Cabinet Crown / Compound miters???

[Michael J Evans]

Hi All,

Its been a long while since I have been on this forum or done any WW projects, but I finally bought my first home and am starting to have a use for all these tools again...

We had to remove a cabinet in order to accomadate the larger fridge we wanted to put in. No Big deal, I removed the molding and cabinet and figured it would be easy enough to put it back on the new cabinet. Well I was wrong.

I need to make a corner now with the molding versus the straight section it previously was. So I measure from the wall to the edge of the cabinet, set my saw at a 45 angle cut, double checked my measurement, was happy it was right on and went inside. Only to find out the my straight 45 was nowhere near what was currently attached to the cabinets, URG! So I went onto the interwebs and discovered compound miters. Now my mind is blown.. I watched 4 or 5 videos and still can't really wrap my mind around the angles / measurements.

I am pretty sure my current crown is a 45/45 molding. I took a square and both measurements are about the same ( 1 leg is like a 1/16 longer). So I looked a chart and it said I need to set my miter at 35.26 degrees and my bevel at 30 degrees, if the molding is 90 degrees to the wall. The molding doesn't touch the ceiling but it is 90 to it ( I think??).

Anyways my questions I have are

1) How does a 35.26 miter end up giving me a 90 degree angle??? I would think both miters would have to be 45 degrees???

2) Since I already screwed up my first cut on the molding, I don't have anymore to test cut. How do I ensure that the current molding is 90 to the wall.

3) Where do I start my measurements? From what I understand on YouTube, you put the molding flat on the saw, with the top half against the fence. My saw only bevels to the left (wheres most youtube bevels both ways), does that mean I need to make all my cuts backwards? I took some regular 1x4 pine to do test cuts, but couldn't figure it out. From what I understand I have to make the following cuts.
1a) left - butt cut / right outside corner
1b) left outside corner to right inside corner.

I have attached a few pictures to show what I need to do and the molding profile. I am sure I am making this much more complicated than need be, but I only have exactly enough molding to finish the project, So I really don't want to screw up.

Any help is appreciated!
Regards,
Michael 423548423549

[Michael J Evans]

Here is a pic of the molding profile 423550423550

[Leo Graywacz]

Can you cope your molding in?

Also instead of cutting the molding on the flat you can nest it onto the chopsaw. Put the top of the molding on the base of the saw and the part that goes on the wall on the vertical side of the fence. Set your angle to 45º and cut the molding.

Only time I ever cut on the flat is if the molding is to big to nest into the saw.

[Mel Fulks]

The moulding is upside down, according to conventional use. I don't see any places requiring coping, that material is
nice and thick and should rest easy on the saw .

[Leo Graywacz]

I'm not allowed to see his pictures.:(

[Bradley Gray]

I'm not allowed to see his pictures.

$6 a year - less than .02/ day

[Mel Fulks]

I'm not allowed to see his pictures.:(
But you don't have to stay and "clean the blackboard " or Windex our screens !

[jack duren]

Or you can try another woodworking site that doesn't require you to pay. Pictures all day long...

[Michael J Evans]

I think I will go to home depot tomorrow and pick up a piece of cheap molding to do some test cuts on. I was messing around some more with a 2×4 piece and think I figured it out.

Any more help is appreciated thanks

[Mel Fulks]

Leo, you are not letting us see your good work.

[Leo Graywacz]

My work shows up because it's hot linked.

[Mel Fulks]

Well....I ain't seen any in too long a while. Glad you are "still with us"

[Lee Schierer]

No need to figure compound angles. Watch this video and you will see the best way to cut crown molding. How to Cut crown molding. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT65t5ANBac) The same procedure will work on a table saw as well.

[johnny means]

Unless your saw is really small or your crown is really tall, you shouldn't need to use compound settings. Just cut it upside down with the wall side flat against the fence.

[Michael J Evans]

Thanks for the video. Do you think it would be safe for two cuts to angle it the same as with the jig, but just hold it by hand?

[Michael J Evans]

Unless your saw is really small or your crown is really tall, you shouldn't need to use compound settings. Just cut it upside down with the wall side flat against the fence.

That was what I originally did. But that didnt come out correct at all.

[johnny means]

That was what I originally did. But that didnt come out correct at all.

Sometimes it can be a little confounding. It helps if you hold the piece in place, mark the inside corner, mark approximately where the long corner will be, and mark the keeper side. When you place the moulding on the saw, you'll immediately see that your cutting the correct way.

[Tom M King]

Put stops on the miter saw tables to hold the top out exactly the distance it will be away from the wall. Stops make it easy. Without them, it's guesswork at best, even if you have marks on the tables.

[Larry Edgerton]

The 36.25 is for cutting on the flat. If you are nesting it upside down against the fence you would just use 45 degrees> I do it both ways depending on the size of the crown>large crown on the flat>smaller crown nested upside down against the fence.

[Michael J Evans]

The 36.25 is for cutting on the flat. If you are nesting it upside down against the fence you would just use 45 degrees> I do it both ways depending on the size of the crown>large crown on the flat>smaller crown nested upside down against the fence.

Thanks Larry, from the video you posted and others comments I am beginning to understand. I now have a new appreciation for trim work.

Seems like the way to go if at all possible is to angle against both fences. That way you don't have to deal with bevel angles.

Thanks again everyone!