You can make scarf joints using a miter saw.
When you don't have one piece of molding long enough to span a wall, you will have to join together two pieces of molding. You can do this using a scarf joint which is formed by cutting the meeting ends of the molding at 45-degree angles so that they join to form a straight seamless length of molding. The joint is glued and sanded. Use care when cutting and gluing the molding to have a seamless joint. Even a slight variation in the joint will show.
Instructions
1. Set the miter saw to cut a 45-degree mitered angle and lock it in place.
2. Lay the first section of molding with the ceiling edge flat on the table of the saw and the wall edge of the molding flat against the fence on the left-hand side of the blade. Slide the inside end of the board so that the end is just at the edge of the saw blade. Pull the saw down in an even motion to cut the mitered end.
3. Lay the second section of molding with the ceiling edge flat on the table of the saw and the wall edge of the molding flat against the fence on the right-hand side of the blade. Slide the inside end of the board so that the end is just at the edge of the saw blade. Pull the saw down in an even motion to cut the mitered end.
4. Apply a bead of wood glue to the cut ends of the molding sections. Press the ends together to form one long straight section of molding. Clamp the joint together with a woodworking clamp and allow the glue to dry overnight. Remove the clamps.
5. Sand the glued joint with a fine-grit sanding pad so excess glue is removed and the joint feels smooth and seamless. You can now place the molding with the other sections for installation.
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