Baseboards - measure twice, cut four times and then fake it.

[Fred]

Thank God for caulk and paint.

Non of the inside or outside corners of my walls are true 90 degrees so final results at the corners are a little off when mitering at 45 degrees. Even off by 2 or 3 degrees will show up as out of alignment at the corners where the baseboards don't meet exactly. I've tried coping for the first time but it was a long process with trial errors before it looked ok - forgot to take the coping saw with me, had to freehand on the TS. I had some odd shaped walls also and had to divide the angle exactly by half using trial and error or simple high school geometry as eyeballing it results in disaster. After about four hundred feet of baseboards I'm getting the hang of it so accurately is a must since a degree off here and a 1/16" off their will show. So far this is only simple angles and I needed to resort to caulk and paint.

Next crown moldings with compound angles - now I'll be really challenged with those funky walls. I need to dust off my descriptive geometry book and see if it helps. Is this where coping comes in play more than baseboards?

[HMFIC- 1369]

I read the subject line and I broke out laughing... I just did a kitchen no only every wall out of square, out of plumb but warped too...There are angle measurment tools that make it easier on you, but sometimes you just have to fudge it.................

[ATP*]

Never miter inside corners. Always cope. The joint, properly done, will always turn out better.

[RayV]

When I need to make angled cuts for molding I use this method:

Draw lines parallel to each wall that extend beyond each wall so the lines meet. Make sure the lines are the same distance from each wall, I just place a ruler against each wall. Connect the intersection point of the lines to the corner of the wall and that is half your angle. Use your bevel gauge to 'read' the angle and set your saw. Can't take credit or this, I saw/read it somewhere.

Never tried coping or crown molding but crown molding can be made easy according to these guys.

[No]

A few of my favorite sayings around the job site.

"A little caulk and a little paint make a carpenter what he aint" "Measure once, cut twice" "No matter how many times I cut this (insert your preferred exploitative) board it is still too short" "Who is going to invent that dang board stretcher"

[RayV]

This guy?

[Randal]

Every person I know that has ever done wallpaper "professionally", has stated (flooring people make the same comment) "if they ever find a house with a true 90 degree corner", they will buy it!

[loutent]

Hi Fred,

I feel your pain. I just got down off the ladder in our family room where I am wrapping stained oak crown around the entertainment center & brick fireplace. About 35 ft of crown but in a dozen pieces, with sloped ceilings (up & down) and uneven brick. I work a couple hours a day (being retired!). I have one last piece that I'm cursing at and trying again to get it right: about 6 ft across the 11.5 ft high ceiling, then a short slope down on the vaulted ceiling and around a corner - all this where the vertical "wall" is actually brick which is very uneven in some areas. Add to this that the drywall that butts the fireplace has no wood behind it for the first few inches. This is my 2nd go around with it.

I have been using some MDF crown for my test pieces since I stained and partially finished the oak. When it is all up I will fill the nail holes and wipe on one or two more coats of poly.

I have done quite a bit of painted crown around the house and for friends & relatives - all on normal (flat) ceilings. I got pretty good at it & learned to cope pretty well. Caulk always helped when necessary.

Really looks good when it's done right tho.

Lou

[Fred]

Cool, don't need compass either!

[Prometheus]

Definately- you'll have nice looking joints with coping, but a billionth of an inch off on crown is going to look terrible with a compound miter cut on the inside corners. Coping is more forgiving with walls that are out of true, and the joint stays tight as the house moves.

[Fudd]

I am new in this wood game and may also be a slow learner. I DO NOT understand what you are trying to say. Could you please provide a simple drawing to illustrate how you "Draw lines parallel to each wall that extend beyond each wall so the lines meet"

Appreciate your reply

Fudd [e-mail]

[RayV]

I'll try and draw it with text since I can't post pictures right now.

\ \ \ Walls \ \________ Lines _\_________ \

If this looks OK you should be able to see that if you connect the corner of the walls to the intersection of the lines you will get half the angle.

Anyone know how I can post pictures to APBW without a newsreader? I'm using Google groups from work right now.

[RayV]

Another attempt at text drawing...

\ \ \ Walls \ \________ Lines _\_________ \

[Rick]

After hanging about 1500 linear ft of crown in my home and trying both methods, I can tell you for certain that coping inside miters is definitely the best way. It does take several attempts to get the hang of it but, once you get it, it is so much easier and looks tremendously better. One of the tricks I found most useful is to carry a patternmakers rasp and a coarse half-round file in your toolbelt. These make life a lot easier when trying to clean up the cope for that perfect fit. Also, I do not try and cope long boards. I'll butt joint about a foot and a half from the corner and that gives me a managable length which I can tweak the fit while still on the ladder. A bevel ripped backer-board goes a long way towards supporting large crown and makes a perfect spot to nail.

my ¢2