crown moulding - rockler jigs(coping vs miter)

[rickd]

hi,

i was reading another thread re this "easy coper" jig at rockler for $35 -

easy coper http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?pa...4&cookietest=1

a day earlier i read a post re this "crown moulding compount miter jig" at rockler for $21:

crown moulding http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=10565

it really got me wondering about the best method for cutting crown moulding. i've never installed crown moulding but it is on loml's priority list, so i'd best find out how to do it. i hate coping so i always look for another way around doing it and the rockler crown moulding 'miter' jig looks pretty good at first glance.

so, dumb question time: "if both jigs work as specified, is there any reason why i would want to use the 'easy coper' instead of the 'crown moulding compound miter jig" which looks simpler to use?

in looking at the two jigs, apart from the price, the main difference i see is the 'crown moulding compound miter jig' only handles stock up to 4 1/2" wide while the 'easy coper' can cut up to 5 1/2" moulding. or, is it just the difference with how the end result looks, i.e. does a 'coped' corner just look better than a mitered one?

[ErikS]

The real issue is inside corners. If you miter the inside corners they may pull apart & show some gaps. Especially prevelent for large(ish) moldings like crown.

No real reason to spend $ on the 2nd jig - easy to make from scraps (though the rockler one is re-usable on different moldings).

As for the easy cope jig - I guess, but still seems simpler to just cope it by hand. And even if you use the coping jig you'll still need to cut the stuff first, it doesn't replace the cutting jig.

[rickd]

The real issue is inside corners. If you miter the inside corners they may pull apart & show some gaps. Especially prevelent for large(ish) moldings like crown.

No real reason to spend $ on the 2nd jig - easy to make from scraps (though the rockler one is re-usable on different moldings).

As for the easy cope jig - I guess, but still seems simpler to just cope it by hand. And even if you use the coping jig you'll still need to cut the stuff first, it doesn't replace the cutting jig.

hi, thanks for the reply. good point about mitered corners pulling apart - that for sure seems to happen. maybe i'll just make a few cuts on scrap and try it to see how it works.

[cobob]

IMHO: Coping is easy. The first inside corner took me two days to figure out. The second one took me 6 hours. the rest of the house took 6 hours. Try it. It looks great and adds resale value over cost. Be careful if you have 8' ceilings. Nl to large crown molding supposedly makes the room appear even smaller.

I can't think of a clear way to expain it which is why it took two days to do the first angle ... Actually, take 2 6" mitered inside angled pieces to the hardware store and have them show you where to cut ... which is what finally made it click for me.

I cut a miter cut with the crown molding oriented as it would be on the wall; then used a cheap coping saw to cut the cut edge at a more sever angle than 45 following the edge on the face that shows.

[ErikS]

IMHO: Coping is easy. The first inside corner took me two days to figure out. The second one took me 6 hours. the rest of the house took 6 hours.

LMAO - Sounds exactly like me. My first try resulted in one 10' stick being turned 3" pieces......with the obigatory "umm...honey, we don't have a fireplace wo why are you making kindling" from SWMBO