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It seems that every kitchen I install has copious amounts of the factory finished moldings, especially crown. The current job I am on has upper cabinets that alternate in Height, depth, finish, and trim detail!
I am beginning to think I have done some thing to upset the Carpentry Gods.
Installing challenging trim-work has always been what I like best but this one is going to require every bit of patience and know-how I have, and some more.
What types of tips and tricks have you all come up with that might help?
My sanity could rest in the balance!!
Mr.T (Trim?) 🙂
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Mr., Stained/painted wood or that shrinkwrapped MDF? Last 3 kitchens had the MDF crown. One w/leg on the back and two without. The leg was easier to install screwing it down or up through the cab. Harder to cut. Tried a cpl diff methods, not sure if I liked any on them enough to do em again. Bisquited and contact adhesived the mitres on one. Just glued (melamine glue) another with hog ring clamps. Added a leg on the back after cutting/fitting and screwed from the top on one, from the bottom through the cab on another. With full overlay doors, can't really apply even a bit of it to the face of the frame or box. I hated every bit of it but it does look good. Adds alot to the cabinet design. Wish I'd of gone to school on it some time or another. Maybe I will here. Hope so anyway. Someone has to have the answer.
*Pushing this up Mr. T in hopes that we get another method to try. Cab job w/it in March. Come on folks, how bout some experience on methods of install of prefinished crown on kitchen cabinets. I will be thanking you now and later.
*Aw shoot,You guys just made me think of something I wanted to try on pref cabinet molding. I have used hot melt glue before, just to tack components into place, after which I nail, screw, etc., but I don't use it on miters, because you can't compress it to close up the joint.Hot melt works good for tacking up backing for crown, and some pre assembly of returns, small pieces etc. before it can be nailed with a brad nailer.I was thinking of trying one of those new heat activated polyurethane gun setups, but they are pricey, and the glue is expensive. I thought next time I would try cyanoacrylate glue, its available in several cure times from seconds to multiple minutes I think. But I am wrapping up a kitchen like you described tommorrow, so it will have to be next time. What specific type of screws, fasteners etc. do you guys use in kitchen installs. I think fasteners and tools can make the installs significantly faster and less aggravating. I'm going to lose my favorite source for cabinet hanging and face frame screws soon. I really like a 2-3/8 hardened, self drilling pan head screw for this because it requires one size pilot hole, and it works in both applications. I don't like drywall screws that most guys use. I also use a lot of hardened self drilling pocket screws. and/or a pocket hole jig for alot of applications.As far as cabinet install tools go, I find the jorgensen cabinet claws indispensable.That's just the tip of the iceberg. I generally install only the stock stuff. If my job calls for a custom kitchen, the fabricator uses his installers. I maybe install 10 to 15 a year.
*when I was setting up the kitchen cab design centers in home depots/home bases the multi-layered crown was the thing that kept me interested in the projects. Some of these designs were speced out with 7 & 8 layers. If you have a european box like Calvin says there isn't anywhere to attach to- we just stapled a 1 X 2 cleat on top of the cabs flush w/ the face & pinned to that, unless we couldn't face nail- then screw from on top, again as calvin states... I had a kitchen install once upon a time that was euro to the ceiling(that wasn't near level) and was a high gloss white thermofoil- crown was the type that had the leg sticking off the back so you can screw down thru- unless your cabs go all the way up- owner didn't want see any attachment from inside cabs. Ended up mounting a rabbited cleat to tops of cabs (before hanging) that accepted the leg of the crown. I try to glue my miters before putting them up on the cabs- found a glue(similar to titebonds wood molding glue) that bonds in 1 min & is surprisingly strong- even works great on MDF miters- "Maxim" anyway I've babbled on long enough...