Trick / Tip for Cutting Molding

[Phil]

I'm putting 1/4 round molding up (down?) in between my baseboard and floor, and I always seem to wind up cutting the miters incorrectly the first time. In other words, if I'm making a cut at the left hand end for an inside corner, I'll invariably wind up cutting it the wrong way and have to redo it. Same thing for the other end of the piece, and same thing for inside or outside corners.

Maybe I'm just thick-headed, but it seems there's got to be a trick / tip for remembering whether the saw should be angled to the left or the right ... is there?

And I feel like I'm constantly shifting the saw from 45 degrees left to 45 degrees right. Isn't there a method to let me keep it set one way or the other and just put the piece in differently?

Thanks ... Phil

[Colbyt]

wind up cutting it

for remembering

degrees right.

put the piece in

One frustrated amateur to the other.

With some trim ( but not with q-round) you can use a piece of the trim to create a shim allowing you to cut them upside down and backwards to avoid the left/right switching. Most times I find it easier to just move the saw. I do try to do cut several rights or lefts and then do the reverse cut when doing more than a very small job. You can actually measure and write down an entire room before you start to cut. Just record your measure on paper with a \ or / to indicate the direction of the cut.

One thing that helps me a lot is to draw the line I want to cut on the stock before I place it in the saw. Just a rough slash to the left or right when looking down on the top of the piece of wood I plan to cut.

I also always measure the piece from the long point of the cut to the long point. I usually add about 1/8" to the measurement. Sometimes I have to cut off a saw blade width but most times I don't. I also keep a quantity of high quality latex caulk on hand (BG).

Colbyt

[R.Smyth]

I have the same problem. I usually make a small diagonal pencil mark showing the proper angle. Be sure to do it on the top surface that the mitre blade will cut in to. This helps reduce the confusion. Nothing worse than botching a cut on an expensive piece of moulding. (It's also useful when cutting intricate moulding to do some tests cuts on small pieces.) And, on the theory that you can always cut more but not add any more, I always cut a wee bit long and then make a second cut if necessary. ds

[dadiOH]

The easiest way to solve the problem is not to use miters...inside corners should be coped. Miter outside corners, cope inside ones.

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[willshak]

On 11/26/2004 11:01 AM US(ET), dadiOH took fingers to keys, and typed the following:

Coped corners are mitered first. Besides, we are talking about 1/4 round moulding. They usually don't get coped (the top tapers off to a sliver).

[Chris Perdue]

very simple for a newbie...just mark the point of the furthest wall...then an inside corner is a backcut(meaning it cuts back into the material) and an outside corner is cut so the miter is "outward" from the corner....(sorry for wording, trying to keep it simple)

[Phisherman]

cutting it

Just strike it with a pencil at the approximate correct angle. When you go to cut the molding you'll know the proper orientation. It's easy to mistake the angle, even for experienced trim carpenters.