Best way to cut crown moulding??

[DaveO]

I am close to the point in building of my wife's Xmas kitchen hutch where I'll be cutting the crown moulding for it. I have never done crown before :5dunce: and would rather not have to make to many practice cuts in $3.00 a l.f. moulding8-O I did by a cheap piece of MDF crown to practice with, but would still appreciate any advice on the subject.
The cuts will all be outside 90°, I know about coping for the inside cuts :-D
Also what is a good way to attach it to the top of a carcass. I was thinking of using 45° glue blocks, I would like to avoid using brads or pins if I can, it will be natural finished Red Oak.

TIA, Dave

 

[jglord]

Dave:
In the past, I've cut crown molding on my chop saw using the crown molding stops. These hold the molding at the proper angle - i.e. the same way it will mount but upside down. By swinging the saw to 45 degrees the cuts work well.
If you would like you can borrow my set-up, it is at the store and you're welcome to use it. I won't be in the store until Friday and will bring the crown stops for my saw with me then. I have a 90 tooth blade mounted which yields very clean cuts.
PM me if you'd like to borrow it.

 

[NZAPP1]

Dave I also have an adjustable crown molding cutting fixture you could use. You do have to cut it upside down and backwards. On a book case I built I ripped my own glue blocks you will need to figure out just what you need to fit your crown. I glued and brad nailed my glue blocks to the top using a short piece of molding to gauge it

 

[walnutjerry]

I am close to the point in building of my wife's Xmas kitchen hutch where I'll be cutting the crown moulding for it. I have never done crown before :5dunce: and would rather not have to make to many practice cuts in $3.00 a l.f. moulding8-O I did by a cheap piece of MDF crown to practice with, but would still appreciate any advice on the subject.
The cuts will all be outside 90°, I know about coping for the inside cuts :-D
Also what is a good way to attach it to the top of a carcass. I was thinking of using 45° glue blocks, I would like to avoid using brads or pins if I can, it will be natural finished Red Oak.

TIA, Dave

Dave----I use a mitre saw(Delta) set on 45 degrees. Just remember to place the moulding upside down and fitting the table and fence when making the cuts.

The angle you will need for a block behind the crown will probably be more like 30-35 degrees. Not many mouldings are milled at 45 degrees. Usually they are 30 on one side and 60 on the other--------resulting in more coverage coming down the wall than on the ceiling.

Measure twice---cut once

Jerry

 

[stoneskippers]

Dave I don't what type of miter saw you have, but on my 12" Ridgid it has compound setting preset for crown molding so you can lay it flat and cut it.

 

[DaveO]

John, I have a older Dewalt 12" CMS, but I don't think that it has any presets for that. I'll have to look. If not there's two angles to get wrong...double chance to screw up. Murphy's Law is already reigning on this project :BangHead:

I like the idea of using the single 45° setting (which I've dialed in well) and angling the work piece. Anyone have a picture of what these stops/fixtures look like. I hate to borrow or buy something when I can make it myself :-D

Thanks Jerry, for the tip on the glue block angles. I would have assumed that the crown sat at a 45°.

Dave

 

[dozer]

Dave let me know when you are ready to do the crown, I use to be a trim carpenter I can swing by and give you a hand real quick.

 

[botebum]

I can build boats. I can turn 4 identical legs on the lathe with just some calipers. I can even keep SWMBO happy(most of the time). But I honestly and truly SUCK! at doing crown. One wonders how far Dozer is willing to travel;-)

Doug

 

[Travis Porter]

IMO, crown is a royal PITA. The crown stops for your saw depend on the model as they are different for the slider versus the stationary. IIRC, the price on them isn't too bad and they are worth the price IMO.

I totally agree with cutting it upside down and using stops.

BTW, I agree with the blocks, but I don't think they will be at a 45 degree angle. IIRC, it is more like 30 or so, but you better check before you start cutting.

 

[jglord]

John, I have a older Dewalt 12" Compound Miter Saw, but I don't think that it has any presets for that. I'll have to look. If not there's two angles to get wrong...double chance to screw up. Murphy's Law is already reigning on this project :BangHead:

I like the idea of using the single 45° setting (which I've dialed in well) and angling the work piece. Anyone have a picture of what these stops/fixtures look like. I hate to borrow or buy something when I can make it myself :-D

Thanks Jerry, for the tip on the glue block angles. I would have assumed that the crown sat at a 45°.

Dave

Dave:
The crown stops hold the piece at the correct angle with reference to the wall and ceiling. This means you only need to set the miter angle - in your case 45 and you get the correct compound angle cut without using the second angle on the back of your saw.
Folks are right - Dewalt makes different crown stops for different saws. This why I offered both my saw and stops.

 

[walnutjerry]

Thanks Jerry, for the tip on the glue block angles. I would have assumed that the crown sat at a 45°.

Dave

Your welcome Dave--------the difference between us is the fact I have had over 25 years longer to make mistakes, some of them I remember:rolf: .

Experience is a good teacher-----------costly as the dickens sometimes but it does teach you:icon_thum .

Jerry

 

[Joe Scharle]

This site may help.
How to install crown site map

 

[Charles M]

Thanks Jerry, for the tip on the glue block angles. I would have assumed that the crown sat at a 45°.

Dave

Dave,

The most common crown angle is 38°/52° (38° from vertical for the wall and 52° from horizontal for the ceiling). You might want to consider ripping a 38° piece for a support and attaching to the crown before mitering. This could give you more stability on the saw.

 

[Mark Anderson]

here's the way i do it, with or without stops;

first step is to find out how far the crown "beds" from the ceiling down and from the wall out. this is done with a framing square. lay the square down on a flat surface, and cut a short peice of crown (1/2''). then bed the crown into the frameing square making sure that the flat spots on the back are in contact with the square properly (they are cut at 90 deg to each other)

note the measurement from the inside corner of the square, one is shorter than the other

now go to your miter saw and on both the right and left hand side mark both measurements on the table and back fence. measure the sort distance out from the fence and mark it on the table, measure the longer distance from the from the table up and mark it on the fence.

now with the saw set at 90 degs bed the crown into the waw and aline it with the four marks you have just made, this is eazest with a peice of crown just onger than the table, but can be done with a full lenth if you make sure that the ends are suported. draw a line on the table and fence along the two dedges of the crown moulding. next turn your saw to a 45 deg angle left and re draw the lines on the table, then repeate with the saw turned to right. this will form an "X" on the parth that rotates with the blade.

if your job requires 22.5 degree angles repete the last step for 22.5 degree anle also

if you are useing stops you now aline the peice of molding with the marks you have made on the saw and just bring the stop in to touch the molding and clamp down (all the stop dose is to hold the moulding form sliding out from the fence)

the whole secret to cutting crown moulding is the the moulding must be "bedded" into the saw at the same anngle that it will be bedded into the workpeice, or the ceiling and wall. so as i am installing the moulding i will mark the longer measurement on the wall down from the ceiling and use this as a referance when nailing it up.