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Builders’ Tip: Using a Form to Create Built-Up Crown Molding
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Click for larger image | Recently, I was asked to install crown molding using standard 1-3/4-inch bed molding and 1/4-inch by 1-1/2-inch flat lattice on the top and bottom.
Normally, I would build the crown molding by installing each of its elements individually, but my client didn’t decide that he wanted the molding until after he had moved all his expensive furniture into the house.
So, to minimize the assembly time in each room ― and any possibility of damaging his furniture ― I decided to assemble the molding beforehand so I could install the assembly as one piece rather than build it up the way I normally do.
- To do this, I built a right-angle form out of 1x pine and ripped a piece of the lattice to serve as a spacer, as shown in the accompanying drawing.
- The thickness and width of the spacer control the size of the reveals along the edges of the bed molding.
- I then placed the two pieces of lattice into the form, put the bed molding on top of them and nailed the assembly together with the brad gun. The gun-tip placement and angle were critical to avoid nailing the assembly to the form, but after a while, I got into a groove.
I was pleased with the results, and the overall time I saved creating and installing the crown molding made building the form worthwhile.
I did have one other hurdle to overcome when installing the crown molding this way, however.
The room configurations required that the crown molding be installed using quite a few returns and short sections. The prospect of fitting and handling these tiny, brad-nailed pieces was not that appealing.
Luckily, my partner suggested that I glue the bed molding and lattice pieces together to create a solid assembly before cutting it to create the returns and short pieces.
This made complete sense, so I took several scrap pieces home and marked clear sections between nails. Then I poured epoxy thickened with filler into the gap between the lattice pieces (see image).
After cutting the finished molding to length, I safely carved, rasped and sanded each piece for a good fit.
— John Michael Davis, New Orleans
Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2008 The Taunton Press
To contact Fine Homebuilding, e-mail Christina Glennon.
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