odering crown molding in 16' and 8' lengths

[Don Morris]

I've coped/installed the stuff before...years ago. After the recent renovation LOML wants a new "style". Of course the new "style" she likes is more expensive. It looks like I've got about 900+ feet to do. I've got some long walls and some short walls. Seems to me I should just order the 16' lengths and cut down to size as I need it. But it occurred to me there may be some formula that the "pros" use to determine the least waste that I might not be aware of. Is there?

[Scott Loven]

I have always thought you should do your longest runs first, and use your left overs for the shortest runs, returns etc. That way, if you make a mistake, you can still use the piece in another location. Seems to me that if the cost per foot were the same, I would go with all 16 foot lengths. You could measure the lengths and do the whole thing on paper and come up with a good idea of which way to go. Are you going to paint them? If yes, then I would go with MDF or ridgid foam.
Scott

[Richard Niemiec]

No magic formula, at least in my experience. I'm no pro but an accomplished woodworker dipping into trim carpentry to keep the SWMBO happy. I just put in over $4,000 of crown (with an inverted base to form a cornice), casing, chair rail and frame panels in two rooms, a foyer and two hallways, and what I did was simply plan my work and work my plan. First check availablity of lengths at the yard, sometimes they have shorts available. Measure all the areas and figure out the best cutting plan to minimize waste, as the millwork is pretty expensive (I was using high quality 5 1/4" crown at somewhere near $4 a linear foot). Spending 45 minutes doing some planning saves a lot, and I was pretty pleased when looking at my scrap pile - nothing over 2 feet in length. Also, if you run out you can always go back for a piece or two. While I try and minimize scarf joints, sometimes its cost effective and other times necessary to actually cut a piece, do your inside corners with shorter lengths to make them fit where the drywall guys fudged (I had one corner that was 3/4" off). That's my experience, YMMV.

RN

[Matt Warfield]

Locally, we have a mill shop that sells all of their overruns in a "retail" area. I always find it amazing the prices I get when I pay cash.

Mill shops often have varying lengths. Last crown purchase I made, the lengths varied from 6' to 18' and I ended up with about 470' of 5" poplar crown for $220 cash. The credit card price was much much higher. :rolleyes:

Granted, this doesn't directly answer your question but if you have a similar place locally, you tend to worry much less about scraps.

Matt

[Ben Grunow]

My experience tells me that if you have 900' to do, planning every lenght and every cut will make you nuts-unless you whole house had 12' square rooms, then planning to but all 13' pieces would be smart. But, it's probably like all houses with all different sizes. You are either going to but primed, mdf or finger jointed wood moldings which mostly come in 16' lenghts or more expensive crown form a mill shop in which case you just tell them to make the longest pieces they can. When the pile shows up, do your longest pieces first and fill in with the rest. Keep you scraps organized (standing up) so lengths are easily visible. I also like to make a series of copes at one time instead of coping a piece and nailing it up. This allows you to get into a rhythm and I always do a better job. It also makes you feel like you are going faster (spend an hour or so coping in the am and then install without having tostop to cope). Just MHO.