The guy who does it for a living is trying to bolster his image, that's
all. I'm not a "pro", but I got "pro" results my first time out with
crown molding. Just practice on scrap! "Amateurs" can cope unless they
have no manual dexterity and no guidance (on site, or from reading text
and illustrations).

Dave

Silk wrote:

I talked to a guy who does that for a living as well as a few guys who
just did it in their home.
They suggested that since I am an amateur (new homeowner so I am new to
all these DIY stuff), I should not try to cope. My understanding from
them is that a good mitered corner looks like a good coped corner. I
played with some scrap until I got the angles right. The main problem
for me was doing outside bull nose cuts, but I got that right by trial
an error.
All the tips I got from you guys are good. If you can think of any more
little secrets of the trade I am willing to learn. As I said I am still
new at this but it is a lot of fun.