I screwed up cutting the last piece of a particular profile for a
repair job, and the client has no more scrap long enough. Can't find
the exact profile for the 15" piece I need.

This stuff is solid maple with a light stain, and while I can find a
very close match, it's out by just enough to be really noticeable.

I'm hoping to avoid eating the cost of replacing the room's worth, at
over $10/lf... So I have to ask:

Has anyone successfully joined two lengths of the stuff? Scarf joint?
Lapped splice? All suggestions welcome.

--
I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I
like fishing because it¹s the one thing I can think of that probably doesn¹t. *
John Gierach

On Wednesday, September 26, 2012 9:50:52 AM UTC-7, Dave Balderstone wrote:
I screwed up cutting the last piece of a particular profile for a repair job, and the client has no more scrap long enough. Can't find the exact profile for the 15" piece I need. This stuff is solid maple with a light stain, and while I can find a very close match, it's out by just enough to be really noticeable. I'm hoping to avoid eating the cost of replacing the room's worth, at over $10/lf... So I have to ask: Has anyone successfully joined two lengths of the stuff? Scarf joint? Lapped splice? All suggestions welcome. -- I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I like fishing because it�s the one thing I can think of that probably doesn�t. � John Gierach

No ggod news from my corner. I have done a ggod job splicing painted crown with several passes of putyy, heavy priming, lots o' sanding, etc.

What about using the piece with a close color match and doing a light over coating of a gel stain or glaze that feathers out onto the adjoing pieces. This might work or maybe just create a bigger problem.

Dave Balderstone wrote:
I screwed up cutting the last piece of a particular profile for a
repair job, and the client has no more scrap long enough. Can't find
the exact profile for the 15" piece I need.

This stuff is solid maple with a light stain, and while I can find a
very close match, it's out by just enough to be really noticeable.

I'm hoping to avoid eating the cost of replacing the room's worth, at
over $10/lf... So I have to ask:

Has anyone successfully joined two lengths of the stuff? Scarf joint?
Lapped splice? All suggestions welcome.

Yup. Scarf joints would work but don't give up on the lowly miter joint. I
would not use a lap or a butt. Laps take too much effort and butts only
work on women. A simple miter is your friend. You might have to touch it
up with sandpaper or even with a little filler, but likely not if you take a
little time at it. Just make sure to miter back into the wall - not a miter
that is 90 degrees to the wall. That way, you have the flexibility to move
the joint a small amount as you tack it in place and hide it in the best
possible way. I have done these that are literally invisible 27 years
later. I glued all of my joints as I nailed them in place, and I suspect
that has contributed to them staying in place over the years.

Worst case - replace all of the molding for that one area. It's unlikely
that a slight color mismatch will be noticable as long as the affected area
is consistent with itself.

--

-Mike-

SonomaProducts.com wrote:


What about using the piece with a close color match and doing a light
over coating of a gel stain or glaze that feathers out onto the
adjoing pieces. This might work or maybe just create a bigger
problem.

Might not create a bigger problem. If you blend the color match out over a
couple of feet, it will become invisible to the naked eye. That might just
be a very practical solution. The trick is to not focus on the immediate
area as you look at it, but to look for the blend and work that. Painters
of all sorts, blend all of the time. The eye is easy to fool.

--

-Mike-

[This followup was posted to rec.woodworking and a copy was sent to the
cited author.]

In article 260920121050524858%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone. ca,
says...

I screwed up cutting the last piece of a particular profile for a
repair job, and the client has no more scrap long enough. Can't find
the exact profile for the 15" piece I need.

This stuff is solid maple with a light stain, and while I can find a
very close match, it's out by just enough to be really noticeable.

I'm hoping to avoid eating the cost of replacing the room's worth, at
over $10/lf... So I have to ask:

Has anyone successfully joined two lengths of the stuff? Scarf joint?
Lapped splice? All suggestions welcome.

Joints in molding are routinely required when the lengths needed in the
room are longer than the lengths of material from the source supplier.
So it is practical to consider that a similar type joint can be made for
a short length. Joints are often made by cutting the material at a 45
degree angle from the flat so that they overlap with the next piece in
the installation. (This is in contrast with s straight butt joint that
has faces that are perpendicular to the wall).

Two things that you could consider...

1) Pre gluing the short pieces together in the 45 degree joint before
trying to install on the wall so that the joint stays closed up and
keeps alignment.

2) You could consider making a small triangular block of wood such as
pine that you fit behind the crown molding up into the corner between
the wall and ceiling to place behind the joint area. Fasten the pine
piece to the wall and then fasten the molding into this backer piece to
help keep the joint closed up.

--

Michael Karas
Carousel Design Solutions
http://www.carousel-design.com

In article ,
Michael Karas wrote:

[This followup was posted to rec.woodworking and a copy was sent to the
cited author.]

In article 260920121050524858%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone. ca,
says...

I screwed up cutting the last piece of a particular profile for a
repair job, and the client has no more scrap long enough. Can't find
the exact profile for the 15" piece I need.

This stuff is solid maple with a light stain, and while I can find a
very close match, it's out by just enough to be really noticeable.

I'm hoping to avoid eating the cost of replacing the room's worth, at
over $10/lf... So I have to ask:

Has anyone successfully joined two lengths of the stuff? Scarf joint?
Lapped splice? All suggestions welcome.

Joints in molding are routinely required when the lengths needed in the
room are longer than the lengths of material from the source supplier.
So it is practical to consider that a similar type joint can be made for
a short length. Joints are often made by cutting the material at a 45
degree angle from the flat so that they overlap with the next piece in
the installation. (This is in contrast with s straight butt joint that
has faces that are perpendicular to the wall).

yes, I've done it on baseboards, etc. Never on crown, and never on
stained & finished hardwood, only on painted molding where a little
caulking can hide damn near anything.


Two things that you could consider...

1) Pre gluing the short pieces together in the 45 degree joint before
trying to install on the wall so that the joint stays closed up and
keeps alignment.

That's what I was thinking. I should have mentioned that this is along
the top of kitchen cabinets, and only attached on one side, not both,
which means that...


2) You could consider making a small triangular block of wood such as
pine that you fit behind the crown molding up into the corner between
the wall and ceiling to place behind the joint area. Fasten the pine
piece to the wall and then fasten the molding into this backer piece to
help keep the joint closed up.

.... a backer piece should work a treat.

I've got nothing to lose by trying, and about $300 in material plus my
time installing it to gain.

Thanks, everyone.

--
I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I
like fishing because it¹s the one thing I can think of that probably doesn¹t. *
John Gierach

In article , Mike Marlow
wrote:

SonomaProducts.com wrote:


What about using the piece with a close color match and doing a light
over coating of a gel stain or glaze that feathers out onto the
adjoing pieces. This might work or maybe just create a bigger
problem.

Might not create a bigger problem. If you blend the color match out over a
couple of feet, it will become invisible to the naked eye. That might just
be a very practical solution. The trick is to not focus on the immediate
area as you look at it, but to look for the blend and work that. Painters
of all sorts, blend all of the time. The eye is easy to fool.

The scrap I have is already finished, so it's the join line I'm most
concerned about. OTOH, this particular piece is in a reasonably
unobtrusive spot...

Thanks, Mike.

--
I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I
like fishing because it¹s the one thing I can think of that probably doesn¹t. *
John Gierach

In article ,
SonomaProducts.com wrote:

On Wednesday, September 26, 2012 9:50:52 AM UTC-7, Dave Balderstone wrote:
I screwed up cutting the last piece of a particular profile for a repair
job, and the client has no more scrap long enough. Can't find the exact
profile for the 15" piece I need. This stuff is solid maple with a light
stain, and while I can find a very close match, it's out by just enough to
be really noticeable. I'm hoping to avoid eating the cost of replacing the
room's worth, at over $10/lf... So I have to ask: Has anyone successfully
joined two lengths of the stuff? Scarf joint? Lapped splice? All
suggestions welcome. -- I used to like fishing because I thought it had
some larger significance. Now I like fishing because it�s the one thing I
can think of that probably doesn�t. � John Gierach

No ggod news from my corner. I have done a ggod job splicing painted crown
with several passes of putyy, heavy priming, lots o' sanding, etc.

What about using the piece with a close color match and doing a light over
coating of a gel stain or glaze that feathers out onto the adjoing pieces.
This might work or maybe just create a bigger problem.

I have three piece of scrap, so can afford to do a bit of
experimenting. A match isn't a big problem, as the typical maple
blotchiness is a feature, not a bug, on this particular install.

Thanks. I'm feeling a lot more confident that I have a good shot at
making this work.

--
I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I
like fishing because it¹s the one thing I can think of that probably doesn¹t. *
John Gierach

Dave Balderstone wrote:
In article , Mike Marlow
wrote:

SonomaProducts.com wrote:


What about using the piece with a close color match and doing a
light over coating of a gel stain or glaze that feathers out onto
the adjoing pieces. This might work or maybe just create a bigger
problem.

Might not create a bigger problem. If you blend the color match out
over a couple of feet, it will become invisible to the naked eye.
That might just be a very practical solution. The trick is to not
focus on the immediate area as you look at it, but to look for the
blend and work that. Painters of all sorts, blend all of the time.
The eye is easy to fool.

The scrap I have is already finished, so it's the join line I'm most
concerned about. OTOH, this particular piece is in a reasonably
unobtrusive spot...

You really only have two choices:
1. A join that gives a line perpendicular to the length at the join
2. A join that gives a sloping line along the length; i.e., a scarf.

If it were me, I'd do the scarf. Unless you can make a hooked scarf, they
can be tricky to join as the two pieces want to slide. A hook cut at each
end will eliminate that but will introduce two small vertical lines. My
suggestion would be to join them with thickened epoxy as no clamping is
needed, easy to slide into position.

The bigger problem is hiding the joint. A long scarf will help but on maple
it is still going to be visible. Some paints and fine artist brushes will
let you get pretty close. For paint, water colors - like the kids use -
work. The sheen won't be right but if you get the color and grain, a quick
coat (or two or three) of wipe on poly, either water or oil, should enable
you to fix the sheen.



--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:50:52 -0600, Dave Balderstone
wrote:


Has anyone successfully joined two lengths of the stuff? Scarf joint?
Lapped splice? All suggestions welcome.

A lot of cabinet manufactures provide pre-finished crown to match the
cabinets. For some reason (probably shipping) most come in only 8'
lengths so joining them is often required.
Here's what we do. Stand the first piece on edge on your miter saw
(with the back flat against the fence) and cut the inside 45. Install
that piece being sure to position it to maintain the straight line
needed for the ending piece. Cut the overlapping 45 on the ending
piece. You can often cheat here a little and cut the overlapping
joint at 45 and just a hair more. This will help the joint stay
closed at the front. You can always cut it back to a true 45 if you
don't like the fit. Testing the joint and angle with a small scrap is
helpful but not required.
If the ending piece runs in to a wall (square or inside corner) I'll
fit that end first and measure back to one point on the first piece.
If the ending piece continues around an outside corner, I'll fit the
joint first and then mark the corner for the turn.

Good luck,

Mike