The last piece of crown molding, only one end coped.

andyeverett wrote the following:

All my moulding, crown or base, is installed with only one coped end.

That's a good article. Page 3 gets to the heart of the matter with "upside-down and backwards." I ran up false paths when I started doing my 3 rooms, with all kinds of angle measurement and saw setting methods. With upside down and backwards on the fence all you need is 45 for corners and 90 for butts. I don't know what "standard practice" is. Didn't cope any corners. But you only cope one end of a piece for any inside corner. My walls are almost square and I managed to get it done with a cheap power saw with only minor gaps that I filled. However you do it, lay out the wood at the store to get a grain match where you will butt. Mismatched grain at the butts is the worse part of mine. You don't even notice what I filled at the corners unless you get close and stare. The butts are really noticeable. Damn, wish you didn't remind me.

--Vic

I thought that butts were cut at 45 as well?

nate

I've seen that suggested. It'll spread the grain transition over a wider area. You'll still see it. Grain matching on a long flat run is most important. The corners go in different directions, with different lighting and sight angles, so grain mismatch is basically invisible there. That's how it looks to me anyway.

--Vic