Coping a crown molding with a dentil profile

Perry Templeton wrote:
> I want to install a crown molding that has a dentil detail. I'm comfortable
> with coping the typical crown molding that has the popular ogee type
> profile.
> To cope this molding with the square detail of the dentil detail, do I
> follow the cut edge with my coping saw just as I would for the rounded
> common molding.
> I'd rather not capitulate and install the corner blocks unless I have to.
> I'd like to install the crown with the dentil and cope it and make it look
> nice and solid and professional.
> Any tips will be appreciated...
> Thanks.
> Perry

Go ahead and cope it like usual. Depending on where you land on either
piece/side of the dentil though, you may have voids if you don't match
carefully. The space between the dentils themselves can be a real
pain. When I have to install this type of molding, I have always found
it prone to tearout and breakage on the smaller, finer profiles. Cut
your joints as closely as possible without tearout, then wrap a square
stick of wood (3/8" or so) very tightly with 120 - 150 grit sandpaper.
Final fit by carefully by using this stick to sand off excess amounts
of wood. With the stick (and a tight wrap) you will be surprised how
much material you can take off quickly, and how straight you can sand
those joints.

Robert

Perry Templeton wrote:
> Well. Today I installed the crown with the dentil detail. I want to thank
> each and all that posted. With such a profound amount of rock solid advice,
> I finished up the day perfectly satisfied with my work. It was not a job
> for my own house, but rather for a good friend. She was pleased.
>
> Thanks again.
> Coping rules...mitering would have been the weasly way.
>
> Perry

Good form.... thanks for the update on behalf of all that replied.
Glad your job turned out well.

Mitering only works on walls with square inside corners - never seen
one yet. To me, coping has been the only way for years.

Robert

On Tue, 7 Nov 2006 18:54:55 -0600, "Perry Templeton"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I want to install a crown molding that has a dentil detail. I'm comfortable
>with coping the typical crown molding that has the popular ogee type
>profile.
>To cope this molding with the square detail of the dentil detail, do I
>follow the cut edge with my coping saw just as I would for the rounded
>common molding.
>I'd rather not capitulate and install the corner blocks unless I have to.
>I'd like to install the crown with the dentil and cope it and make it look
>nice and solid and professional.
>Any tips will be appreciated...
>Thanks.
>Perry
>

What I usually do is rip the dentil off of the crown and then cope the
crown normally.

The dentil is then added back and mitered.


Regards,

Tom Watson

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/

On Tue, 7 Nov 2006 18:54:55 -0600, "Perry Templeton"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I want to install a crown molding that has a dentil detail. I'm
comfortable
>with coping the typical crown molding that has the popular ogee type
>profile.
>To cope this molding with the square detail of the dentil detail, do
I
>follow the cut edge with my coping saw just as I would for the
rounded
>common molding.
>I'd rather not capitulate and install the corner blocks unless I have
to.
>I'd like to install the crown with the dentil and cope it and make it
look
>nice and solid and professional.
>Any tips will be appreciated...
>Thanks.
>Perry
>

You would cut it the same as the standard crown. The learning curve
is figuring out where to put the whole tooth or no tooth. Sometimes
you will find it necessary to remove a tooth (fudging it) to make both
ends work out. This will become clear to you when you start.

-Lee

On Tue, 7 Nov 2006 18:54:55 -0600, "Perry Templeton"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I want to install a crown molding that has a dentil detail. I'm comfortable
>with coping the typical crown molding that has the popular ogee type
>profile.
>To cope this molding with the square detail of the dentil detail, do I
>follow the cut edge with my coping saw just as I would for the rounded
>common molding.
>I'd rather not capitulate and install the corner blocks unless I have to.
>I'd like to install the crown with the dentil and cope it and make it look
>nice and solid and professional.

Having installed crown for many years, I must admit I've never come
across this particular situation. With all of the crown I have
installed, that had the dentil detail, the dentil mold was an added
piece installed after the crown was up.
I suppose it could be coped but you'll have to be careful about where
the dentil lay-out falls. If you have a cut to waste, cut it at a 45
as if you were going to cope and have a look at the cut line. The
bottom edge of the dentil detail will be the problem. You may have to
remove that edge (or cut that part square) as long as the dentil
detail on the previous piece will run behind your cut.
I'm old school and prefer to cope crown but this could be a situation
where 45's on the inside corners might be an alternative.

Mike O.

On Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:36:35 -0600, Mike O. <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Tue, 7 Nov 2006 18:54:55 -0600, "Perry Templeton"
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I want to install a crown molding that has a dentil detail. I'm comfortable
>>with coping the typical crown molding that has the popular ogee type
>>profile.
>>To cope this molding with the square detail of the dentil detail, do I
>>follow the cut edge with my coping saw just as I would for the rounded
>>common molding.
>>I'd rather not capitulate and install the corner blocks unless I have to.
>>I'd like to install the crown with the dentil and cope it and make it look
>>nice and solid and professional.
>
>Having installed crown for many years, I must admit I've never come
>across this particular situation. With all of the crown I have
>installed, that had the dentil detail, the dentil mold was an added
>piece installed after the crown was up.
>I suppose it could be coped but you'll have to be careful about where
>the dentil lay-out falls. If you have a cut to waste, cut it at a 45
>as if you were going to cope and have a look at the cut line. The
>bottom edge of the dentil detail will be the problem. You may have to
>remove that edge (or cut that part square) as long as the dentil
>detail on the previous piece will run behind your cut.
>I'm old school and prefer to cope crown but this could be a situation
>where 45's on the inside corners might be an alternative.
>
>Mike O.
The guys gave some good advice above.
I would add-
Be careful to not *work into* the corners but to *work out* of them.
But if the molding is continuous you will have at least one cut where
you will have to work in.
If you've worked with Crown before you should be OK.

On Tue, 7 Nov 2006 18:54:55 -0600, "Perry Templeton"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I want to install a crown molding that has a dentil detail. I'm comfortable
>with coping the typical crown molding that has the popular ogee type
>profile.
>To cope this molding with the square detail of the dentil detail, do I
>follow the cut edge with my coping saw just as I would for the rounded
>common molding.
>I'd rather not capitulate and install the corner blocks unless I have to.
>I'd like to install the crown with the dentil and cope it and make it look
>nice and solid and professional.
>Any tips will be appreciated...
>Thanks.
>Perry
>


When I installed my crown I installed it in layers so the dentils were
done separately. When you get to a corner try to space the dentils
evenly. I did not measure it, just did it by eye and it turned out
professional looking.

Well. Today I installed the crown with the dentil detail. I want to thank
each and all that posted. With such a profound amount of rock solid advice,
I finished up the day perfectly satisfied with my work. It was not a job
for my own house, but rather for a good friend. She was pleased.

Thanks again.
Coping rules...mitering would have been the weasly way.

Perry