I have watched so many videos my head and spinning. Once I discovered how uneven my ceiling is ... I realize now that coping is my only hope. This video is EXACTLY what I needed ... slow, step by step and close up camera work. Thank you so much for doing this -- us amateurs (me) are super appreciative.
This is the only video I found that shows how to put the crown molding against the fence and cut the 45ﾟ angle. My first attempt was with the crown molding flat, and of course it didn't work. Darkening the cut line with a pencil and finishing it off with a round file are great tips!
I tried my hand at crown molding recently and learned if the angles weren’t exact, filler became my best friend! 😂😂 Trying it again in another room and plan to cope the corners. Great demo. Thank you!
remember the old saying, " a little paint of caulk, a little bit of paint, makes you the carpenter that you ain't." I use more caulk and filler than I like to admit.
I haven't tried this yet but, I hope it's as easy as you make it look! Thank you, this was by far the best demonstration of this technic that I have seen.
Well done! Best video on coping -- even better than TOH. I just finished cutting my best inside corners ever. My coping blade was dull, so I used my B&D OSCILLATING MULT-TOOL with the wide, fine tooth blade. It takes a steady hand, but it allows you to easily go back and remove more material if you need to. It helps to clamp down the molding, face up, so you can hold the heavy tool steady with two hands.
This is the best and very explained video I have seen on TH-cam. I've been looking for a video like this for weeks, now I will install my cronwmoldings without being afraid of ruin them. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.
Excellent tutorial on how to cope. Thank you for not being all over the place (with your words & thoughts), you stayed on topic & delivered a great how to video.
Very nice demonstration, John… Probably watched this five times now and I can see that it takes some practice to gain confidence with the coping saw, but you explain the concept well so thank you!
This video is exactly what I needed to see. Concise explanations and great camera angles. Thank you for providing this to the public! I just got my first coping saw and am ready to practice on some spare pieces of moulding.
That's actually a great idea. You can saw a whole bunch of coping cuts in scrap pieces and get the hang of it fairly quickly. Better to destroy some scrap in learning than screw up a an expensive 16 footer!
This is a superb how-to video. My simple little redecorating project involved crown molding and it was driving me really crazy. I asked my woodworking teacher about what I was doing wrong and he showed me this coping technique. He explained it well, showed me, I went home and I was still floundering. I have trouble visualizing and understanding the logic, I guess. Anyway, I watched this video to review what my teacher explained. I'll try it again tomorrow. Thank you very much.
Thank you. I have to do this for work tomorrow. I've never done it before. Stayed late trying to figure it out but I had no luck. I wasn't cutting the initial miter upside down. I'll be sure to grab a file too. Thanks again.
Adjustments are made at installation by moving the two pieces up or down a little bit( rolling the pieces up or down in the corner). Before you install the molding on the wall make some pencil marks on the wall and ceiling as guides using your measurements from your saw. Remember crown moldings is made to fit a perfect 90* corner. The marks are guides for a visually pleasing appearance. Nail up the middle of the molding leaving the last 2-3 feet unnailed.
Nice video man. I learned this from a really good tradesman I was on a job with once, but i'm about to install some crown again and i came to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything 😆
To sit properly means that when the crown is sitting in your saw the molding sits tight to the table and the fence without gaps. Make some pencil marks on the table and fence and measure them. you will need these when you go to install the crown. Some people like to put tape on their table or fence using these reference marks so you get each piece in exactly the same position( THIS IS IMPORTANT! ).
I learned from a carpenter with 45 years of experience 35 yrs ago and have been doing it that way for 35 years with zero call backs and zero problems, yet these yunguns want to fiddle with an inside corner getting the miter correct and using a half tube of caulk for 20 minutes. I always file on the downstroke to help eliminate any tear out however you did forget to say one very important comment at the end and so I will say it for you.........Now that's how you do it son.
Same here. I learned from my Grandfather, some 35 years ago; when I was 10 or 11. I am not a master carpenter; but I was raised by one. We also used exactly this method for making window frames. All of this has informed my artwork as a professional artist.
I learned about coping back in 1972 from a master carpenter. He had a hatful of tricks. Great trade woodworking is. Great hobby too. Good presentation here.
Not all us youngins! (Although most no doubt) I’m 27 and this is how I do it. Watched this as a refresher as I’m now trimming a kitchen I built over the summer
Until your video and tips I was unsuccessful in my attempts at coping. All my failed crowns were requiring copious amounts of coping skills which made things difficult to cope with. But now that coping is in the past and I'm coping with the copes of the future y coping with the copes of tomorrow by coping with those copes today. Cope with that.
Just the video I've been looking for. I have vinyl-clad molding that's really hard to miter with a miter box and hand saw, and I've never coped crown molding. Thanks.
Thanks for the demo, as for the filing is concern I would try to file in downward stock too prevent any chiping on the surface edge. Now I'm ready to tackle this for the fist time. 😆
Nice video. I've done some coping with my baseboard projects and they've always turned out well. My wife wants me to install crown moulding now and I was wondering if I could apply the same technique. Glad I found this. Thanks!
+Kurt Fischback Coping crown moulding is the only way a pro installs it and really the only way it should be done. Be sure and check out my recent video on how to install crown moulding alone: th-cam.com/video/rk29o3szGOI/w-d-xo.html
Love your work ! Hopefully by now you have discovered the use of an angle grinder to cope ! So much faster and easier ! As always great work ! Lastly I have also seen many homes with crown upside down , however I always ask the customer which way they want the profile , and sometimes they choose the detail upside down lol ! Give them what they want I guess
Yes, I know some like the angle grinder idea, For me, I get accurate and quick results just using a coping saw and a file. I also prefer to use quieter hand tools any chance I get!
When I come crown I use a rotozip tool with an angled sanding bit instead of a file. Just my personal preference. I always enjoy seeing how other people do things to see if I find something that might be faster or easier.
nice job with this video....i usually try to miter all my moldings...i like to cut flat since my fence is so short. I like this technique going to try tomorrow on my mudroom project. THANKS AGAIN
When you say the wall is 45 degrees, do you mean the spring angle of your crown molding is 45 degrees? I'm using 38 degree spring single molding so to cope an inside corner cut. I think I need to cut at 38 degrees. Is that right?
Not sure which moment in the video you mean, but I think you have your concepts confused. Whatever the spring angle of your crown, the coping cut relates to the angle of the two WALLS. So, if two walls meet exactly at a 90 degree angle it would be a 45 degree cut--with your crown moulding situated on the saw as it would be when installed. Or, if you want to cut the crown flat on the saw you can use a chart to find the right compound saw angle. For me, I'll sometimes hold the crown upright if it is a small crown, or else put it upside down in the saw so it touches the base and the fence. Either way, the saw angle relates to the walls. This video is a little newer and might add some information for you: th-cam.com/video/rk29o3szGOI/w-d-xo.html
I would imagine your project is done by now, and you should be making a video of how you solved your problems. A month ago I would have suggested to put the crown molding in your miter saw the way it will be installed; meaning that the saw table is the ceiling and the fence is the wall( remember upside down and backwards .... it makes sense after you do it), even if you have to drill some holes in your fence to allow you to add a taller fence for the crown to sit properly.
Great quality video, this has helped me a great deal. Not to sure about the "upside down" being wrong though. This point for me is subjective, I prefer the "upside down" look, so does my wife. Surely that's what's important. Thanks again.
Well, of course, in your own home you should do what pleases you. However, there is no question about the correct orientation. Modern crown molding profile traces it's linage back to the ancient Greek architectural orders and there are specific rules of shape and design derived from that era. In America, the architect and carpenter Asher Benjamin is probably most responsible for bringing the elements of classical Greek design back to common use with his landmark 1827 book The American Builder's Companion and his 1830 book The Architect, Or Practical House Carpenter. Fine houses built before that period were employing these principles, but the publication of his books helped spread these ancient architectural forms into more widespread use. They offered templates of a sort for carpenters to follow. The books are still available in reprint today, and they still do a good job of showing what is proper and what is possible. They also show quite clearly how the shape of a crown moulding should be oriented to achieve classical balance and traditional style.
It’s clear we both can roll with it. I need to come work with you and we both learn some new tricks. 2 perfectionist. I do like your work. I’m greedy for more on any edge I can get.
AWESOME you are the man !!!! i was ready to burn my house down over the dam crown molding. was that a diablo blade i saw ???? and many thanks for the video
Just curious, but in real life do you adjust your cuts for out of square corners? And I noticed you cut on the pull stroke. Turn your blade around and you could get closer to the edge, pencil line, and not need to file, less time more money.
awesome response, thanks so much. I did exactly what you said and the coped cut is not even close to matching up. what else could be causing the cuts to not match up? I've had 5 people look at this and they can't figure it out.
Wow, good thing I watched this video. I watched it wondering why in the heck you were cutting a 45 degree angle before coping. I was going to nail the crown moulding flush against the top of the wall!
Nice Job. Two tips: Making relief cuts first (in the middle and Ceiling end) will save you from trying to back out the coping saw and secondly filing down one way with your file away from the finished edge will prevent chipout.
Hello and great tutorial...I am about to install an oversized cove molding in a remodel. The ceilings are gabled on either end. I would like to use a coping method opposed to traditional crown cuts, which i have no problem with....how would i measure the corners that are gabled rather than a straight 90.....thanks....! Dan
That's a great idea for a video-- cabinet construction details. I'll tape that next time I get a chance. Feel free to email me through my website if you have specific questions, though.
I have found that his tips of darkening the edge of the line with a pencil and cutting the molding in sections helps a lot. I found it impossible to get the coping saw a blade around a 90ﾟ angle.
Where would you buy the molding from I looked for this at Home Depot but found the same design but the material it self wasn’t as thick as what you have
Standard crown moulding is...well, standard these days. Home Cheapo and Lowes both stock essentially the same thing, although you wouldn't want to nail them up side by side since there can be minor differences in profile. Lumberyards are also the same. Crown does come in different widths and materials, though, so possibly you were looking at a smaller width or a crown made of MDF. You may need to look around for stock in different stores.
Well, when I made this video those were just throwaway scraps I was using, so one improvement is to use better quality moulding. Even though all we can buy is garbage these days, I improve the finish of the moulding before I make cuts by painting one coat with the finish paint. When I make the cuts a day or two later the finish paint is not as brittle as the factory primer and will help with edge chipping. Once installed I apply the second finish coat of paint. Of course, just being a little more careful with the cuts is also important. If I'm working with high-end stain grade poplar, maple or oak I'm going to take a lot more time and care over working with paint-grade finger jointed or MDF mouldings.
Hello again..a gabled roof is pretty much a triangle. So I’m not working wit a “flat”ceiling. So when I cope the corners where they ascend to a triangle, do I proceed with the same application-and miter at the appropriate angle? Thanks..
Okay, so I gather you're working with what we call in my neck of the woods a "cathedral" or "vaulted" ceiling. It's as if you removed the typical floor joists from above and left it open. Usually in that scenario the edge where the ceiling meets the walls is finished with just drywall and no trim, or a very small moulding if the ceiling is wood and the walls are drywall or plaster. I guess you're trying to use a large cove moulding around the entire wall/ceiling border. Large cove mouldings can be ornery in regular circumstances because the profile often deviates from piece to piece or even on the same board. Depending on the angle of your cathedral ceiling, you may need to cut a pretty severe angle on the moulding before you cope. Anyway, one technique is to create a pie-shaped transition piece in the corner to help transition to the sloped ceiling. But, you can use the regular method too. It's really no different than a flat ceiling if you think about it, other than you have an additional joint at the peak and you need to adjust for the more severe slope. Put another way, a flat ceiling might be a degree or two off of level in a corner, and you would adjust for that. In a vaulted ceiling it's the same thing except the angle is more severe. However, you'll almost certainly need and want to build test pieces for the corners and with cove moulding expect some trial and error. With short test pieces you can then measure the straight run by marking on the wall where the test pieces end and measuring those marks. Maybe hard to describe with words instead of pictures or video, but hopefully this helps a little.
Is this the same for molding with 52 degree spring angle? I'm going out of my mind trying to figure out (a) how to set up the compound mitre to make cut that will eventually be coped and (b) how to position the crown in the saw. Trying to do four 90 degree inside corners. Any advice will help. Thanks.
How does an elaborate ornate crown moulding like Fleur de lis,look like when put up ? Should I do the whole house in this ornate style to have it carry thru the house?
It's common now to be consistent throughout a whole house with whatever trim you decide to use, but that wasn't the case historically. Back in time it was more typical to have public rooms like living rooms and parlors with the most ornate trim as a way to show off wealth and taste. Lesser rooms like bedrooms and backrooms typically had simpler and therefore more affordable trim. Personally I lean toward the historical example because highly ornate trim in small bathrooms or bedrooms, for example, tends to overpower the room and look silly.
How do I correct my coped joint if the fit is pretty good all along the cut, except there's a nagging 1/16" gap in the little vertical part at the top of the molding? I'm sure that I'm not over-cutting the line, there is enough back cut, and I mitered to 1/2 the wall angle.
In my experience, I cut off that little piece that he kept at the beginning (where he held his thumb) and that allows the profiles to meet up exactly instead of 1/16th off.
For all corners be exact as possible! Yes, the gauge is helpful in finding the correct angle. See my other video on installing crown moulding alone, which has some other tips as well. If you have a really difficult outside corner, you may want to use scrap pieces to find the best cut. Sometimes you need to add or subtract a half degree to the actual angle in order to get a tight fit.
No, outside corners you need to miter. I would suggest using a miter gauge to determine the exact angle and I often go an extra 1/4 degree just to get a snug fit. Don't be afraid to use a test piece to get it just right.
Good video for basic preprimed pine crown. Unfortunately, high-end crown like you find in kitchens there is no caulk or paint. So the joint has to be a lot tighter than your video shows.
Yes. And with high end kitchen cabinet crown you also get higher quality, tight grained, bone dry trim with which you CAN make tighter joints! Working with the FJ painted crap from the trim rack at Home Cheapo and working with high end trim ordered from a millwork supply or coming with cabinets is like night and day. When I do cabinet trim or work with stain-grade trim in a room the circumstances are very different. I control the base to which the trim is nailed, I don't have to worry about finger joints, twisted wood, or high moisture content, and there is generally more money and time to slow down and make things perfect. Also, in stain grade work I'll stain the inside cut ends so that if it ever opens up in the future because of seasonal humidity changes it won't show. In kitchen cabinets they usually provide a marker as well as colored wax for the nail holes.
Absolutely! Not diminishing your skill level or degrading your video, just thought it wise to point that out to other viewers who might not understand the difference. Aside from gluing outside corners, I'll usually pin them together with a 23 guage.
Yes, I do adjust for out-of-square corners, though obviously you are limited sometimes by the amount the moulding will bend around wavy walls. For stain grade work I fix the walls first. I prefer cutting on the pull stroke with a coping saw. I've found that I'd rather "sneak up" on the pencil line with a file only because the quality of wood is so poor nowadays that it tends to chip and chatter. I'd rather file a little bit than ruin a 16 foot piece of crown.
Oh, that sucks! Well, possibilities for error include mis-measuring the wall angle or having the angle change dramatically in the corners from spackle build-up, misplacement of the crown on the saw or on the wall so that the angle is different from what you measured, a misaligned saw, or even moulding with differing profiles from the same rack! Try making two small pieces around 16 inches long and placing them up in the corner and you'll probably see your mistake.
+Patricia Brennan Try some scrap pieces first. If you don't have a power miter saw to make the initial cut before coping you can even use a plastic miter box, although you'll be stuck with a 45 degree angle cut unless you get into shimming the workpiece.
HAHA! It's simpler than you realize, Keith. First, make sure your corners are really 90 degrees. If so, you set your saw to make a 45 degree cut. Otherwise adjust to suit the actual measurement of the corner. Then, set your molding on the saw so it sits like it would between the wall and the ceiling--the bottom of your saw is the ceiling. Making certain you have the saw swung correctly to the left or right, make your cut. Then, cope!
Crown moulding is based on established rules of architecture going back over 1500 years to classical Greece, as well as Roman times. The cornice, part of Doric, Ionian and Corinthian entablature, could be considered the original. A cyma recta or cyma reversa are almost identical to modern crown moulding, for example. As such, the ogee curve has a specific orientation, and the proportions are based on ancient principals of the golden ratio. This is a huge subject and architects in training will spend quite a lot of time studying these ancient principles. So, there is nothing physically preventing you from installing crown moulding upside down, but any architect, carpenter, interior designer or other person who has any sense of history will know instantly that a mistake was made. I have seen a surprising number of houses with upside down moulding, and all of them were built or remodeled in the modern era. I presume the homeowners or builders hired inexperienced workers to install the mouldings and neither party knew any better.
+Todd Duren When you say it doesn't fit, I assume you mean there are uneven gaps in the joint when you hold it up on the wall? There are several possibilities where you went wrong. First, did you measure the wall angle? It may not be a 45 degree cut. (See this recent video for how to measure: th-cam.com/video/rk29o3szGOI/w-d-xo.html) I routinely cut angles like 45 1/2 degrees because the walls are not at a perfect 90 degree angle. Second, did you make an accurate miter cut on your saw before you coped? Your saw may be off or you may have held the moulding slightly off on the saw table. If you were using a chart to find the correct angle to cut the moulding on the flat you may have misread the chart. Third, you may be holding the moulding at the wrong angle relative to the ceiling. It's easy to have the moulding too far in or out (so that the back edges are not truly flat against the ceiling and wall) and that means that you've changed the angle of the joint too. Fourth, you may have been sloppy in your coped cut, leaving a nub in the back that is not allowing a tight fit. Fifth, it could be a combination of all of these factors. I'd suggest taking a scrap piece a few feet long and going through the whole process again. Check your accuracy all along the way. Then try the fit of the test piece and see if changing the way the piece seats on the wall also changes the fit of the joint. I think you'll discover your problem with the test piece and be able to cut the real one with a better fit.
Yep! Maybe the upside down orientation threw me off the first time-I'm not sure what I did differently, but this time it worked. Thanks for a great video.
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
I have watched so many videos my head and spinning. Once I discovered how uneven my ceiling is ... I realize now that coping is my only hope. This video is EXACTLY what I needed ... slow, step by step and close up camera work. Thank you so much for doing this -- us amateurs (me) are super appreciative.
This is the only video I found that shows how to put the crown molding against the fence and cut the 45ﾟ angle. My first attempt was with the crown molding flat, and of course it didn't work. Darkening the cut line with a pencil and finishing it off with a round file are great tips!
I tried my hand at crown molding recently and learned if the angles weren’t exact, filler became my best friend! 😂😂 Trying it again in another room and plan to cope the corners. Great demo. Thank you!
That's why they say "Do your best, caulk the rest" haha
remember the old saying, " a little paint of caulk, a little bit of paint, makes you the carpenter that you ain't." I use more caulk and filler than I like to admit.
I haven't tried this yet but, I hope it's as easy as you make it look! Thank you, this was by far the best demonstration of this technic that I have seen.
Well done! Best video on coping -- even better than TOH. I just finished cutting my best inside corners ever. My coping blade was dull, so I used my B&D OSCILLATING MULT-TOOL with the wide, fine tooth blade. It takes a steady hand, but it allows you to easily go back and remove more material if you need to. It helps to clamp down the molding, face up, so you can hold the heavy tool steady with two hands.
This is the best and very explained video I have seen on TH-cam. I've been looking for a video like this for weeks, now I will install my cronwmoldings without being afraid of ruin them. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.
I'm glad it was helpful. You might find this newer video useful as well. Good luck!
th-cam.com/video/rk29o3szGOI/w-d-xo.html
Excellent tutorial on how to cope. Thank you for not being all over the place (with your words & thoughts), you stayed on topic & delivered a great how to video.
That makes a skilled joint doable. Simple explanation and demonstration thanks for posting.
Very nice demonstration, John… Probably watched this five times now and I can see that it takes some practice to gain confidence with the coping saw, but you explain the concept well so thank you!
Thanks for the video and tips. Now I shall go and screw this up.
Ha ha me too!
Me three thankfully I'm doing pergo tomorrow
I'm Screwing up as we speakong
This video is exactly what I needed to see. Concise explanations and great camera angles. Thank you for providing this to the public! I just got my first coping saw and am ready to practice on some spare pieces of moulding.
That's actually a great idea. You can saw a whole bunch of coping cuts in scrap pieces and get the hang of it fairly quickly. Better to destroy some scrap in learning than screw up a an expensive 16 footer!
This is a superb how-to video. My simple little redecorating project involved crown molding and it was driving me really crazy. I asked my woodworking teacher about what I was doing wrong and he showed me this coping technique. He explained it well, showed me, I went home and I was still floundering. I have trouble visualizing and understanding the logic, I guess. Anyway, I watched this video to review what my teacher explained. I'll try it again tomorrow. Thank you very much.
one of the most informative and full demonstrations of how to do this. Thanx!
Thank you. I have to do this for work tomorrow. I've never done it before. Stayed late trying to figure it out but I had no luck. I wasn't cutting the initial miter upside down. I'll be sure to grab a file too. Thanks again.
To the point, no bs, and a bunch of great info. Awesome video! Thank you.
Adjustments are made at installation by moving the two pieces up or down a little bit( rolling the pieces up or down in the corner). Before you install the molding on the wall make some pencil marks on the wall and ceiling as guides using your measurements from your saw. Remember crown moldings is made to fit a perfect 90* corner. The marks are guides for a visually pleasing appearance. Nail up the middle of the molding leaving the last 2-3 feet unnailed.
Nice video man. I learned this from a really good tradesman I was on a job with once, but i'm about to install some crown again and i came to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything 😆
To sit properly means that when the crown is sitting in your saw the molding sits tight to the table and the fence without gaps. Make some pencil marks on the table and fence and measure them. you will need these when you go to install the crown. Some people like to put tape on their table or fence using these reference marks so you get each piece in exactly the same position( THIS IS IMPORTANT! ).
I just left This Old House showing me how to do this. THEY SUCK. I followed you and it went perfect. THANKS
Finally a carpenter that knows what a coping saw is and how to use it.
I learned from a carpenter with 45 years of experience 35 yrs ago and have been doing it that way for 35 years with zero call backs and zero problems, yet these yunguns want to fiddle with an inside corner getting the miter correct and using a half tube of caulk for 20 minutes. I always file on the downstroke to help eliminate any tear out however you did forget to say one very important comment at the end and so I will say it for you.........Now that's how you do it son.
Same here. I learned from my Grandfather, some 35 years ago; when I was 10 or 11. I am not a master carpenter; but I was raised by one.
We also used exactly this method for making window frames.
All of this has informed my artwork as a professional artist.
I learned about coping back in 1972 from a master carpenter. He had a hatful of tricks. Great trade woodworking is.
Great hobby too.
Good presentation here.
Not all us youngins! (Although most no doubt) I’m 27 and this is how I do it. Watched this as a refresher as I’m now trimming a kitchen I built over the summer
Thanks, John
for the insightful video.
I'm researching installing my own & have never before. So your coping tip really made sense.
Best video I've seen on youtube pertaining to coping trim! Thanks
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to make a great video!
I don't normally do trim but this upped my game big time. Thanks!
Until your video and tips I was unsuccessful in my attempts at coping. All my failed crowns were requiring copious amounts of coping skills which made things difficult to cope with. But now that coping is in the past and I'm coping with the copes of the future y coping with the copes of tomorrow by coping with those copes today. Cope with that.
Sounds copacetic.
Just the video I've been looking for. I have vinyl-clad molding that's really hard to miter with a miter box and hand saw, and I've never coped crown molding. Thanks.
best explanation I've seen yet. Intelligently presented!
Learned what a coping saw was today. Thank you
Coping with a grinder and a flap disc works good also. I need to learn to cope by hand. Thanks
Thanks for the demo, as for the filing is concern I would try to file in downward stock too prevent any chiping on the surface edge. Now I'm ready to tackle this for the fist time. 😆
Nice video. I've done some coping with my baseboard projects and they've always turned out well. My wife wants me to install crown moulding now and I was wondering if I could apply the same technique. Glad I found this. Thanks!
+Kurt Fischback Coping crown moulding is the only way a pro installs it and really the only way it should be done. Be sure and check out my recent video on how to install crown moulding alone:
th-cam.com/video/rk29o3szGOI/w-d-xo.html
Love your work ! Hopefully by now you have discovered the use of an angle grinder to cope ! So much faster and easier ! As always great work ! Lastly I have also seen many homes with crown upside down , however I always ask the customer which way they want the profile , and sometimes they choose the detail upside down lol ! Give them what they want I guess
Yes, I know some like the angle grinder idea, For me, I get accurate and quick results just using a coping saw and a file. I also prefer to use quieter hand tools any chance I get!
Excellent demonstration. Thank you! In 10 minutes I’ll be working on this
When I come crown I use a rotozip tool with an angled sanding bit instead of a file. Just my personal preference. I always enjoy seeing how other people do things to see if I find something that might be faster or easier.
I've been using my table saw for cope cuts. Great video.
Well done video! I have the confidence now to try to do this! Thanks for doing such a great job with this!
Great video. Huge help with my most recent crown molding project. Thanks.
nice job with this video....i usually try to miter all my moldings...i like to cut flat since my fence is so short. I like this technique going to try tomorrow on my mudroom project. THANKS AGAIN
When you say the wall is 45 degrees, do you mean the spring angle of your crown molding is 45 degrees? I'm using 38 degree spring single molding so to cope an inside corner cut. I think I need to cut at 38 degrees. Is that right?
Not sure which moment in the video you mean, but I think you have your concepts confused. Whatever the spring angle of your crown, the coping cut relates to the angle of the two WALLS. So, if two walls meet exactly at a 90 degree angle it would be a 45 degree cut--with your crown moulding situated on the saw as it would be when installed. Or, if you want to cut the crown flat on the saw you can use a chart to find the right compound saw angle. For me, I'll sometimes hold the crown upright if it is a small crown, or else put it upside down in the saw so it touches the base and the fence. Either way, the saw angle relates to the walls. This video is a little newer and might add some information for you: th-cam.com/video/rk29o3szGOI/w-d-xo.html
I would imagine your project is done by now, and you should be making a video of how you solved your problems. A month ago I would have suggested to put the crown molding in your miter saw the way it will be installed; meaning that the saw table is the ceiling and the fence is the wall( remember upside down and backwards .... it makes sense after you do it), even if you have to drill some holes in your fence to allow you to add a taller fence for the crown to sit properly.
Thanks for this! Doing my first crown molding work in our bedroom tomorrow!
Check out this video, too. It has additional tips which could be helpful. Good luck!
th-cam.com/video/rk29o3szGOI/w-d-xo.html
Great quality video, this has helped me a great deal. Not to sure about the "upside down" being wrong though. This point for me is subjective, I prefer the "upside down" look, so does my wife. Surely that's what's important. Thanks again.
Well, of course, in your own home you should do what pleases you. However, there is no question about the correct orientation. Modern crown molding profile traces it's linage back to the ancient Greek architectural orders and there are specific rules of shape and design derived from that era. In America, the architect and carpenter Asher Benjamin is probably most responsible for bringing the elements of classical Greek design back to common use with his landmark 1827 book The American Builder's Companion and his 1830 book The Architect, Or Practical House Carpenter. Fine houses built before that period were employing these principles, but the publication of his books helped spread these ancient architectural forms into more widespread use. They offered templates of a sort for carpenters to follow. The books are still available in reprint today, and they still do a good job of showing what is proper and what is possible. They also show quite clearly how the shape of a crown moulding should be oriented to achieve classical balance and traditional style.
Thanks for making that so simple to explain. Great job.
It’s clear we both can roll with it. I need to come work with you and we both learn some new tricks. 2 perfectionist. I do like your work. I’m greedy for more on any edge I can get.
AWESOME you are the man !!!! i was ready to burn my house down over the dam crown molding. was that a diablo blade i saw ???? and many thanks for the video
Great video. Now I'm ready to try some practice pieces.
Best explanation I've seen 👍
Excellent video, well done sir!
this was a really great video well explained and the principles were very sound thank you
You broke it down very well. Thank U sir.
A very nice simple educational demonstration
best video yet on crown
Just curious, but in real life do you adjust your cuts for out of square corners? And I noticed you cut on the pull stroke. Turn your blade around and you could get closer to the edge, pencil line, and not need to file, less time more money.
This is great,nice cope work!You make it look easy
awesome response, thanks so much. I did exactly what you said and the coped cut is not even close to matching up. what else could be causing the cuts to not match up? I've had 5 people look at this and they can't figure it out.
Wow, good thing I watched this video. I watched it wondering why in the heck you were cutting a 45 degree angle before coping. I was going to nail the crown moulding flush against the top of the wall!
Very well and detailed explained, thanks so much 👍
Thank you. Best instructional video out there.
What wood is that? Cuts like butter? I have a birch crown piece in my hand and it takes forever to. cope, even with a fresh blade.
Hardwoods will be more difficult to cut than softwoods like pine. You may need a blade with a more aggressive tooth pattern or tooth count.
Thanks for the well explained video.
Nice Job. Two tips: Making relief cuts first (in the middle and Ceiling end) will save you from trying to back out the coping saw and secondly filing down one way with your file away from the finished edge will prevent chipout.
Great video and super explanation. You are a craftsman sir.
Hello and great tutorial...I am about to install an oversized cove molding in a remodel. The ceilings are gabled on either end. I would like to use a coping method opposed to traditional crown cuts, which i have no problem with....how would i measure the corners that are gabled rather than a straight 90.....thanks....! Dan
I'm not sure I follow your question. When you say a "gabled" corner or ceiling I don't know what you mean. Could you elaborate a little more?
That's a great idea for a video-- cabinet construction details. I'll tape that next time I get a chance. Feel free to email me through my website if you have specific questions, though.
OH MY gosh!!! You made that look so stinking easy. It sooooo isn’t!!
Ha! Practice makes perfect.
I have found that his tips of darkening the edge of the line with a pencil and cutting the molding in sections helps a lot. I found it impossible to get the coping saw a blade around a 90ﾟ angle.
Very helpful and straight forward. Many thanks
Where would you buy the molding from I looked for this at Home Depot but found the same design but the material it self wasn’t as thick as what you have
Standard crown moulding is...well, standard these days. Home Cheapo and Lowes both stock essentially the same thing, although you wouldn't want to nail them up side by side since there can be minor differences in profile. Lumberyards are also the same. Crown does come in different widths and materials, though, so possibly you were looking at a smaller width or a crown made of MDF. You may need to look around for stock in different stores.
I hit the Thumbs Up button twice, for two thumbs up. Great video.
Any tricks to keep the edges breaking off? Tape it work?
Well, when I made this video those were just throwaway scraps I was using, so one improvement is to use better quality moulding. Even though all we can buy is garbage these days, I improve the finish of the moulding before I make cuts by painting one coat with the finish paint. When I make the cuts a day or two later the finish paint is not as brittle as the factory primer and will help with edge chipping. Once installed I apply the second finish coat of paint. Of course, just being a little more careful with the cuts is also important. If I'm working with high-end stain grade poplar, maple or oak I'm going to take a lot more time and care over working with paint-grade finger jointed or MDF mouldings.
Hello again..a gabled roof is pretty much a triangle. So I’m not working wit a “flat”ceiling. So when I cope the corners where they ascend to a triangle, do I proceed with the same application-and miter at the appropriate angle? Thanks..
Okay, so I gather you're working with what we call in my neck of the woods a "cathedral" or "vaulted" ceiling. It's as if you removed the typical floor joists from above and left it open. Usually in that scenario the edge where the ceiling meets the walls is finished with just drywall and no trim, or a very small moulding if the ceiling is wood and the walls are drywall or plaster. I guess you're trying to use a large cove moulding around the entire wall/ceiling border. Large cove mouldings can be ornery in regular circumstances because the profile often deviates from piece to piece or even on the same board. Depending on the angle of your cathedral ceiling, you may need to cut a pretty severe angle on the moulding before you cope. Anyway, one technique is to create a pie-shaped transition piece in the corner to help transition to the sloped ceiling. But, you can use the regular method too. It's really no different than a flat ceiling if you think about it, other than you have an additional joint at the peak and you need to adjust for the more severe slope. Put another way, a flat ceiling might be a degree or two off of level in a corner, and you would adjust for that. In a vaulted ceiling it's the same thing except the angle is more severe. However, you'll almost certainly need and want to build test pieces for the corners and with cove moulding expect some trial and error. With short test pieces you can then measure the straight run by marking on the wall where the test pieces end and measuring those marks. Maybe hard to describe with words instead of pictures or video, but hopefully this helps a little.
Awesome video! Great demo!
THE best video on coping crown! Thanks.
Thank you! Great demonstration!
Is this the same for molding with 52 degree spring angle? I'm going out of my mind trying to figure out (a) how to set up the compound mitre to make cut that will eventually be coped and (b) how to position the crown in the saw. Trying to do four 90 degree inside corners. Any advice will help. Thanks.
How does an elaborate ornate crown moulding like Fleur de lis,look like when put up ? Should I do the whole house in this ornate style to have it carry thru the house?
It's common now to be consistent throughout a whole house with whatever trim you decide to use, but that wasn't the case historically. Back in time it was more typical to have public rooms like living rooms and parlors with the most ornate trim as a way to show off wealth and taste. Lesser rooms like bedrooms and backrooms typically had simpler and therefore more affordable trim. Personally I lean toward the historical example because highly ornate trim in small bathrooms or bedrooms, for example, tends to overpower the room and look silly.
How do I correct my coped joint if the fit is pretty good all along the cut, except there's a nagging 1/16" gap in the little vertical part at the top of the molding? I'm sure that I'm not over-cutting the line, there is enough back cut, and I mitered to 1/2 the wall angle.
In my experience, I cut off that little piece that he kept at the beginning (where he held his thumb) and that allows the profiles to meet up exactly instead of 1/16th off.
Such a great tutorial.
Thanks for the helpful tips. Great video thanks
Do you have the video for this media cabinet you made
There is one older video, but it doesn't have too much detail I'm afraid:
th-cam.com/video/dCTqnP3mC1c/w-d-xo.html
so, for an outside corner use a tool (as shown in the beginning) to make the miter cut as exact as possible?
For all corners be exact as possible! Yes, the gauge is helpful in finding the correct angle. See my other video on installing crown moulding alone, which has some other tips as well. If you have a really difficult outside corner, you may want to use scrap pieces to find the best cut. Sometimes you need to add or subtract a half degree to the actual angle in order to get a tight fit.
Like being in shop class, TH-cam is the future of education.
Do You have also a demo for a outside corner? I don't think that can be coped can it?
No, outside corners you need to miter. I would suggest using a miter gauge to determine the exact angle and I often go an extra 1/4 degree just to get a snug fit. Don't be afraid to use a test piece to get it just right.
Good video for basic preprimed pine crown. Unfortunately, high-end crown like you find in kitchens there is no caulk or paint. So the joint has to be a lot tighter than your video shows.
Yes. And with high end kitchen cabinet crown you also get higher quality, tight grained, bone dry trim with which you CAN make tighter joints! Working with the FJ painted crap from the trim rack at Home Cheapo and working with high end trim ordered from a millwork supply or coming with cabinets is like night and day. When I do cabinet trim or work with stain-grade trim in a room the circumstances are very different. I control the base to which the trim is nailed, I don't have to worry about finger joints, twisted wood, or high moisture content, and there is generally more money and time to slow down and make things perfect. Also, in stain grade work I'll stain the inside cut ends so that if it ever opens up in the future because of seasonal humidity changes it won't show. In kitchen cabinets they usually provide a marker as well as colored wax for the nail holes.
Absolutely! Not diminishing your skill level or degrading your video, just thought it wise to point that out to other viewers who might not understand the difference. Aside from gluing outside corners, I'll usually pin them together with a 23 guage.
Agreed--pin nailers were a revolution. Invisible nail hole, and also great just for tacking things together until glue dries.
U sir are a lifesaver. Thanks
Yes, I do adjust for out-of-square corners, though obviously you are limited sometimes by the amount the moulding will bend around wavy walls. For stain grade work I fix the walls first. I prefer cutting on the pull stroke with a coping saw. I've found that I'd rather "sneak up" on the pencil line with a file only because the quality of wood is so poor nowadays that it tends to chip and chatter. I'd rather file a little bit than ruin a 16 foot piece of crown.
I learned. Thanks for a fine video.
Oh, that sucks! Well, possibilities for error include mis-measuring the wall angle or having the angle change dramatically in the corners from spackle build-up, misplacement of the crown on the saw or on the wall so that the angle is different from what you measured, a misaligned saw, or even moulding with differing profiles from the same rack! Try making two small pieces around 16 inches long and placing them up in the corner and you'll probably see your mistake.
Excellent explanation. Thanks
Great Demonstration.
Am I crazy to try this on my own?? It looks like maybe I can- if I measure correctly it looks like maybe? with just a coping saw....
+Patricia Brennan Try some scrap pieces first. If you don't have a power miter saw to make the initial cut before coping you can even use a plastic miter box, although you'll be stuck with a 45 degree angle cut unless you get into shimming the workpiece.
Welcome!
Great video, thank you.
Great video!
Nice tutorial.
Using a block of wood and a hammer tap, move, or otherwise manipulate the two pieces together for their best fit.
Dave
This was very helpful. Thank you.
HAHA! It's simpler than you realize, Keith. First, make sure your corners are really 90 degrees. If so, you set your saw to make a 45 degree cut. Otherwise adjust to suit the actual measurement of the corner. Then, set your molding on the saw so it sits like it would between the wall and the ceiling--the bottom of your saw is the ceiling. Making certain you have the saw swung correctly to the left or right, make your cut. Then, cope!
Why is there a right side up and upside down? Shouldn't it be personal preference?
Crown moulding is based on established rules of architecture going back over 1500 years to classical Greece, as well as Roman times. The cornice, part of Doric, Ionian and Corinthian entablature, could be considered the original. A cyma recta or cyma reversa are almost identical to modern crown moulding, for example. As such, the ogee curve has a specific orientation, and the proportions are based on ancient principals of the golden ratio. This is a huge subject and architects in training will spend quite a lot of time studying these ancient principles. So, there is nothing physically preventing you from installing crown moulding upside down, but any architect, carpenter, interior designer or other person who has any sense of history will know instantly that a mistake was made. I have seen a surprising number of houses with upside down moulding, and all of them were built or remodeled in the modern era. I presume the homeowners or builders hired inexperienced workers to install the mouldings and neither party knew any better.
I cut a cope but it doesn't fit. Is there some other trick for marking other than cutting a 45?
+Todd Duren When you say it doesn't fit, I assume you mean there are uneven gaps in the joint when you hold it up on the wall? There are several possibilities where you went wrong. First, did you measure the wall angle? It may not be a 45 degree cut. (See this recent video for how to measure: th-cam.com/video/rk29o3szGOI/w-d-xo.html) I routinely cut angles like 45 1/2 degrees because the walls are not at a perfect 90 degree angle. Second, did you make an accurate miter cut on your saw before you coped? Your saw may be off or you may have held the moulding slightly off on the saw table. If you were using a chart to find the correct angle to cut the moulding on the flat you may have misread the chart. Third, you may be holding the moulding at the wrong angle relative to the ceiling. It's easy to have the moulding too far in or out (so that the back edges are not truly flat against the ceiling and wall) and that means that you've changed the angle of the joint too. Fourth, you may have been sloppy in your coped cut, leaving a nub in the back that is not allowing a tight fit. Fifth, it could be a combination of all of these factors.
I'd suggest taking a scrap piece a few feet long and going through the whole process again. Check your accuracy all along the way. Then try the fit of the test piece and see if changing the way the piece seats on the wall also changes the fit of the joint. I think you'll discover your problem with the test piece and be able to cut the real one with a better fit.
Thanks for a thorough answer, +enduringcharm. I'll use a couple of test pieces and try it again.
Yep! Maybe the upside down orientation threw me off the first time-I'm not sure what I did differently, but this time it worked. Thanks for a great video.