# Cutting crown on a table saw?



## jporter5333

I am remodeling my bath room and have hit a snag. I am going to put some crown up and my ceilings are sloped. I was looking at 12" dual bevel sliding double back flipping alien hunting compound miter saws. These things as you guys know are expensive and and I don't have one in the budget. Heck, It would be cheaper to buy a Bostitch or Porter Cable 3 pc. nailer kit w/ compressor, a 2-1/4 hp 2 base router kit, and build a good router table and use them to make the trim myself and put it up. So I was wondering if any of you know if a table saw could be used for this task. It seems to me like it should but I wanted to see what the experts thought.


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## firehawkmph

JP,
You can cut the crown molding on the flat. Here's a link for it because I don't normally do it that way and couldn't begin to explain it.
http://www.installcrown.com/Cutting_crown_on_flat.html

Mike Hawkins


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## jporter5333

Thanks Mike,
That's a great link. Pretty scary though. Would I be Better off to make a jig to hold it up right?


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## GeorgeC

If you watch for the sales you can purchase a 10" Craftsman sliding miter saw for around $200 or slightly less. This saw has a limitation that the head can only be tilted one direction, but that is easily worked around. I have totally remodeled a condo and a house with that saw. Replaced all baseboard and crown plus much more that included a 127 piece wainscoting job. It works very well with nary a hicup.

I think that the small workaround on cutting the crown would be far less problem than trying to use a table saw. 

G


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## mmtools

Here is a Link to a pretty good crownstop device for most miter saws...www.benchdog.com (page 18)


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## the miz

jporter5333 said:


> I am remodeling my bath room and have hit a snag. I am going to put some crown up and my ceilings are sloped. I was looking at 12" dual bevel sliding double back flipping alien hunting compound miter saws. These things as you guys know are expensive and and I don't have one in the budget. Heck, It would be cheaper to buy a Bostitch or Porter Cable 3 pc. nailer kit w/ compressor, a 2-1/4 hp 2 base router kit, and build a good router table and use them to make the trim myself and put it up. So I was wondering if any of you know if a table saw could be used for this task. It seems to me like it should but I wanted to see what the experts thought.


You can cut decent compound miters on a table saw but it can be trick with longer pieces. If you have a slider slot and jig that can rotate on your saw you simply have to tilt the blade and jig to the right angles. There is a correct angle to use but you usually have to tweak it a little one way or the other. Or, you can Rent a compound saw for a day or better yet borrow one. Just make sure you use a good sharp carbide blade for good clean cuts.


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## cabinetman

Cutting long pieces on the TS even with a good sled can be a problem. You may not like this suggestion, but crown can be cut by hand with a cheap wood miter box and a back saw. I've cut plenty this way before getting motorized. I've made special purpose miter boxes that work great. For a very small investment you could get something similar to the one below, and get very accurate cuts. 
.


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## TheRecklessOne

ha..alien hunting...I wish they said that on the box...I'd buy it because it hunted aliens...now if only they had one to hunt illegal aliens and terrorists...:laughing:


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## TheRecklessOne

by the way I like cabinetman's idea...when in doubt old school out...manual miter box if you don't have a ton to cut..

But then again...there is always craigslist or HF!:thumbsup:


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## jporter5333

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I'm gonna go with the miter box idea since it's cheap and easy.


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## scribbles

Cutting crown on a table saw is just not safe, you can cut up to a 3.5" crown on a 10" chop saw without compounding, 5.25" on a 12" saw. If you are here you will use the saw on countless other projects. I would not invest in a hand miter box. They work great if you know what your are doing, but very frustrating if you don't. Our local home depot has constant sales on 10" saws, I would invest in that. Compound cutting crown is not a novice project.


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## jporter5333

Thanks Scribbles.

I know a miter saw would be very useful and I really really really really want one but it's just to much right now. My plan is to buy or make some decorative pieces for the corners and use a nice looking flat trim so that I can make simple miters to match the slope of the ceiling with a miter box and just butt 'em up to to corner pieces. I've seen pics of this and it looks nice and allows me to use a hand miter box for now.


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## scribbles

I understand, just take your time. Are you working with hardwood, or mdf? Paint grade will allow you to clean up your work with caulking, and be much more forgiving. Also rember work oppisite walls, not in a circle, it woill compound your mistakes.


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## scribbles

Also don't buy your molding at HD, or Lowes, you can go to a local molding company and get pg molding for 1/5 the price that HD charges. My local HD charges $3.50LF, and even at retail local molding company's only charge $.65LF for 5.25 colonial crown.


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## scribbles

I don't know why I did not think of this earlier, go but a 9$ coping saw, and start practicing. For inside corners that is the cleanest way, abet most time consuming.


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## mwhafner

Coping crown is the "correct" way to go, if you are cutting inside corners. There are numerous internet posts regarding coping crown. I use the Collins Coping Foot on a dedicated jig saw, and a couple of rasps.


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## scribbles

I must disagree on the safety issue. Can it be done, yes, is it safe? If the piece is less than 5' and is setup properly, yes, if it is on a good stationary = heavy table saw with good support, and you know what you are doing, and what to watch out for. Hell I can cut a radius on a table saw, would I EVER allow one of my guys to do it, no. Anything over 5' and you are asking for bind witch is never good, and you will never get a god cut on anything with any real length. And cross cuing anything on a portable table saw is asking for trouble.


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## clampman

I have only used a table saw to cut crown on two or maybe 3 jobs in my life. They were all coffered ceilings with perimeter beams in turrets where already acute angles were bisected in half, leaving a very long miter cut. In these situations only two decent options exist, a skill saw with a guide or table saw with a guide.

I used a talble saw, but it was a heavy table saw, not a contractor's saw. Otherwise, I'd have used a skilll saw. A safe way to do such a cut on a table saw is to attach a long piece of scrap plywood onto the crown at the correct miter angle, and attach other pieces of scrap boards to it going perpendicular almost to the edge of the first ply which will be running along the fence. 

Then cut through the crown and part of the fist piece of ply. The top layer of scrap wood reinforces that below holding everything together - including the crown cutoff, so it doesn't kick back.

But these type of jobs are not typical and I see no reason to use something as dangerous as a table saw for crown molding in general.

Cheers,
Jim


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## clampman

my bad


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## clampman

Jason,

I just noticed the sloping ceiling part, and agree that if you use crown molding, you will want a box or "pendent" at the junction of the flat and rake. 

It is possible to run crown by using transition pieces, but it is usually not possible to explain the technique even to carpenters experienced in running crown unless they have see it in the flesh.

Cheers,
Jim


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## cabinetman

I'll offer a suggestion that may be of some help. I usually cut two lengths of the crown maybe 10" - 12" long. I will cut the miter/bevel on each one for the corner involved no matter what it is. If the miter/bevel is within say 5 degrees or less, test cuts at varying degrees will get both pieces to be able to be fitted. Since most methods of cutting aren't perfectly accurate to the degree reading on the saw, doing graduated cuts gets it right on.

Then once you have the two pieces fitted, you mark the end length of the test piece, and from that mark you can measure to the next corner, and add the length of the test piece. This method works pretty good when you are working alone or have long walls to get exact measurements.


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## Willie T

For cryin' in a bucket! You can get a decent miter saw for a couple of hundred bucks (hell, I used one for years that I bought brand new for $83.) Worked fine.

Table saws are dangerous for this kind of work because of the unsupported long lengths. Don't do it.

And those many, many 1/8 or 1/16 inch recuts are all but impossible to accomplish on a hand miter box. Don't waste the money on a museum piece.

Go out and buy a reasonable miter saw. It's a good tool to have for a variety of reasons.


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## john5mt

Home creepo and blowes sell a sliding miter saw (ryobi and kolbalt) for around 200

If you get a decent blade they should be able to handle it

With all this cost/hassle wouldn't it have been more efficient to hire a pro?


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## jrup

clampman said:


> Jason,
> 
> I just noticed the sloping ceiling part, and agree that if you use crown molding, you will want a box or "pendent" at the junction of the flat and rake.
> 
> It is possible to run crown by using transition pieces, but it is usually not possible to explain the technique even to carpenters experienced in running crown unless they have see it in the flesh.
> 
> Cheers,
> Jim


 You must love dealing with frustration. For what you described better off with a miter box and spend the rest of your bucks on a angled finish nailer.


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## tim74

*i always use*

a coping saw and a Bosch 1584avsk barrel grip jig saw, u can take off the plate and make good cuts. its not a heavy jig saw and easy to manuver.
*
*


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## bradleywellsoff

john5mt said:


> Home creepo and blowes :laughing::laughing::laughing:


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