I have a Andersen circle top window that sits on top of two casement windows. I had a piece of flexible trim made for the circle top window that matches the Windsor one trim i am installing in the rest of the house. Heres my question, I do not want to use rosettes i just want to miter the casing legs to the circle top trim i know its not a 45* cut what are the methods you guys use for figuring that angle. Just a note i dont want to miter them like a lap joint but i would like to miter them with a crosscut angle in the way you do when you miter the door head trim to the door leg trim of a door. I know in this case they both WILL NOT be 45* angles. I cant afford to make a mistake with the special ordered flexible trim it was $150. Any help would be appreciated
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Best of luck
Draw continuous straight lines that are the outside and inside of the two pcs of trims. These lines will cross each other. I realize that the curved one will continue to curve. Where these lines cross are the possible cut lines of the ends of the trims.
cut out some strips of paper, paperboard, or cardboard to verify what I'm mumbling is true-put them together on the wall as if they were the trim.
You'll have to hold the curved one on the saw in position-or put a sacrificial board on the bed of your saw-fix it somehow and then add stops to hold the flextrim in position.
The basic rule is to divide the angle in half, if the two pieces are the same width. Think about it: A straight piece is 180 degrees, and if you cut two pieces at 90 degrees (ie, square cuts) they'll fit together into 180 degrees. Likewise, for a 90-degree joint you cut the pieces at 45 degrees.
In your case the angle of the pieces near the joint will likely be something larger than 90 degrees -- say 110 degrees. So divide 110 in half to get 55 degrees -- cut the ends at 55 degrees and they'll fit together in a 110 degree angle.
Of course, with a curved piece you have to extrapolate, sort of, to get the angle at the junction point -- you can't just slap a protractor on the curved piece. So some eyeballing is required. What you want is the angle at the joint, not some average angle for the last several inches.
Fit the straight to the curved
After you figure the bisected angle-cut the curve and place it. Then cut the straights-easier to cut, fit and pay for if you screw up.
We're assuming the curve dies into the lower windows.
You got a picture of what exactly you're working with?
no pics my camera is broke, i will try the ideas you guys have given me. Ill let you know how it goes
What'choo got.
Is it a half circle window sitting on top of two windows and the outside dimension is the same?
or is it what I am most used to: smaller half circle window on top of another with flanking windows off both sides?
or an arch top?
Its a Andersen circle top, it sit on top of two casements. The horizontal base of the circle top is the same width as the casements and sits on top of them. Some may call it an arch window or round top but it is not an elliptical. I hope this helps
OK
Then I'm thinking at the point they meet they are almost a square cut, no?
Yes, but i dont want to butt them
I apologize brandon for being thick headed. If the joint is almost straight, the mitre cut is only going to be a bit off a 90 degree cut on your saw. On casing there's a mitre cut and no bevel. Doesn't make a difference if 2-45's or 2-7's.
You mention you don't want to use a lap joint in the first post, so that leaves out beveling the cut. I'm sort of lost now.
A good joint is one that becomes invisible, as if the wood just bent around, all the lines of detail meet up and blend. I think no matter what you do to achieve this a bisquit in that transition would be good to keep the registration. However, I've never stuck a bisquit in flex trim. You are using that rubbery trim for the curve, right?
Best of luck.
Yes, but i dont want to butt them
Is that for a challenge, or some other reason? I'm assuming it's paint grade, actually hoping<G>. Flex trim profiles rarely match stock wood trim exactly... you will have to do some fairing, shimming, and general cajoling. And, unless you install the flex within the temperature swings of the finished house, it will move, pucker, pull, or push.
Or, maybe you're talking about joining bevel cuts?
The flex trim matches the Windsor One moulding exactly. It was made for that exact circle top and is made out of a hard dense rubber, i bet that sucker weighs 20 pounds. I have made a small template out of cardboard and will be trying it out tomorrow. All you guys have been great, Thanks
Which is it?
Circle top or springline arch?
Whichever way, a tangent line is drawn to the arc where the arc meets the straight (side). You draw a line on the wall where your outboard molding edge goes vertical, at your straight side, then another line parallel to that line tangent to the arc, also at the molding width.
Connect the outside corner and inside intersect, and that is your miter line. Use a couple pieces of scrap straight molding, to help draw these lines, and to mark for setting your miter saw.
Gene, its its the circle top just like your pic
Here are some pictures that might help:
http://picasaweb.google.com/josephfusco.jr/ArchedWindowTrim#