Remodeling 13: Cutting Wide Crown Molding and Cove Molding

When cutting crown molding wider than 3 1/2", we find that when cutting the wide crown molding to length, we have to lay the crown molding face down rather than upright on the turn base of a slide compound saw.

There are two common angles in the wide crown molding and cove molding of today. As shown in the drawing, notice the angle of 38° and 52° and two angles of 45° each.

I hope you are familiar with inside and outside miter joints. Refer to the previous article Remodeling 12: How to Cut Crown Molding for a picture of these. Also, remember that for every miter joint there are two pieces. We will refer to them as the left and right hand pieces as viewed in relation to the miter joint. Note: This is different than the previous article Remodeling 12: How to Cut Crown Molding where I referred to the left and right hand piece in relation to the wall.

The bevel angle of the saw is the vertical angle of the blade in relation to the base. The miter angle is the angle of the base turned in relation to the blade. This is where we get the term compound angle, where the blade is tilted and the base is turned from its zero position both at the same time. Some saws only bevel one way, so I will give you left and right bevels.

The instructions below are for a true 90° inside or outside wall corner. Sometimes we are not that lucky to have an accurate 90° wall corner to work with. Sometimes, for example, in a kitchen cabinet construction we end up having to miter a wide crown molding around a 60° angle or even an off angle like 87°. To help ease the burden of these inconsistencies in our construction lives I've made Tables 8: Cutting Crown Molding that gives miter and bevel angle settings for wall corners of any angle from 60° through to 180°.

Okay, let's cut a wide crown molding for a wall with a corner of 90°.

For Cutting 38°-52° Crown Molding Using A Left Bevel

Inside Corner—Left Hand Piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 33.9° left and the miter angle to 31.6° right. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its ceiling edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the left side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Inside Corner—Right hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 33.9° left and the miter angle to 31.6° left. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its wall edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the left side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Outside Corner—Left hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 33.9° left and the miter angle to 31.6° left. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its wall edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the right side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Outside Corner—Right hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 33.9° left and the miter angle to 31.6° right. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its ceiling edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the right side of the blade after the cut has been made.

For Cutting 38°-52° Crown Molding Using A Right Bevel

Inside Corner—Left hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 33.9° right and the miter angle to 31.6° right. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its wall edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the right side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Inside Corner—Right hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 33.9° right and the miter angle to 31.6° left. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its ceiling edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the right side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Outside Corner—Left hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 33.9° right and the miter angle to 31.6° left. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its ceiling edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the left side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Outside Corner—Right hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 33.9° right and the miter angle to 31.6° right Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its wall edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the left side of the blade after the cut has been made.

For Cutting 45°-45° Crown Molding Or Cove Molding Using A Left Bevel

Inside Corner—Left hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 30° left and the miter angle to 35.3° right. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its ceiling edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the left side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Inside Corner—Right hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 30° left and the miter angle to 35.3° left. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its wall edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the left side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Outside Corner—Left hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 30° left and the miter angle to 35.3° left. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its wall edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the right side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Outside Corner—Right hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 30° left and the miter angle to 35.3° right. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its ceiling edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the right side of the blade after the cut has been made.

For Cutting 45°-45° Crown Molding Or Cove Molding Using A Right Bevel

Inside Corner—Left hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 30° right and the miter angle to 35.3° right. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its wall edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the right side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Inside Corner—Right hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 30° right and the miter angle to 35.3° left. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its ceiling edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the right side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Outside Corner—Left hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 30° right and the miter angle to 35.3° left. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its ceiling edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the left side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Outside Corner—Right hand piece

Set the bevel angle of the saw to 30° right and the miter angle to 35.3° right. Lay the wide crown molding down on the saw base, face up, with its wall edge against the saw fence. The finished piece to be installed is on the left side of the blade after the cut has been made.

Dave