October 14, 2021
Do you know that cutting crown molding flat using a miter saw can be a bit tricky? Well, it could be if you don’t know the techniques on how to do it. There are actually several techniques that you can use to make this type of cut. The most common technique, of course, involves stacking the crown molding against the miter saw’s fence while you cut. With the fence at hand, you can position the crown flat on the saw, making the cutting process easy and precise.
When the crown molding is in a flat position, you only need to set the bevel or miter settings of the saw. Afterward, you can make a compound cut on the material. It will be good to note that real angles usually don’t match the angles of the miter saw. So, it will be best to use your protractor to convert angles. In this way, you can double-check whether the measurements are precise and accurate.
When the material is lying flat on the miter saw table, you can cut it with precision. The reason is that you can hold the material well on the miter saw. If you are cutting a large crown, however, you should always cut on flat. Likewise, as a beginner, it will be best to cut on flat. Nevertheless, you should use crown tables or utilize a Bosch digital protractor to get the exact calculations.
Simple Steps on Cutting Flat Your Crown Molding
As mentioned above, there are a couple of ways to cut crown molding using a miter saw. You can make vertical cuts, for example, which is a common way of cutting crown molding with miter saw. In this way, you prop the stock up when cutting. You can also cut material flat. In this way, you lay flat the material on the miter saw. But to ensure that you are doing it right, you can follow the following simple steps when cutting crown flat:
Step 1: Double-check the Measurements
Most people assume that any rectangular room always has 90° angles in every corner. The reality, however, is different. No room has perfectly angled corners. You will find some angles off by one or two degrees. So, you need to make the necessary adjustment and measure twice or more to ensure that you get the exact measurement of the angles.
Step 2: Calculate Angles with Precision
Before pulling the trigger, you need to measure and calculate precisely the miter and bevel angles. You can utilize some special tools to calculate precisely, but you may need to buy these tools.
Step 3: Mark the Cutline
When you make measurements, it is easy to get confused and forget your measurements. So, you need to mark your measurements to make sure that you will not get confused. Make sure you make clear labels (Outside left, outside right, inside left, and inside right). Remember to cut the inside pieces along the saw blade’s left. You also need to cut the outside on the right of the miter saw blade for cutting mold & trim with better precision .
Step 4: Cut and Polish
You can set your compound miter saw accordingly. Position the workpiece on the table. Make sure you set the angle according to your measurement. Adjust the speed and the function. Then, if you are all set, you can turn on the miter saw, run the miter through the workpiece along the cutline. Hold the handle and move it slowly. Avoid putting so much pressure on the blade. Hold the handle and follow the cutline. After finishing the cut, check out if you got the correct angled cut. Then repeat the process for other cutlines.
Conclusion
The adage that says you need to measure twice and cut once still holds water even if this saying has been here for thousands of years. Although cutting angles is not a rocket science, it may require utmost precision on your part, specifically in measurements and cutting.
Thus, if you want to excel as a woodworker, you need to make it a habit to be more precise when measuring and cutting. In this way, you can raise your level of skills a notch higher. Remember that you can hone your woodworking skills by being meticulous with details and measurements.
As a caveat, however, you should ensure that you follow the safety measures when cutting. Wear your mask and goggles to ensure that your eyes and lungs get protected from sawdust and splinters. You can likewise use caulk or wood putty if you find the crown moldings not matching each other. In this way, you won’t need to engage in micro-adjusting the angles using another tool.
Jason is a 40-year-old woodworker, carpenter and author who have been involved in the woodworking and woodcraft industry with 17 years of experience. He is expertise in technical aspects, woodcraft and furniture building projects.