Good Millwork: Who Cut the CROWN?, originally uploaded by Good Millwork.
Go ahead…give me a laugh, it’s Friday and we all need it (props to the kids for the title). We’ve seen a run of MONSTER crown molding orders over the past month (Janesville, WI, Charleston, SC, Poughkeepsie, NY). Assuming that you’ve purchased the “Tim the ‘Tool Man’ Taylor Kit” for making trim carpentry easy, the only question left is, “How do I cut this beast?”
The Good Millwork team rocks when it comes to CAD prep, axial constants, AWI specifications, knife marks per inch, back relief, priming, and sanding…but introduce “Compound Miter” the eyes dilate and road kill is imminent. Regis, I’m going to use my Lifeline and ask the expert…Wayne Drake, author of “Crown Molding & Trim: Install It Like A PRO!”
Wayne Drake’s interest in cutting and installing crown molding and trim stems from many years as a woodworking hobbyist. His book, “Crown Molding & Trim: Install It Like A PRO!” (132 pages, 350+ color photos, and hundreds of examples) explains how to easily cut and install your crown molding and trim. The event that led to the founding of www.compoundmiter.com (March 2000) was the construction of six of the large bird feeders shown in Chapter 16 of his book.
While making these as Christmas presents, he discovered, after cutting all 24 gazebo roof pieces, the bird feeder plans had the wrong miter and blade tilt angles. He then sat down and graphically derived what is now called the Compound Miter Chart© which illustrates the relationship between corner angle and crown slope angle for a compound miter cut. Today, www.compoundmiter.com is the best and only one-stop-source for information on how to cut any compound miter angle.
Good Millwork wanted to share some of Wayne’s techniques in upcoming posts and hope you will purchase his book and products. If your ready to try and need some crown molding, we can help as well!
Wayne Drake has been a mechanical engineer by profession since 1973. He has an extensive background in advanced mathematics and engineering graphics. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia in December 1972 and his Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Systems Engineering from the University of West Florida in 1976.
Wayne, I’ve read many books on finish carpentry and particularly installation of crown/trim molding that claim to be for “do-it-yourselfers”. Your book far surpasses anything I’ve seen. As an engineer myself, I can appreciate the level of detail that you provide for installing crown/trim molding. Many books promise “easy techniques” for installing molding, but the instructions are usually vague and the illustrations confusing. Not so with your book. Your instructions and illustrations are crystal clear. I’ve put off for years installing crown molding in our house because I was simply intimidated by it. With your book and the TrueAngle® tools, I now have the tools/techniques and the confidence I need to do a professional job. Thanks for a wonderful product. Chris
First Post in a Series
Next: Easy 3-Step Method for Installing Crown Molding”
Wayne Drake is a Mechanical Engineer with a Masters in Aeronautical Systems Engineering and founder of www.CompoundMiter.com. His web site is the best and only one-stop-source for information on compound miter angles. Wayne is also a woodworking hobbyist, author of “Crown Moulding & Trim, Insatll Like a Pro”, and has an extensive background in advanced mathematics and engineering graphics.
FIND CROWN MOULDING:
- 4″ to 6″ Crown Molding
- 6″ to 8″ Crown Molding
- 8″ to 10″ Crown Molding
- 10″ to 12″ Crown Molding
- Bed Moulds
- Cove Crown Mouldings
TOOLS FOR INSTALLING CROWN MOULDING:
- Purchase a Compound Miter Saw
- Purchase Miter Saw Accessories
CROWN MOULDING INSTALLATION RESOURCES:
- Extreme How-To: On Twitter; and DIY Crown Molding & Trim
- Builders Resource: Crown Molding for Cathedral Ceilings
- Wood Web: Crown Molding Along Cathedral Ceilings
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Twitter: @kaushika
WOW this article was fantastic. It provides all the necessary information for the people to refer to. It was done with a wonderful working knowledge in the field.
Kaushika,
WOW is exactly what I thought when I had the opportunity to sit down with Wayne Drake and get a lesson in how to “properly” cut the compound angles of crown moldings and other moulding profiles. Don’t forget to checkout our crown molding patterns when you get ready to tackle your next home improvement project…from memory, we’re now well over 10,000 profiles in our library and online.
Best.