matching old crown molding or finding workaround

[Bill Orbine]

it is the traditional molding that is why I was surprised not to find a good match at HD, lowes or menards

Even you find something fairly similar but not a perfect match (as it can be with many traditional molding).....it doesn't have to be perfect. Most of the time, it's just not worth the time and effort to get a perfect match You can cope the new moldings into the old and fudge it a little. Get a good fit of the new against old on both the side and back of the cabinet and then cut your miters for the two new pieces at the outside corner of the cabinet. And you would have a hard time noticing the difference once it's all done and painted. It's not like you are butting new into old end to end where there differences between the two would be so obvious. BTDT many times.

[Mel Fulks]

Hard to see detail ,but I wouldn't call it a traditional crown since it leans so far back. The old mouldings bed at 45 degrees. Probably just one more set up variation from Georgia Pacific. Would not pay anyone to match it, would just swap it all out.

[Art Mann]

In my opinion, good finish carpenters don't miter inside corners, they cope them. If he can come up with the molding, it should be a trivial job to fit the missing pieces in the photo.

If you did have enough crown, are the two pieces on either side of the bookcase mitered already? If not, are you going to take the down to cut the miters?

For small projects like this I have built matching crown using separate profiles. If you can find a profile that has the elements/angles that your existing has you might be able to cut it down and reassemble to match.

[Jerry Miner]

Finding a matching profile is often harder than it should be. Every millwork shop has its own "standard" crown---sometimes it's 3 1/4", sometimes 3 1/2", 3 5/8", ... and even if the width is the same, the profiles are often a little different.

"Blending in" the closest match you can find is probably your best option. I often duplicate small molding runs with various router bits, the table saw, and hand tools. And you could do that here if you have the time and patience.

I would not recommend a plaster crown here. Plaster crown is better suited to plaster walls than cabinet tops---and it would probably be more work than re-doing the whole room or milling a matching crown on the table saw.

Here is the "standard" profile offered by one of my local millwork suppliers. It is 5/8 x 3 5/8. Where are you located?

Kelleher Crown 4-24-16.jpg

[Mike Ontko]

The big box stores have more sizes and styles available than just what you can grab from the floor stock. They should have a manufacturer's catalog with different profiles and sizes you can look through and order from. Based on your photos, the crown molding profile you've got looks like a common one that you should be able to find and order in either MDF or a paint grade wood.

[Brad Shipton]

How about trimming back the existing crown where it intersects the bookcase, installing a square block and then using a totally different crown or square profile that matches the bookcase? Call it a feature.

[rudy de haas]

Is that same crown molding used elsewhere in the house? if so, can you steal a bit from somewhere no one will notice when you substitute the closest thing you can find?

[Peter Aeschliman]

Sounds like you want something that is simple and inexpensive.

-You've turned down the idea of redoing the whole room.
-You don't want the expense of having molding custom-made by a millwork shop
-Seems like you're resisting the idea of making your own

So to me, that really just leaves one option: use a different detail at the top of your built-in. Don't even attempt to match it. On the one hand, it won't look as "built in" due to the lack of continuous crown. On the other hand, your built-in has a clean and simple design with no molding details, so crown doesn't really match the aesthetic of your built-in anyway. So maybe you could just put up a flat piece of 1x4 (ripped down to match the dimensions of the crown so that they meet up at the bottom; not sure how your 3 1/2" dimension was measured) as your molding along the ceiling, and either cope it to the crown, or trim more crown off so that it just butts up.

My advice: take the time to make your own copy of the crown molding. Get as close as you can on the table saw and router table. You can do a lot on the table saw by sending the work piece across the blade at a skewed angle (see the video below) and by using the rip fence with the blade tilted. The router table will help a lot too. Those operations will get you close. To get you all the way there, make a sanding block that matches the profile of your existing molding and go to town.

Don't cut a corner right at the end! You've worked hard to make the built-in. Details like this are what really set your work apart. If you're anything like me, you feel false a sense of urgency to get the project done because you're so close, so you're tempted to cut a corner. But if you do, you will always look at this final detail and think about how you should've taken the extra time to do it right. If this is a hobby for you, slow down and enjoy the process, not just the finished product!

/soapbox

[Lee Schierer]

These profiles are available in a variety of woods from my local supplier. Capture.JPG

[Martin Wasner]

I would either re crown the whole room, or cut out a piece and have someone cut a knife for it. I think my guy charges $75 to cut a knife, $75 for setup, and $.15/ft after that. An expensive stick of crown, but scribing something close-ish into the existing is unpleasant and likely won't ever look right.

Pick your poison on what sucks the least.

[justin sherriff]

Don't cut a corner right at the end! You've worked hard to make the built-in. Details like this are what really set your work apart. If you're anything like me, you feel false a sense of urgency to get the project done because you're so close, so you're tempted to cut a corner. But if you do, you will always look at this final detail and think about how you should've taken the extra time to do it right. If this is a hobby for you, slow down and enjoy the process, not just the finished product!

/soapbox

Finishing is the hardest part for me I get about 90% and run out of steam and will not touch it for a few+ weeks. I still need to make the doors, a shelf for inside the cabinet, and a window seat between them.
making the molding on the table saw looks like something fun to try.