The nightmare of trim work!!!

1857 Views 7 Replies 7 Participants Last post by xblade, Nov 29, 2006

Birchwood

Discussion Starter · Nov 26, 2006

WEll, the fly fishing season is over for a while and that means tool time etc. My wife insists it is possible to produce neatly mitered corners on the square corner molding she wants around some windows. I am equally as adamant that only the devil would concieve such a challenge. You know the square stuff I mean....looks sorta like an "L" and fits over corners. I've nearly worn out a blade and sawed up one small National forest and can't come up with a neat mitered corner. If you guys can confirm that it is IMPOSSIBLE then I am off the hook. If, on the other hand, you describe the proper way to do it, I can pretend I thought it up myself and look like a hero. Thanks. I appreciate it.

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AxlMyk

· #2 · Nov 26, 2006

Good luck.. I also hate doing trim..

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ATLAS 2556

· #3 · Nov 26, 2006

Hi Birch... Use ur table saw if u dont have a miter box,,take ur time.. sometimes u have to undercut the mitre on the back side if the walls arent true,,and square,, Good luck Tom....

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bobj3

· #4 · Nov 26, 2006 (Edited)

Hi Brich

You can buy many types of trim BUT if you now have a frame inplace and you want to update the look to a mitered corners,get some stock that's 3/4" to 1" wider than what you now have chuck up a 3/4" or wider router bit in the router table and then put in a slot as wide as the frame you now have (1/2" deep) but leave a lip on both sides of the trim,then when you put on the 45 deg. cuts set the saw so it has 2deg. back cut on the 45 deg.cuts.
This will let you go over the frame you now have in place and rap around on both sides of the old frame. (it's called cap trim molding)

Bj

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Mike

· #5 · Nov 26, 2006

Birch, nobody ever said it would be easy. Here is a method you might consider: Build your molding into a frame of the proper size on your work bench. This should allow you to get nice finished corners. Tack it or glue with construction adhesive in place and carefully caulk around it with a latex caulk such as "Alex" using a putty knife to give it nice crisp lines. Once the paint is applied it will hide irregularities very well.

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Birchwood

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 26, 2006

By golly I KNEW you guys would come up with some suggestions. I have decided to take the remainder of the day to mull them over while watching some football. I will make an executive decision in the morning. Or maybe later in the week. Or perhaps next month. Spring would be a good time wouldn't it?

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rh111

· #7 · Nov 27, 2006

I have a older home that all of the angles are not standard out of the box angles. To assist in this, I bought a big ol' protractor to assist. I get the degree angle of the corner. Divide it by 2. Then use that angle measurement for each of the cuts. It takes a little more time but have saved a forrest along the way. I also tend to cut a little longer and sneek up on the precise length rather than to cut once in error.

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xblade

· #8 · Nov 29, 2006

rh111 has the right idea, a couple of months ago a homeowner asked me if I would install crown molding in his livingroom and diningroom, not a square coener in either room , I found the angles the same way rh111 did.

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