A Few Thoughts On Crown Molding

If you're a beginner in woodworking, you might find yourself a bit put off when it comes to fitting crown molding. Given that it is far more difficult than any woodwork you may have done so far, doing the crown molding requires a lot of dexterity and training. Even the smallest of errors is likely to be detected by anyone. Rest assured though, that once you get the hang of it, you won't find it so overwhelming. In fact, once you have the right tools for the job and have learned a few good techniques, you will be quite successful with crown molding.

Cutting angles accuracy is the key.

The most crucial aspect of this woodwork project is the cutting. The cuts must be precision both in angle and length. The right angle gets more important the wider the molding becomes. For when it comes to wider molding, the smallest miscalculation of angle will translate into a visible gap after the pieces have been joined.

If you think that cutting crown molding is as easy as cutting a picture frame, then you are sadly mistaken. When it comes to the right way of cutting molding, two techniques are commonly practiced. A compound cut works really well if both your miter and your saw blade are set correctly. If you tilt the saw blade it will make a slant cut. As for the miter cut, you'll have to set the saw fence to an angle. If you want to arrange the molding down with care while doing the cutting, you will find this method most useful.

Put your math skills to good use and show those angles who's the boss

You don't have to be a genius in mathematics, but you do have to know a thing or two on the subject if you want to use the compound cutting technique. However, no tragedy will occur if you lack math skills, since there are ready-made charts for different crown moldings. A thirty-eight degree cut is so often used that most saws come with pre-set markings for making the cuts needed for ninety degree corners. Miter cut marks are set at 31.6, whereas bevel cut marks are set at 33.9.

The "Upside Down" technique is another equally successful method employed in cutting the crown molding. Most carpenters who do a lot of trim cutting feel this is the easier and the most effective technique. Using this method, the cutting is done by holding the mold in the place it will take when installation is complete. In order to achieve that, all you need to do is turn the molding upside down in such way that the ceiling rests of the saw bed can meet the molding's edge. Also, the fence of the saw sustaining the wall rests will need to be set right against the molding. After you've finished setting all this in place and made sure that the blade and the saw bed meet perpendicularly, perform a 45 degree cut. Adjusting angles is a much easier task thanks to this method.