First off, today it rained.  A lot.  We have added a dock out front for the ark we are constructing.

I have been struggling quite a bit with the crown molding.  It is hard to understand what gets cut at which angle and then which piece goes on the wall.  So I made templates out of some pieces I messed up, initially.  It is ok, I bought extra and it was good to have some pieces to practice with.

Molding Templates

I also decided after trying to make the compound cuts that It was much easier for me to cut the molding in position.  That however, presents other challenges such as holding the molding in place while cutting it.  A few tutorials suggest a stop block or guide.  My saw is a cheap one and I could not rotate the table after clamping the block down so I made a mini table and shimmed it up just enough to let the base rotate.

Cutting in this position eliminates the need for cutting compound angles.

I measured the dimension that the molding is supposed to sit off the wall and ripped a piece of wood to that dimension.  I put that in, against the fence and then clamp down the guide table.  I made a few test cuts and it is rock solid.  It is not going to move and I can make accurate, reproduce-able cuts each time.

Gauge block and stop block clamped on the saw.

We decided, with a bunch of advice, that coping the molding is the best option for the corners.  Since I am using MDF molding, it is a bit harder to cope, because it is pretty fragile, I cut and then finished with a file.  The picture to follow is my second attempt at coping and in nicked the trim in one spot and it chipped.  I think I am going to practice a bit more on some more scrap but I feel like I am getting better with each try.

Coping saw and files.

Backside of a coped joint.

My second coping attempt. I need more practice.

Trim is really long, 14′ pieces.