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Builders’ Tip: Golf Ball a Gimme for Coping Crown Molding
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Click for larger image. |
Because of the angles and intricacy involved, coping crown molding with an electric jigsaw requires a steady hand and a steady eye.
One way to make the job easier is to attach a rounded auxiliary base to the jigsaw’s standard flat base in order to maneuver the saw properly. But I was stumped about how to actually make the necessary modification — until I decided to make a jig using a spare golf ball.
As shown in the accompanying drawing:
- I first cut the golf ball into unequal parts. I cut it on my band saw after first driving a couple of 3-inch drywall screws into opposite sides of the ball. The screws served as handles during the sawing and kept my fingers a safe distance from the blade.
- Then I made a perpendicular cut in the larger portion of the golf ball.
- Still at the band saw, I cut a slot into it to accommodate my jigsaw’s blade.
- Next, I drilled a couple of 1/8-inch holes in the saw’s base, on opposite sides of the blade, for an additional pair of screws.
- I positioned the slotted golf ball as shown in the drawing and affixed it to the base of the jigsaw with a couple of small screws.
This jig provides a pivot point right where the blade enters the back side of the molding that gives me the control I need to make exact relief cuts.
I also have found that longer blades can be used for cutting larger pieces of crown molding, and that different jig configurations can be fabricated by cutting the ball into a variety of segment sizes.
— Jim Delvin Des Moines, Wash.
Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2008 The Taunton Press
To contact Fine Homebuilding, e-mail Christina Glennon.
 Tax Credit Web Site Looks at Opportunity of a Lifetime
Builders and other industry professionals can help spur home sales by referring prospective first-time home buyers to www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com. The NAHB Web site provides detailed information on the $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time home buyers included in the economic stimulus legislation signed into law by President Obama.
Consumers can use the Web site to find information on the tax credit — including a detailed question and answer section. It also includes information about other housing-related and small business measures in the legislation and a number of home-buying resources for consumers.
Spanish Version Also Available Online
A Spanish version of this increasingly popular Web site is also available to provide detailed information on the tax credit to Spanish-speaking first-time home buyers.
Industry professionals are encouraged to highlight either tax credit Web site when marketing to their potential first-time home buyer market.
 Set Yourself Apart With CGB Designation
Join the ranks of the nation’s top building industry professionals with the Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) designation. The “Builder Assessment Review” (BAR) is your first step towards obtaining the CGB.
This comprehensive assessment measures your expertise in the four key areas of the building industry: building technology, business and finance, project management and sales and marketing.
Your results will show the areas where your knowledge is strongest and weakest and will help determine the courses required for you to obtain your CGB.
To learn where the next BAR will be held, visit NAHB’s education listings, or call the Professional Designation Help Line at 800-368-5242 x8154.
 BuilderBooks.com Offers More Than 250 Books That Help You Build Your Business
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To view these publications online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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