On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 04:56:03 -0500, wrote:

Anyone seen any tools to help cope crown? Rockler has a plastic
device to help keep a jig saw at right angle and still sit on
something. Doesn't look like it would help much.....

Highland Hardware sells a coping foot that relaces the flat base of a
jig saw with a rounded piece. Looks like it would work good but
probably has a huge learning curve.

I'm only doing a single room and don't need a Copemaster or anything
that will take the entrie room's worth of molding to practice on.

TIA


As some of the guys point out above, it needs to sit on the mitre saw
in the same orientation that it will sit on the wall, except upside
down. Even small deviations from the exact correct position will make
the cut line incorrect. At that point you make a 45' inside cut and
then cope the fine line between end and face grain.

Other tools- A Rasp or rotary grinder can be helpful. Always cut your
cope with as high of an opposite angle as possible to remove the
"back" of the cut.
Hint- you might be surprised to find how much of the "back" you need
to remove to get the moldings to fit snugly together.

It seems impossible until you get the nack. I cut copes as tight as a
drum on big crown and can do so fairly quickly and
smoothly.....but...it was not always this way... It took years to
learn.

And remember, copes are far more immune to the small movements of most
structures. Houses and buildings move around some and cutting compound
mitres can result in the joints opening up much more than properly
coped joints.

Good Luck,
J