Better Machinist than Trim Carpenter

[alinwa]

I'll tell you the same thing I told a lot of people back then. "The best tool the do it yourselfer can use is a telephone to call the pro.

LOL!!!



Too right Francis.

A good percentage of our work is and will always be "fixit" work where we're bailing somebody out. Which of course costs ten times what the homeowner would theoretically have saved.

I stay busy by proving daily that I CAN do what I do cheaper than you can. And better.



al

 

[Bnhpr]

Being a sucker for gadgets, I bought a Special jig for cutting crown molding in a miter saw. This jig allows for 38, 45, and 52 degree molding. The jig is made so one can make his cuts away from the fence so it is not reversed and or upside down. I will keep you posted on my success.

Nat Lambeth

Nat,

I've put up crown moulding..... My saw has the settings for crown marked on the turn table. It's easy to cut and get them to mate in the shop.

Then....I put them up and realized my wall corners are not perfectly square....threw thos pieces in the trash....so, I learned to use a coping saw, hand sanding......tiny bit of caulking... and have never looked back.

 

[Alan Warner]

You have two options.

Hire a carpenter
Look for a new Girfriend

Of course there is the old tried and true method of waiting untill she is gone somewhere, hire the carpenter, and lie to your Girfriend by saying you did it.

That has worked with my wife over our 40 years of marriage quite well.......jackie

jackie:
I like your style.
By the way, I've taken both of your suggestions from time to time.

Alan

 

[papapaul]

There are a hundred little tricks, several jigs and special tools, variables to check for, and after you have mastered all these, crown molding is still a pain in the ass.

 

[Rustystud]

Thought I would share some photos..

I did not have my good camera. These photos were taken with my cell phone.

Tomorrow I will put on the polyurathane.

Jackie and all:

As always, I have the deepest respect for you. My mother said once my head would rival a walnut for hardness. I called a friend (big well respected building contractor) who builds multimillion dollar homes. I asked him to have his trim carpenter to call me. He said it would do no good as he did not speak english. I have several college degrees and think that I have above average visual and spacial skill. However; I am not an engineer. That is not saying that I am particularly smart, just persistent. My girlfriend was really worried as I had stayed up every night since this project was started reading on the internet about cutting crown moldings. She even asked if I was looking at porn. I will say as informative as the internet was I found a book at the wood working store that was even more descriptive. It seemed all the internet post just left out a step. After reading this book several times it was like a light going off in my head. I am no master of crown but I think I have got the basics and now know where to look for the answers.

As you know in machining we would rarely if ever work backwards and upside down to make our cuts in metal.

Keep them in the X ring

Nat

 

[papapaul]

I found this old photo of a house I built maybe 18 years ago for Tony of Tony's Gun Store in Alexandria, KY. All the beams in the ceiling are made from crown molding applied over 4x4 base. We had crown molding down peretty well by the end of this job. Anybody remember Tony?

 

[Charles E]

. . . will say as informative as the internet was I found a book at the wood working store that was even more descriptive. It seemed all the internet post just left out a step. . . .

Nat, this is something we should all remember when answering "newcomers to benchrest" questions. Going to a match is helpful, so too are good books. I'll allow there aren't many, and the design & typesetting of the books often leaves a lot to be desired.

There is only so much information we can impart on the internet with our posts. Books are more complete, and more reflective.

Good editing helps, too, to get rid of things like "Now weld part A to part B. But first . . ."