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Crown Molding Introduction
Nothing
dresses up a room or a cabinet like the regal presence of crown
molding. This classical accent defines a project the way a frame
embellishes an oil painting. And with such a wide array of profiles
available, there's a crown molding made to fit every space. Smaller
profiles are used on furniture, casework and cabinetry (like the dentil
crown shown at right), while larger moldings are used as architectural
trim.
So, why hasn't every do-it-yourselfer rushed
to the lumberyard? Well, until now, installing crown molding really
hasn't been a DIY project. Cutting compound angles and keeping track of
inside and outside corners, all those splices and the molding's various
orientations has been such a nightmare that most folks either call a
pro, or balk at the cost of doing so.
The biggest problem has always been cutting the angles, rather than the
actual installation. There are two reasons for this. Most crown
moldings don't actually sit against the wall at 45 degrees, and the
corners in your rooms are rarely a perfect 90 degrees.
Two new tools from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware combine to
eliminate these problems and make an easy job of cutting and installing
crown molding. The first of these, the TRUE
ANGLE,
is a large acrylic protractor which measures every corner and tells you
the exact angle to set your miter saw. (More on this later.)
The biggest news in crown molding installation is the Rockler Compound
Miter Jig.
By holding the molding on your saw's bed at exactly the same angle that
it will be installed on the wall, the jig eliminates all guesswork and
confusing math.
Advantages of the Rockler Compound Miter Jig
 1. It
eliminates the need to cope inside corners. Until now, trim carpenters
often installed one piece of crown molding with a 90 degree cut, then
used a coping saw to cut the actual profile of the molding on the
second piece so it would fit tightly against the first. Imagine having
to make all those complicated cuts, and ruining a long piece of molding
with the slightest slip-up. The jig lets you create a true miter in
every inside corner: one cut on a power saw does the job.
2. Crown
moldings come in so many profiles that few of them sit against the wall
at a perfect 45 degree angle. The most common deviation is 52/38 (the
top of the molding meets the ceiling at 52 degrees, while the back
meets the wall at 38 degrees), but every manufacturer has their own
specifications. This has always been one of the biggest headaches in
dealing with crown moldings. The jig solves the problem with a single
adjustment. Hold the molding in place, slide the fence and lock it.
That's it. Do this once for each molding on the job (which usually
means once per job) and you can throw away the calculator.
3. The Rockler Compound
Miter Jig
lets you make compound cuts on a single plane saw (such as a radial arm
saw or most older miter saws). You no longer need a compound miter saw
to install crown molding.
4. It's incredibly easy to set up and use, and requires no
expert knowledge.
5. It adjusts in seconds. Once the jig is set up for your
molding, there's no need to change it.
6.
The old way of installing crown molding was to have two people each
hold a piece of the molding in opposite corners, then snap chalk lines
around the room. With the Rockler Compound
Miter Jig and a short template that you make from your crown
molding, all that work is eliminated. |
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