# Help with compound miter cut



## Christopher Adis (Dec 6, 2017)

Novice here. I'm trying to add some cove molding but having a tough time figuring out the cut for the turn on my stairs. Please see attached photo. Can anyone here offer some guidance on how to finish this off? Huge thanks in advance!


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## gj13us (Apr 19, 2016)

This would be trial-and-error for me. What if you used a third piece? The near end of the horizontal piece can be cut at a 45° angle. A very small third piece can be mitered at 45° to meet it at the corner. Then the banister piece can be cut back to meet the "upstairs" edge of the third piece. Like this: the blue is the cove, the red are the cuts, the brown the post and banister.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

This is indeed a puzzle. I know how I would do it, but I cannot think how to explain it so somebody else could do it.

Basically you have to measure the angle that the piece coming down the stairs meets the horizontal piece. Then you tilt the saw to this same angle. Your measurement may be off some since you have a very short horizontal surface, so I would undercut the angle and work my way to the finish angle.

Ii am assuming that you have a compound miter saw.

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*you need a trasition piece... 3rd piece*

You can not mate those two sections even though they are identical, one being on an angle. The transition piece will hide the mismatch.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Even if you cut the molding on the left to the right compound angle, it will be longer than the molding on the right. Sometimes on a cut like this you block it. Use a decorative block (approx 1 1/2” taller than the molding) on the corner and run both pieces of mold into it.


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## Christopher Adis (Dec 6, 2017)

gj13us said:


> This would be trial-and-error for me. What if you used a third piece? The near end of the horizontal piece can be cut at a 45° angle. A very small third piece can be mitered at 45° to meet it at the corner. Then the banister piece can be cut back to meet the "upstairs" edge of the third piece. Like this: the blue is the cove, the red are the cuts, the brown the post and banister.


I've been trying the three piece idea but I just can't seem to get the angles. I'm even using a Starrett but can't seem to get it to look good.


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## Christopher Adis (Dec 6, 2017)

Toolman50 said:


> Even if you cut the molding on the left to the right compound angle, it will be longer than the molding on the right. Sometimes on a cut like this you block it. Use a decorative block (approx 1 1/2” taller than the molding) on the corner and run both pieces of mold into it.


I like this idea but trying to envision how the decorative block would sit on the corner.... 
Hmmm...

Thanks everyone for your input! I think i pretty much wasted the day on this damn turn! Errrrr. :vs_mad:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Christopher Adis said:


> I like this idea but trying to envision how the decorative block would sit on the corner....
> Hmmm...
> 
> Thanks everyone for your input! I think i pretty much wasted the day on this damn turn! Errrrr. :vs_mad:


Any way you miter the molding there it's going to look bad. The decorative outside corner block would work the best.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Steve Neul said:


> Any way you miter the molding there it's going to look bad. The decorative outside corner block would work the best.


Thanks for adding the picture. Picture width a 1000 words. :thumbsup:

The block pictured is very decorative. A simple block would just have a tapered top.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*The block won't relate*



Christopher Adis said:


> I've been trying the three piece idea but I just can't seem to get the angles. I'm even using a Starrett but can't seem to get it to look good.


The block in not going to merge to two sections gracefully, rather it will interrupt them. You are not going to make a smooth transition with the added piece. It is often done on shoe molding where there are different heights to deal with.

Search transition block or shoe mold plinth:

https://images.search.yahoo.com/sea...ep-By-Step/FH09NOV_SHOCAR_09.JPG&action=close










BTW, Steve's photo is not the condition you have which has one run at a steep angle and the other run is level. Both of those runs are level in the photo.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Two blocks that go around the corner, molding butts up to them, one would be rectangle, other would have angled bottom. Angled bottom one stops at corner, rectangle one is wider and stops at outside edge.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Here is an article by one of our members and a good friend Keith Mathewson. 
http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/2010/09/10/raked-baseboard-returns/


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## Christopher Adis (Dec 6, 2017)

That was a good article. I'm kicking myself for not planning to go level first before the turn. That would have solved my problem. Wish I would have read that article a long time ago! I'm a novice here...... :|

I'm going to do the block method. On my way to the store now to see if they have something decorative that will fit. Otherwise I will cut some small blocks and try to use a router on the edges to make it look halfway decent. 

Thanks again guys!


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