OPERATION
CUTTING CROWN MOLDING
Your compound miter saw does an excellent job of cutting crown molding. In general, compound miter saws do a better job of cutting crown molding than any other tool made.
In order to fit properly, crown molding must be com- pound mitered with extreme accuracy.
The two contact surfaces on a piece of crown molding that fit flat against the ceiling and the wall of a room are at angles that, when added together, equal exactly 90°. Most crown molding has a top rear angle (the section that fits flat against the ceiling) of 52° and a bottom rear angle (the section that fits flat against the wall) of 38°.
LAYING MOLDING FLAT ON THE
MITER TABLE
See Figure 39.
To use this method for accurately cutting crown molding for a 90° inside or outside corner, lay the molding with its broad back surface flat on the miter table and against the fence.
When setting the bevel and miter angles for com- pound miters, remember that the settings are interde- pendent; changing one angle changes the other angle as well.
Keep in mind that the angles for crown moldings are very precise and difficult to set. Since it is very easy for these angles to shift, all settings should first be tested on scrap molding. Also, most walls do not have angles of exactly 90°, therefore, you will need to fine tune your settings.
52°
38°
W
A
L
L
CEILING
FENCE
TOP EDGE AGAINST FENCE = 
LEFT SIDE, INSIDE CORNER 
RIGHT SIDE, OUTSIDE CORNER
MITER TABLE
INSIDE | OUTSIDE |
CORNER | CORNER |
| FENCE |
BOTTOM EDGE AGAINST FENCE =
RIGHT SIDE, INSIDE CORNER
LEFT SIDE, OUTSIDE CORNER
MITER TABLE
CROWN MOLDING FLAT ON MITER TABLE | Fig. 39 |
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