Molding backing adds an extra anchor for your crown molding project. Not all crown molding is the same, though, and sometimes it takes a special fit of molding backing to accommodate the crown molding you use. One of the most effective ways to ensure the proper fit is to make your own crown molding backing. The task does require basic woodworking skills and caution, so take your time to ensure you achieve the proper fit while you safely complete the task.
Instructions
1. Choose a corner on a 1-inch-thick cube of wood. On one side of the corner, write "ceiling," and write "wall" on the other side.
2. Turn a piece of the molding on its side and set it on the cube of wood. Turn the molding diagonally so one corner of the trim meets with the side of the wood that reads "ceiling" and the other corner meets with the side of wood that reads "wall."
3. Draw a diagonal line along the backside of the molding on the wood cube. Use the back of the molding as a straightedge. This leaves a diagonal line across one corner of the wood cube.
4. Place the cube of wood on a table edge with the marked corner hanging off. Clamp the piece of wood to the table tight enough to prevent it from moving. Cut off the corner of the wood along the pencil line, creating a triangle of wood.
5. Loosen the bevel screw on your electric saw (after you unplug it), and set your triangle of wood against the blade on the side with the most shoe space. (The "shoe" is the platform around the blade.) The side of the wood that reads "ceiling" should touch the shoe. Rotate the triangle of wood so the newly cut side faces the side of the saw blade.
6. Tilt the saw blade so the side of it rests flush with the angled part of the wood triangle. Tighten the bevel screw on the saw to secure the desired angle.
7. Lay the triangle against the end of a 2-by-4 that mirrors the length of the stretch of molding you will use with the backing. Match the edge of the 2-by-4 that reads "wall" with the edge of the 2-by-4. Draw a pencil line along the newly cut edge of the wood on the end of the 2-by-4.
8. Set the wood against the blade of the saw so the blade lines up with the pencil line. Plug in the saw and start the blade. Feed the 2-by-4 into the blade until it creates a triangular strip of wood that works as your molding backing.
Tags: crown molding, that reads, wood that, blade side, cube wood, pencil line, side wood