Cutting Crown Molding

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Cutting the Crown Molding

Each cut below corresponds with the numbers in the pictures and the floor plan (View the Kitchen Floor Plan). The L indicates it is the cut for the left part of that particular piece, the R being the right part. So, for example Cut 12R is the cut used for the right side of piece #12.

On each cut I imagined that the base of the saw was my ceiling and put the edge of the crown molding that touchs the ceiling flat against the base of the saw pressed up against the fence. The edge of the crown molding that touchs the wall was facing away from the fence. On all cuts I left the bevel angle at 0 degrees on my compound miter saw. This is the method described in Option 1 from the How to Cut Crown Molding guide. If you are installing a large crown molding you might need to build a miter box which you can read about at: Building a Miter Box.

Cutting Crown Molding

Piece 1: This is a crown molding return that is designed to end the crown molding and take it back to the wall to give it a professional finish.
Cut 1R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 90 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 45 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.
Cut 1L: The left side of the crown molding is flat against the wall, so I just set my miter to 0. At the bottom of this cut it should have a 0 length so it will look like a triangle.

Piece 2: I made this as a transition piece between 1 and 3 so the crown molding would wrap around the bullnose corner and then I could return it to my wall.
Cut 2L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 90 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 45 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 2R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 22.5 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 11.25 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Piece 3: I have bullnose corners, so this piece is a pie shaped piece to wrap around the bullnose. The wall angle changes by 45 degrees, but since I am doing this in two steps (piece 2 to 3 and then piece 3 to 4) I am only doing a 22.5 degree outside corner on each side.
Cut 3L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 22.5 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 11.25 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 3R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 22.5 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 11.25 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Piece 4: This piece has a 22.5 degree outside corner on the left and a 135 degree inside corner on the right.
Cut 4L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 22.5 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 11.25 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 4R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 135 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

How to Cut Crown Molding

Piece 5: This piece has a 135 degree inside corner on both sides
Cut 5L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 135 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 5R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 135 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Piece 6: This piece has a 135 degree inside corner on both sides
Cut 6L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 135 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 6R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 135 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Please note that the ceiing does not change elevation at any point in my kitchen. The picture below was just taken at an angle.

Crown Molding Cuts

Piece 7: This piece has a 135 inside corner on the left and a 22.5 degree outside corner on the right.
Cut 7L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 135 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 7R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 22.5 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 11.25 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Piece 8: Pie shaped piece for bullnose corner (read note on piece 3).
Cut 8L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 22.5 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 11.25 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 8R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 22.5 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 11.25 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Piece 9: This piece has a 22.5 degree outside corner on the left and a 135 degree inside corner on the right.
Cut 9L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 22.5 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 11.25 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 9R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 135 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Crown Molding Installation

Piece 10: This piece has a 135 degree inside corner on the left and it butts up against Piece 11 on the right.
Cut 10L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 135 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 10R: The right side butts up against piece 11 so I set my miter angle to 0 and just trimmed a 1/16" off to give it a clean edge.

Piece 11: This piece butts up against Piece 10 on the left and has a 90 degree inside corner on the right.
Cut 11L: The left side butts up against piece 10 so I set my miter angle to 0 and just trimmed a 1/16" off to give it a clean edge.
Cut 11R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 90 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 45 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Cutting Crown Moulding

Piece 12: This piece has a 90 degree inside corner on the left and it butts up against Piece 13 on the right.
Cut 12L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 90 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 45 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 12R: The right side butts up against piece 13 so I set my miter angle to 0 and just trimmed a 1/16" off to give it a clean edge.

Piece 13: This piece butts up against Piece 12 on the left and has a 90 degree inside corner on the right.
Cut 13L: The left side butts up against piece 12 so I set my miter angle to 0 and just trimmed a 1/16" off to give it a clean edge.
Cut 13R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 90 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 45 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Crown Moulding Installation

Piece 14: This piece has a 90 degree inside corner on the left and a 45 degree outside corner on the right.
Cut 14L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 90 degree inside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 45 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 14R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 45 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Piece 15: This piece is a pie shaped piece to wrap around the bullnose. The wall angle changes by 90 degrees, but since I am doing this in two steps (piece 14 to 15 and then piece 15 to 16) I am only doing a 45 degree outside corner on each side.
Cut 15L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 45 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 15R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 45 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Piece 16: This is the cap piece for the wall that partially divides my kitchen and family room. The piece has 45 degree outside corners on both sides.
Cut 16L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 45 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 16R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 45 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Corner Cuts on Crown Moulding

Piece 17: This piece is a pie shaped piece to wrap around the bullnose. See note on Piece 15.
Cut 17L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 45 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 17R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 45 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Piece 18: I made this as a transition piece between 17 and 19 so the crown molding would wrap around the bullnose corner and then I could return it to my wall.
Cut 18L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 45 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 22.5 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 18R: The right side of the crown molding is part of a 90 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the left side at 45 degrees and held the crown molding to the left of the blade.

Piece 19: This is a crown molding return that is designed to end the crown molding and take it back to the wall to give it a professional finish.
Cut 19L: The left side of the crown molding is part of a 90 degree outside corner so I set my miter angle to the right side at 45 degrees and held the crown molding to the right of the blade.
Cut 19R: The right side of the crown molding is flat against the wall, so I just set my miter to 0. At the bottom of this cut it should have a 0 length so it will look like a triangle.

Read more about this project at Crown Molding Installation: A Step by Step Guide.
Browse through our Crown Moldings.
Learn more about How to Install Crown Molding.

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