Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 30, 1999 08:16am | #1

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   Carry a mini handplane with you. Use this to shape the top of the crown to the lumps in the cieling. The most simple way to cut crown is to cut it upside down and bedded on your saw. Cut it on a 45 and cope it.

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 30, 1999 08:21am | #2

   *As far as painting "that dental crap" - my painter just charged me $100 extra for 1 room of it - probably wouldn't have if I hadn't joked about his whining while he was doing it!Now that he's presented me with the bill, but hasn't quite finished the work or gotten his last draw, I think I'll tell him that he used the wrong color on "that dental crap"!! ;^)

2. 
   Ralph_Wicklund | Oct 30, 1999 08:49am | #3

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   Hi again, Joey,
   1. Unflat ceiling? Is it old plaster? Sagging gypboard? Sloppy finishing? Textured heavily? Might need some pre-installation ceiling fixup here.
   2. Check out the post "duh crown moulding miters", posted the same day as yours. And, some people use an extra nailer, an extra buildup attached to the top of your first piece of the buildup and out far enough to reach the crown.
   3. a. Sand it, b. Prime it, c. Sand it, d. Paint it, e. Sand it, f. Paint it. Or do like my last painting contractor did - just spray the damn crap out of it, and everything else within reach. (But you can't make a living if you have to do someone's so called "professional" work over again)!!
   Ralph

3. 
   Guest_ | Oct 30, 1999 06:16pm | #4

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   If the ceiling is in good shape, All I know to do is cut your molding to the contour of your ceiling. As for caulk, If you are painting anyway, caulk makes a small gap look pretty.

   Try painting your dental molding before you install it. That an imperfect second coat once it is up is all you will need.

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 30, 1999 06:44pm | #5

   *Joey H,

   As anyone who has done a fair amount of crown work can say, that the answer to this question can be quite lengthy. In the words of a couple of guys I know they would say, "Youa gotta twista and a benda". Good luck.

   Joseph FuscoView Image"The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." -- Plato

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 31, 1999 09:45am | #6

   *sounds like the word "scribe" can be used here.....just a thought from a dumb carpenter.....

4. 
   David_Bloomer | Nov 01, 1999 12:30am | #7

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   IF YOUR WORKING WITH PINE YOU CAN BEND AND TWIST IT KEEPING MIND THAT IF YOU DO THIS IT WILL FLATEN OUT OR BECOME MORE STEEP THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR REVEAL ALSO LEADES TO PROBLEMS IN THE CORNERS ESPECIALY THE LAST ONE. IF YOUR USING HARD WOOD SUCH AS OAK IT'S NOT AS EASY TO TO TWIST AND BEND AND A SCRIBE MIGHT BE MORE SUITABLE THIS ALSO CHANGES YOUR REVEAL ISUGEST A COMBINATION OF BOTH TO MAKE THE FINISHED PRODUCT LOOK THE BEST. I SET UP A PUNCH TO HOLD THE CROWN TIGHT WHILE I SCRIBE AND NAIL I ALSO SAVE ALL PIECES THAT DON'T FIT. WRITE THE DEG USED AND USE THEM AS TEST PIECES ON THE NEXT CORNER THIS WILL SPEED THE JOB UP CONSIDERABLY. I CONSIDER AN 1/8" GAP EXCEPTABLE ON COPES NOT ON OUTSIDE MITERS. MARKING ALL THE NAILING BEFORE YOU START IS A GOOD IDEA. A GOOD TOOL IS A NAIL SPINER FOR NAILING AND A 3 1/2" GRINDER FOR FINE TUNNING YOUR COPES MOST OF ALL TIAL AND ERROR AND PRACTICE. I FIND THAT GALV. HAND NAILS HOLD WELL

1. 
   Charlie_R | Nov 01, 1999 01:34am | #8

   *I do new work only but still run across some pretty bad ceilings. Most of the low spots are caused by too much joint compound . I scribe the crown to the ceiling and cut to the line with a jigsaw. I cut the crown in a sliding compound saw laid flat.I get more consistent cuts that way than by cutting it upside and bedded. As for coping I use a jigsaw. Easier on your arm and your angle of backcut is automatically right.Here in N.C. builders are starting to use a lot of mdf trim,the jigsaw is a little agressive for that so I will use a coping saw and a good dust mask.

5. 
   Guest_ | Nov 01, 1999 02:51am | #9

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   All due respect to David, but an 1/8" gap is not acceptable when coping any moulding!! A test piece held at the proper angle and marked ever so gently will give you the correct placement. Any deviations from these marks will need correction before you reach the corner where you must maintain the alignment. A backer strip glued and screwed to ceiling at the crown inside marks (will be held back 6 inches from corners) will provide a nailer for crown. Coping crown is more difficult because the back-cut off the 45 degree angle is tricky. Hold crown at eye level and tilt as if in place to see the area needing to be removed. With practice you can put crown anywhere and make it look great!!

6. 
   Joey_H | Nov 02, 1999 04:58pm | #10

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   Thanks for the help. Problem with scribing though. Some parts of cieling show more than a 1/4" difference, The crown profile would dissapear.

7. 
   Guest_ | Nov 02, 1999 10:23pm | #11

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   If the problem is that great the scribing is going to look awful. My ceiling had deviations of 1/4", but I was able to bend the simple 1-piece 4-5" crown (with a fair amount of force) to follow the waves. Caulk took up the occasional 1/16-1/8" gap. It looks fine unless you get up against the ceiling and look down its length ... I'm hoping most of my non-carpenter guests are not so nosy ...

   For stain grade or a more professional paint job I would much prefer to make the ceiling & walls flat to torturing the trim. It's pretty easy to float and feather mud to disguise gaps, or to shim out drywall. I was dealing with textured plaster and didn't have that much patience!

8. 
   Joey_H | Nov 02, 1999 10:26pm | #12

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   I'm installing crown in a room where the ceiling is far from flat. How do you avoid leaving gaps at the top of the crown? It's a built up three piece crown. First layer against wall is 1x, second layer is dental, third is crown over dental to ceiling. There isn't much nailing either except for the top plate. I want to avoid using caulk. also any tips on cutting crown with a chop saw? I've heard about all different ways to cope crown. I heard one guy who said to use a 45. Whats the best way? Thanks again for all replies. Also whats the best way to paint that damn dental crap?