PSA: Crown molding corners are way easier with a coping saw than a miter saw

I spent 3 hours trying to get my miter cuts to line up on a living room job in my 1920s bungalow last weekend. Tried a coping saw on the second piece and it fit perfectly in about 20 minutes. The walls here are so out of square that no miter setting would ever work. Has anyone else found this trick saves them a ton of frustration with old houses?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.susan24d ago

Try doing inside corners with a 45 degree cut on the back side of the molding instead of the face, that way the coping saw has a cleaner line to follow. It changed the game for me when I figured that out.

karen_hart24d ago

Ellis.susan is absolutely right about that back-cut trick. The first time I tried coping I ended up with a profile that looked like a beaver had chewed it off. My boyfriend walked in and asked if I was making modern art instead of baseboards. Now I pre-cut at 45 degrees on the back like she said and it gives you a nice sharp line to follow. Still had to cuss at it a little though.