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| Figure 1 |
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| Figure 2 |
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| Figure 3 |
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Installing molding calls for fairly sophisticated carpentry skills. Molding is one of the most expensive per square inch wood products you can buy. Practice is needed so you do not waste this costly product. Spend some time cutting and fitting scrap pieces until you feel comfortable with the process. The more detail to the profile the more difficult it is to cut.
A coped joint is a flush joint made to duplicate the profile. See example in (figure 1). Coped cuts are used where one piece of molding meets another at an inside corner. With this cope cut method the molding profile is back cut to fit against the face of the adjoining molding. This type of cut will require time and patience to learn. Taking the time to create this type of joint will give a professional look to your project.
First cut the molding to be coped at a 45º angle, with the extra length exposed (figure 2). Do not cut the wood to exact length. You must leave at least 5” to compensate for errors or redos.
When cutting, if using a power miter saw use a planer blade (fine); for better results and to minimize chip-out, use a hand miter saw (see below).
With a pencil, mark the edge on the face side of the molding to reveal the profile. This mark will be the guide for your cut (figure 3).
With a coping saw, follow the pencil mark and carefully back cut at least to a 5º angle. This will remove the excess product. (figure 4).
To check for a tight fit, place the cope cut against the flush-mounted molding. If the coped edge has gaps and doesn’t exactly match the profile of the other piece, use a wood rasp or utility knife to pare away excess wood.
Use wood putty to fill in minor imperfections. If you have major imperfections, consider re-doing the cut.
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| You can purchase a power miter saw for under $100. | ||||||||
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| Stanley offers this hand miter box for under $50. | ||||||||
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| Skill Level One hammer: Novice Five hammers: Experienced |
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