How To Cut Crown Molding With A Compound Miter Saw

How To Use A Miter Saw For Crown Molding

How To Use A Miter Saw For Crown Molding

How To Cut Crown Molding With A Compound Miter Saw

Crown molding may be considered one of the most intricate details of a home. You’ll find it used in capping walls and cabinets. And it’s heavily used in the creation of interior and exterior door and window hoods. You can even use them where the wooden trim meets to ceilings to add some zest and make things interesting.

That said, the mitre saw is the go to tool when working with crown molding because of its pinpoint accuracy and ease of use.

Before you start, to make things easier, make a few sample pieces. You can start with a pair for the inside and outside corners. They will serve as a guide for you to visualize the molding in place, and to distinguish up from down.

Step 1 – Cut the Corners of your Molding

This is probably the hardest part. You won’t be able to mimic the other trim pieces. And note that the miter saw will make things easy on you.

Step 2 – Let’s Measure and Mark the Wall

Start by measuring the wall for the length. Mark the wall to show the bottom edge of the molding.

Step 3 – Measure and Cut Your First Piece

So once you determine the length, then take the molding then cut the molding in a straight line at a 90-degree angle so both ends of the molding butt against the side walls.

Step 4 – See If The Next Piece Fits Inside of a Corner

Place the miter saw guide to the 45-degree angle point. Set the molding into place. Make sure the edges need are pressed firmly against the saw table and the vertical side fence. This will ensure a great fit.

Step 5 – Learn How the Pieces Fit Together

This is also very important but can be confusing. But don’t worry! Just know that the molding is upside down. This means the molding is upside down, and the edge against he vertical fence is the bottom of the molding and the edge against the table is the top of the molding. You can think of your table as the ceiling.

Step 6 – Now Cut at a 45-Degree Angle

Let’s use a 10-inch saw blade to that perfect 45-degree angle. Pay attention not to cut in the wrong direction. The inside corners bottom should be longer than the top. The top needs to be of greater length than the bottom here.

Step 7 – It’s Time to Cope

So this means that you scribe the end of one molding to the face of the other. I suggest coloring the front part with a marker. This will help you saw with better accuracy, closer to your mark, and help you to guide the start of your cut.

And remember to start slow because of the delicate edge. So cut at a slight angle and cut off more from the edge of the molding. There’s no need to cut it all at one time. Just cut out small pieces. This will help things easier on you.

Step 8 – Check Your Fitting

Look at the scraps to see if they need adjusting. This will reveal if there are any gaps that should be taken down a bit.

Step 9 – It’s Time To Attach Your Molding to the Wall

Now that this fit is good, its time to take it to the wall. For long pieces, you’ll likely need help holding them. You can push the end into the corner to ensure a snug fit, and then attach it to the wall.

Step 10 – Use the Miter for Outside Corners

Outside corners should meet exactly. And if you’re a novice, you may want to paint the molding, being that paint and caulking can be used to hide small mistakes.

I hope this guide can help you get the ball rolling with crown molding. Use these steps as an exact reference. And always remember when dealing with any type of power tools, please proceed with caution. Safety first!

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Categorized as Saws