First miter saw project -- casing for iron work

[Jeff McClure]

First woodworking project after receiving a 10" sliding compound miter saw as a gift. I am hoping to tackle this and then move on to crown moulding.

Background:
I have two similar cutouts in the interior wall of my home office so that you can see from the office into other parts of home. These cutouts are 13 1/2" deep and roughly 3'x4'.

Project:
My wife has asked me to encase all four sides of each of the cutouts with a hardwood (7 1/4" wide) and 1" trim (to round off the edges of wood). She is going to paint or stain the wood a dark color. These inserts are for both decoration and better support for the iron work. I purchased some hardwood and also the trim.

Questions:
1) Should I glue trim to edges of wood and then miter or are there better alternatives?

2) When should my wife paint or stain?

3) How should I secure casing? The interior of the cutouts is a textured drywall with paint (like rest of home).

4) Any other tips or things I should be considering?

Many thanks from this first-timer!

[Greg Sznajdruk]

Sounds like your talking about a window opening. If you intend on painting then it’s a waste of hardwood. If painting were your finish then pine or poplar would be a better choice. The jams could be simple butt joints build the jams as a box under size and then shim it plumb and level. The casing could be applied by nailing to the jam with an appropriate reveal. Take a look at the windows in your house and maybe duplicate for these two cutouts.

Greg

[Per Swenson]

Ok, No picture but I am going to try.

If you are going to paint, prime everything first.

Then final paint after install. Stain, stain all the parts then cut and assemble.

You want to install your box first, using shims to plumb and level.

Cut and assemble you box making sure all corners are 90 deg.

make it slightly undersize for the hole. (allow for shims to plumb)

you keep it square by temp nailing a board on the diagonal.

Apply you face trim after the box is installed.

Think installing a 4 jamb door instead of three.

After its nailed fill the holes and clear coat with desired product if staining.

I hope this helps

Per

[Per Swenson]

Oh, and Jeff, welcome to the creek.

P.

[Jeff McClure]

Thanks Greg and Per for your help and welcome.

I have linked to a picture that is as close as I could find to this project -- sorry, didn't realize I could do this first time around:

http://homepage.mac.com/mc_clure/.Public/SawmillCreek/iron_wall_screen.jpg

The main difference is my casing is rectangular as opposed to rounded top.

Based on this picture and my limited knowledge, my original plan was to do mitered cuts with trim already attached and then secure the casing a piece at a time. From both your descriptions, it sounds like the right way to do it is to build the rectangle box and shim to plumb and level. I have never shimmed anything, but will try and find more on the right way to do this. I did put a square on all four corners and there is a little play in a couple of them, but not much.

Let me know if you have any additional suggestions based on picture, and thanks again for your help and patience.

Jeff

[Per Swenson]

Jeff,

I use undercourse cedar shakes, they are about $6.00 a bundle.

But in the door section of the box store there are little pkg's of

wood shims. If you build the box perfectly square, (4, 90 degree corners) then all that's

needed is to level the bottom, then shim it tight and nail.

Then cut the exposed shim off with your razor knife.

That's as clear as my writing skills get.

Per

Per