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finefinish
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Hey everyone,
Did any of you read the cover article in the latest issue about installing 2 piece baseboard? I have installed miles of the same base and cap pictured in the article with the goal of achieving flawless results using efficient methods. I can not think of a reason/benefit to mitering inside corners with flat stock. The way I was taught, the way I most often see on quality jobs, and the way I believe to be most correct is to butt the inside corners, with the order in which pieces are installed being carefully considered. The first pieces in should be along walls that are focal points so that the next piece butts to it hard and the joint is invisible from where it will be most often viewed. A mitered corner joint, even when tight, is visible from almost any angle, and is fussier to install in out of plumb and square corners. Also, I usually miter inside corners of the cap whereas the author copes them. Small cap mouldings are not prone to seasonal movement and look tight even when the inside corners aren’t perfect. A bigger cap (2″ tall or so) I usually will cope. It was very interesting to see a different method to a basic trim job. I would never say the author’s method is incorrect. I would however say it is the opposite of how most experienced finish carpenters install baseboard and was a little surprised that it was a feature article with a “how-to” feel. I think the title should have read “An unorthodox approach to running base and cap” or something akin to that. The author does a good job of explaining the basics of scribing and coping. I wrote to the editors too to see if the author might explain his rationale too. I am always interested in seeing how and why people work the way they do.
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Replies
I agree...
and glad you brought this to everyone's atttention.
IMO, this article should never had made the cover. I would never miter an inside corner, whether it be the flat stock, or the ogee cap. That True Angle contraption would also never make it into my tool box. Don't need it. The quality (and really the quickest) way to handle 2x pc base (partricularly w/ out of square and out of plumb walls) is with a rabbeted butt joint and coped ogee cap. YOu don't need to fiddle with odd angles on your mitre box, or inevitable gobs of caulk. Heaven forbid this guy trim a high end stain grade job. I'd hate to see how that fares with any significant M.C. changes in the material. Now, if its' one piece ogee base, your only option is to cope the whole profile. The flat portion would follow your technique (with slight back angle) by default. IMO, Inside mitresare only an option for the uninformed.
Finefinish, it doesnt matter where you start, or which direction you like to run. The first piece of 1X is set in place. Itdoesn't have to be cut to exact length--usually cut it within a 1/4". Then the next piece (or a scrap) is butted into that with a line scribed onto the first 1X. That line is rabbetted (usually half the thickness of base) and then nailed into place. This allows that next piece to follow whatever the wall is doing (mitre angle or wall plane be damed) and look like it grew there. And will remain locked that way. No angle guages to utilize or set and no tape measuring to exact lenghts. Everying is easily marked or scribed in place. IMO, you can't say that for any other way of doing it---not yours, and certainly not the way advised in the cover story. The cover story is worse because opens up possiblity for gaps due to both radial and tangential wood shrinkage.
IMO, finehomebuilding should be ashamed of publishing such a cover story. But hey, it showcases that nice Kapex saw within the article. with the manufacturer paying to be on the back cover. I have a slew of their tools ,but not this one. It won't make you a better carpenter or businessman. Proof positive is in this article.
Same thing
I thought when reading and scanning the pictures. Had to read it again to make sure I saw what I thought.
In some cases I'll glue and fasten those butt joint inside corners, then slide it in to continue the outside corners.
be interesting to hear the response.
YOur method does not lock the second piece back to the wall. It can potentially spring out over time. "Jammed tight" is relative. That condition can change with changes in relative humidity. With a rabbeted joint, it is locked in place like an inside mitre, but without all the fuss of mating mitres with out of plane and out of square walls. Plus mitres can change with R.H. changes. Caulk will not hold up to inside mitre shrikage stress. I see this defect all the time in homes that have P/.G. inside mitred base. Terrible.
Try rabbeting 1X sometime. It think you will like it. Some folks think cutting the rabbet is time consuming, but it isn't. If you dont want to kerf the scribe line on cut saw, then you do what I do most of the time: just cut the scribe line on the first pc of base with a jap saw or back saw and easily knock out the waste from coming in with chisel from the end grain. It doesn't have to be an ultra clean rabbet, your coped base cap is covering this nice "slip joint".
Tool?
What tool do you use to rabbit your flat stock corners?????
Hey DoRight, see DN's response #4 in the thread. Handsaw and a chisel. DN I will try your method on the next job. You are correct that there is nothing trapping the second piece without the rabbet, just 2.5 inch nails into the framing. I can see how the rabbet would be really nice especially with tall stock that might tend to cup and when you run into corners where the solid nailing is hard to hit or not there at all.
Seems a bit rough ...
Just using a back saw to cut the rabbit seem a bit rough if you are staing the job. The other sad thing about doing a rabbit is that it wastes the fact that you could cut teh board short. If you don't rabbit the end you can cut eh board short and make any length board give you a tight fit on the other end. If you rabbit it you have to figure out exactly where that rabbit will land in the corner to marry the other board and tehn cut the board to exactly the right lenght to make a tight fit on the other end.
Am I missing something?
Hey DoRight, see DN's response #4 in the thread. Handsaw and a chisel. DN I will try your method on the next job. You are correct that there is nothing trapping the second piece without the rabbet, just 2.5 inch nails into the framing. I can see how the rabbet would be really nice especially with tall stock that might tend to cup and when you run into corners where the solid nailing is hard to hit or not there at all.
I am a DIY ..
I am a DIYer, but even I had to ask why miter an inside corner flat stock. Why? Miters offen open up on everything, even if they are under (or is that over cut). So why?