Crown Moulding Tutorial

Kirsten|Kirsten

"Planning a crown moulding project? This handy guide is absolutely essential for getting your inside and outside corners cut correctly!"

- Kirsten Dunn


Materials


Disclaimer: Please see our guide to DIY Safety Basics, and as always, consult your product manual before using power tools.

Dan Luxmor created a handy guide for cutting crown moulding corners. These handy little “cheat sheets” can be used on any crown moulding project that requires inside and outside corners.

Let’s sync up on crown molding terminology. Dan uses the “Cutting in Position,” method more commonly referred to as the “Upside Down and Backwards” method. Imagine you’re looking at crown molding on the wall. If you take it off, flip it over, and put it directly on the saw – it is now upside down and backwards. He learned this from Gary Katz at a Dunn Lumber workshop.

Step 1

Begin by making your crown molding square to the fence on your miter saw.

cutting crown moulding

Step 2

Then trace where the molding lines up on the saw. You’ll use this for reference to keep the molding straight.

crown moulding tutorial

Step 3

Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the three settings you'll be using to make the cuts on your saw: 45L, 90, and 45R.

diy crown moulding
cutting crown moulding

Step 4

Now let's get started. We'll begin with the by making the Inside Left Template. Place the crown molding on the miter fence and make sure it is square with the penciled in line. Set the saw to 45R and cut the right side of your crown-molding piece. Then set your saw to 90 and cut the left side of your piece. Now label your piece LH ISC 45 (this means Left Inside Corner 45 degrees).

crown moulding template
cutting crown moulding

Step 5

Inside Right: Place the crown molding on the miter fence and make sure it is square with the penciled in line. Set the saw to 45L and cut the left side of your crown-molding piece. Then set your saw to 90 and cut the right side of your piece. Now label your piece RH ISC 45 (this means Right Inside Corner 45 degrees).

right corner crown moulding
marking crown moulding

Step 6

Outside Left: Place the crown molding on the miter fence and make sure it is square with the penciled in line. Set the saw to 45R and cut the right side of your crown-molding piece. Then set your saw to 90 and cut the left side of your piece. Now label your piece LH OSC 45 (this means Left Outside Corner 45 degrees).

left outside corner crown moulding

Step 7

Outside Right: Place the crown molding on the miter fence and make sure it is square with the pencil line. Set the saw to 45L and cut the left side of your crown-molding piece. Then set your saw to 90 and cut the right side of your piece. Now label your piece RH OSC 45 (this means Right Outside Corner 45 degrees).

right outside corner crown moulding
sawing crown moulding