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Baseboard coped edge

13K views 67 replies 9 participants last post by  kreg McMahon 
#1 ·
Yeah. I have worked my way around the room with baseboard. Now I am at a bit of a dilema. I am not sure how to layout this wall. Here is a picture of it. I wanna know where the coped sides should be. Can I have a coped edge on the same piece that is a 45 mitre or should I straight cut that to the wall?

 
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#2 ·
I think it would be fine to cope one end of a piece and miter the other end for the outside corner. Cut your coped end and get it fitting nice, then cut your miter. Sneak up on the miter cut and take tiny cuts until it fits right...No place for a tape measure!

Doing it the other way you're looking at coping both ends of the piece at the top of the drawing (or a scarf joint in the middle)...Not fun.

Don't forget to glue those outside corners!
 
#4 · (Edited)
On the back wall should I do that piece first and just straight cut both ends?
Another thing those 45's for the outside walls are not really 45's. They are more than that because the wall is off I am guessing cause of the corner bead. Now the chop saw I have can go 2 degree's past 45 however when I place the piece of baseboard standing up against the guide the 10" blade doesn't cut all the way through. This wouldnt be a problem if the baseboard didn't have a profile on it. It is hard to cut the rest of that with a backsaw to make it clean. If only my chop saw would go past the 45 on the tilt. Any help on this would be nice. Thanks.
 
#7 ·
On the back wall should I do that piece first and just straight cut both ends?
Another thing those 45's for the outside walls are not really 45's. They are more than that because the wall is off I am guessing cause of the corner bead.

Yes to the back wall question. For the outside miter use a protractor to find the angle. Take that number and subtract it from 90. Divide by 2. That will give you the angle of the cut. Hold the trim in place and mark for an accurate measurement. Leave the line when you make the cut and fine tune as necessary.
 
#5 ·
Soxfan33,

You are correct that the back wall will have "butt" cuts (90's) both ends. The two side walls will each have a cope and an outside corner.

Regarding your saw delema - there are lots of guys with 9 fingers who could tell you how to do it on your chop saw! You have two options:

1. If you have lots of cuts to make greater than 45 degrees - rent a saw. Many go to 50 - 55 degrees.

2. If you only have a few of these cuts to make - use your back saw, with a file and sanding block (remember the only place the joint is seen is on the very outside (where the two tips meet).

Good luck!

Paul
 
#13 ·
Jay: follow the bouncing ball ROFLOL the back or farthest pc IS STRAIGHT PC :}:} You then cope the sides INTO that pc.
Now this is the most difficult part, super secret, complicated part.
make your cope cuts as good as you can, leave the pcs long, butt them into the back pc and SMACK THE END with a hammer to drive that coped end tighter, then mark the mitered ends right along the corner they are on, NO RULERS NEEDED.DO NOT NAIL THEM YET, the opposing sides of the mitered corners repeat the process, cope em whack em, scribe em, then put em together and all should br nice and tight then nail the beaches :yes::laughing: I will send the invoice for "Trim School" :wink::whistling2:
 
#16 ·
One more question on this subject. I have a closet to do in the same room. I got a little or maybe no issue but I will ask anyway. I will have one back pc with butt cuts on both sides and then the right and left pc's will both be coped to the butt cuts. Now there is a 1" gap between the colonial on the door trim. Should I even bother to put a 1" pc in there. The baseboard is a 1/2" thick so there would be a 1/2" space between the colonial door trim and the baseboard. I can't see putting a 1/2" pc of baseboard that is coped. There was a little piece previously when there were square 3" baseboard but with the profile of this baseboard should I do it or not?
 
#17 ·
OK there will be an additional fee for this NEW question; :laughing:

Yes. Is the answer. Same method as the previous question. the space in a closet is no different than one in a room just that normally the closet is smaller:) To do the returns simply cope the end of an oversized pc, fit per instructions and glue it instead of nailing :thumbup::yes:
 
#20 · (Edited)
There are no dumb questions, only smart ass answers from a nutcracker ROFLMAO
I just use good ole Tbond II works fine. "liquid Nails" LOL good one.
However in reality glue like that is too thick, will not allow you to get it tight to wall. IF you can find it the best is Titebond "molding" glue. That is not the exact name but close enuf for you to recognize it when you see it, it is made just for moldings etc, heavier body and quick grab and tack. It is kinda hard to find but Blowes and Home Dumpo usually has it.

Just for you thweetie I went into shop and the correct name is "TITEBOND WOOD MOLDING GLUE"
 
#23 ·
I think you guys were drinking just a little too much over the weekend. :laughing:

This is the best way to run the base.... (I've done this hundreds/thousands of times over the last 10 years, it's the correct way to do it. (to the op: no one's gonna arrest you if you do it differently :wink:).
 

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#24 ·
#25 ·
Jay,
If you run the trim like that when the wood contracts (it will sooner or later) a small gap will become visible upon entering the room. That is why you always run your copes along the path of the eye when entering a room. Also you want to avoid double copes if you can. If you are going to caulk and paint the trim you may get away with installing the trim backwards like that. The way that we are explaining the procedure is "textbook" and generally considered the proper way to run trim.
 
#27 ·
No because a miter does not allow you any control as to where the gap may be seen. It is all about perception. A miter that opens up can be seen at any angle. A cope allows you to control from what position of the room a gap may be visible. Either method used you want the joints to fit snugly when you install them. However as I have stated, eventually the wood will expand and contract as is the nature of wood. When it does so gaps at some point are inevitable somewhere in the trim job. In addition applying to much pressure to a coped joint can damage the profile.
 
#28 ·
Of course it can, who said anything about applying too much pressure? It comes down to knowing your work. Like anything else after you've learned the proper way to do something and do it for a number of years it becomes second nature.

Coping can be difficult for a first timer (wait until the op gets into some crown), but it just takes a little practice (and swearing, probably :laughing:) to become proficient.

If that room was a square (meaning there would be some pressure at the joint where there are now outside miters), yes you would cope the 2 side pieces. But the layout of the room dictates that the back piece is coped, as there will be NO pressure on the joint if the side pieces are coped into the back piece.
 
#29 ·
:yes:Jay; If working backwards makes you happy then enjoy. All I can say is that I have been doing this for a tad more than a week or two, 30 yrs to be closer and if what you say is true then there are close to a thousand houses that I have to go back to and tear the trim out of:whistling2:
The way myself and arI describe is the best way we have found that doesnt mean yours isnt right to you just that your methoc will always show the joints and never look right.
 
#31 ·
Jat123,
Even if you have "pressure on the joint" the wood still expands and contracts. If you are doing what I suspect you are, cutting the pieces a little big to apply pressure you are still going to have issues at some point. This can also give smaller mouldings the "rippled look". It can cause bigger mouldings to bow out off the wall. It can also still contract enough to open up a gap. I have had to go behind guys and correct all of these issues in the past. If you are installing the trim snugly the joint will open and close periodically. As has been explained, you want to control the line of sight.

I would venture to say after 30 years Sky probably can cope in his sleep. I agree with you that a poor cope is not going to look good no matter how it is installed. I would also imagine all three of us are quite capable of making proper copes. That is not the issue. The issue is where to put the cope. That is also where I guess we will have to agree to disagree.
 
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