Whether replacing damaged molding or adding decorative vintage detail, there are countless knife profiles to choose from.

Do you associate the word custom with the word costly? Or, do you think of the word custom as choice? If you live in an older home there’s a good chance that all the moldings in your home are unique. Decades ago, profiles were cut on site using special hand planes with custom-cutting blades. These blades produced a gamut of styles and designs

Whether you are restoring your home to be historically correct, looking to add crown molding to match other molding in your living room/dining room, or you just want to restore a section of damaged molding, then consider custom molding. Restoring the historic charm of your vintage home through moldings could add considerable value.

As more homes in the greater Portland area are being restored, custom molding businesses are adding more cutting knives to their libraries. According to Mike Redmond, owner of Creative Woodworking NW, over the years they have cataloged approximately 1,500 custom knives of different profiles from Portland homes. One or more will most likely match the molding style in your home. On Creative Woodworking NW’s website, www.creativewoodworkingnw.com you can view its large catalog of profiles. New profiles are added to its site on a weekly basis. Creative Woodworking NW can also duplicate or customize siding and flooring.

McCoy Millwork showroom: Shown are only a few of the molding profiles offered.

Shown here is a custom knife profile made by the Weinig knife grinder at Creative Woodworking NW.

The Weinig molding cutter is set-up to cut a length of base molding.

Feeling frustrated after visiting the molding section of the big box home centers? Chances are that you are spending too much time on the hunt. Often moldings sold at the big boxes are made from scrap lumber. This scrap is joined together with finger joints to make them longer. In order to cover up the mismatched tones you must paint them to cover up the discrepancy. Some moldings are covered with a paper-thin layer of wood veneer; others are made from non-wood products that can be easily dented. When purchasing molding from a custom shop chances are the quality of wood used is sound and can easily be stained or painted.

Determining the cost per linear foot to create custom solid-wood trim includes many elements: size of the custom knife, type of wood, number of board feet, etc. Consulting with a custom shop can be well worth the time. Having experience dealing with homeowner’s questions they also know about how molding should be used. For example, if your ceilings are 9’ to 10’ or higher the trim must be a proper size to be in scale with the room.

Another advantage to custom shops is the vast selection of wood species offered. Why buy oak if you’re going to paint the wood? If your intention is to paint you can save substantial money by ordering paint-grade material. This type of lumber is affordable as it often has slightly irregular grain coloration. Paint will mask defects.

What’s the best way to match the profile of your molding? Mike says bring in a small piece of your molding to get an accurate assessment of the profile. Paint build-up can slightly change the shape or hide detail. If by chance you are unable to match your profile with an existing knife than you’ll have to have a knife cut to match the profile. The cost of this service will depend on the size. Once the knife has been produced then this unique profile will be available for future use.

If you would like to see examples of different styles in compatible build-ups then visit McCoy Millwork. McCoy offers real wood examples of all its moldings and shows how each should be used. McCoy stocks a full line of period molding and can also order custom molding too. The knowledgeable staff at McCoy can help you choose the right combination to enhance any period style. It also offers stair parts, mantels, corbels, ceiling medallions, columns, exterior porch products, doors, flat and beaded wainscot, lumber, and plywood. You can order a McCoy Millwork catalog by calling 503-236-9-0995 or logon to www.mccoymillwork.com.

You no longer need to compromise when planning your molding needs. Custom molding gives you design control whether adding a chair rail or crown molding when restoring your home to its historic glory.

Locations for Period Molding

Creative Woodworking NW
1036 SE Taylor, Portland, OR 97214
503-230-9265
www.creativewoodworkingnw.com

McCoy Millwork
342 SE Caruthers, Portland, OR 97214
503-236-0995
www.mccoymillwork.com

Rejuvenation
1100 SE Grand, Portland, OR 97214
503-238-1900
www.rejuvenation.com

Woodcrafters
212 NE 6th, Portland, OR 97232
503-231-0226