compleatcarpenter

So far, it appears the score is 11-1 in favor of coping. As I said in my initial post, the most important thing in finish carpentry is to have a system that works for you. If that includes coping crown, I can't argue about that. But I would like to point out a few things in these comments that are either false or unfair in this debate of miter vs. cope.

1. Precision
It's pretty difficult to beat the precision of a miter cut using a chop saw or glide saw. It's a controlled, straight, clean, accurate cut. Not so with a cope, which is done by hand and is subject to all sorts of variables. I have coped thousands of joints and I doubt I have done one that was absolutley right. You all know what I am talking about, whether it's a ragged edge or a divot from one stroke too many or you just couldn't quite follow the outline correctly. Coping that produces acceptable joints is a skill that requires lots of practice. Perfection can be approached but never attained. And then there's the issue of back-cutting. And fine tuning with a rasp or sand paper or whatever you choose to use. Once you've set up the miter saw, pull the trigger and slice through the material.

2. Fit
There's been some talk about how the coped joint fits better than the mitered one. This is false. First, the cut is more precise on a mitered joint. (see above) Secondly, I do all of the things with a mitered joint that others do to a coped joint. I back cut to allow for out of square corners. I cut the pieces slightly long so they snap into place and make the corners tight. I tap the two pieces up or down in the corners to get a batter fit. If I need to, I shim the pieces to hold them while I nail. And I can glue the pieces together to hold the corner tight over time, an impossibility with a coped joint. And I usually wipe the joint with caulk as the icing on the cake. Colored caulks work great for stained wood. It's not cheating, it's using the technology science has developed! The old boys would have used it too, if they had it. One more thing, I may benefit from living in a semi-arid climate where we don't have so much wood movement.

3. Speed
Overall speed starts with measuring, followed by cutting and then installation. Once again, it depends on whether a system has been developed. Usually, I measure the whole room from rolling scaffolding, making notes about squareness as I go. Then I cut all of the pieces and begin installing them. I leave the ends loose so I can tweak the fit at the corners. There's no comparison between the two approaches as far as speed is concerned. Start with the cut. You're still trying to cope that first curve and mine piece is cut.

4. Best parctice
I've read about "best practice" and "that's the way it's done" in several of these comments. I can't criticize anyone for coping crown. It's a personal choice and one that's comfortable. But let's not be so judgemental. Even now I cope from time to time. In fact, I cope any profiled baseboard that I install, though I use a trim router to do it. Keep an open mind, do what makes sense and allow for some "outside the box" thinking. Afterall, there are some crowns that cannot be coped. As far as I know, all of them can be mitered. So if you had to pick one system for all crowns, by default, it would have to be mitering.

My advice is to develop a system that works for you, beginning with how best to measure for the crown. Cope or miter? That's for you to decide, but I would suggest giving miters a try. I have been doing finish carpentry for over 35 years and mitering crown for almost 20. I have never had a call back or a complaint. Chris Whalen