is another $17.00....There is not enough demand for the cathedral ceiling crown in my location to justify the cost...I wouldn't mine having it, but i'd rather put my $$ toward a new blade...JMHO...Good thread though..

GaveUpOnTV

a trick to remove material fast when coping is to use a belt sander (removing profile on crown) or even better a small 4 or 4-1/2" grinder with a sanding pad and the coarsest sanding disc (about 24 or 36 grit) you can get. Oh, if it's big crown (bigger than 4 inches or so wide) it's best to nail backing blocks up to nail to first, you don't have to aim for joists or studs or your double top plate then) allow a small (1/4") gap between the block and when the crown is installed, this pulls the crown tight agaisnt the wall.
This stuff isn't nearly as hard as it sounds, just try it will a few small pieces and when you start, work on longest sections first (oh yeah, think how the best place is to start and finish for ease of install) if a mistake happens, you can use on a shorter section of wall.
Gary Katz is a fine carpenter who has many DVD's you can buy here http://www.garymkatz.com/ or you can also rent them here (look in construction, it has everything anybody needs for everything , well almost!) http://smartflix.com/store/author/205/Gary-Katz