How To Cut Crown Molding Inside Corners With A Miter Saw

A miter saw has a myriad of functions, and cutting the crown molding inside and outside corners is one of them. Although cutting molding corners are not tricky, you need to accurately set up the crown molding miter angles for precision and better results.

When you cut a crown molding, it makes two various cuts. These are the miter saw angle and the bevel angle. Also, you must know that a miter saw can cut only to its left side. So, when you use the miter molding saws, you will have to invert the cutting material to cut on both sides.

The best way for cutting crown molding inside corners and outside corners is to use the compound miter saw. However, when it comes to how do you cut crown molding for an inside corner, you must go by the step by step guidelines for accuracy.

Step 1: Understanding Project Requirements

Even before you begin the crown molding cuts, you must have the groundwork ready at your hand. It includes estimating the installed crown length. Also, you must mark with a pencil precisely where the crown molding will be done.

If you can mark the cutting points on the wall, it will lessen your workload considerably. When you can prepare the paperwork for crown molding cuts and do it with professional accuracy, the result will be gorgeous and attractive.

Step 2: Understand the Various Cuts

Once your paperwork is ready, observe and determine the required cutting angles for each molding cut. You can use either the standard miter saw or compound muter saw for the molding cuts. However, most people don’t have the compound miter saw.

When you use the standard miter saw, remember the following two things-

1. The miter saw table would represent the ceiling
2. The miter saw fence would represent the wall

Step 3: Cutting Crown Molding Inside Corners

You must understand both the inside and outside corner; cutting for the molded crown requires the same initial steps. The cutting variation will only apply to the cutting angles. So, we will start with the preparation and actions to cut the inside corner of the crown molding.

Also, remember that the crown molding outside corner angles will be the opposite of the angles essential for the crown molding inside corner-cutting.  Otherwise, the steps are pretty similar and easy to follow, as well.

When you perform corner cuts at a 90-degree angle, you will need to cut the pieces separately. Then, join the two cutting pieces to construct the required 90-degree cornered cuts.

You will have to equip with a premium miter saw with bevel capacity for the crown molding cuts. The bevel helps the power saw tilt to create the cutting angles. Also, you will need a measuring tape for adequately measuring the crown molding sizes before you can actually cut it.

What equipment you will need:

• A miter saw
• Crown moldings
• Measuring tape
• Painter’s tape
• Safety glasses
• Gloves

Once you have all the gears ready for the cuts, you must thoroughly understand the miter saw angles for crown molding. But you must go by the safety precautions to keep your fingers safe from any hazards during the cutting session.

Step 4: Required Safety Measures

Whenever you operate a power tool such as the miter saw, you must maintain proper safety requirements. It is vital because a power tool doesn’t guarantee safe operations every time, although it is highly reliable.

The essential safety features include-

1. Always wear protective goggles to safeguard your eyesight from any flying particles. It will also protect your eyes from the excess sawdust.
2. Wear gloves so that your fingers remain safe even if it accidentally goes close to the miter saw blade.
3. If possible, wear a work boot to protect your feet from the sharp screws and any heavy material inside the workshop.

Step 5: Realizing the Types of Angles

When you perform a crown molding cut, you must correctly understand the different cutting angles available for the miter saw and its bevel capacity.  These angles include-

Corner angle:

The most common and widespread corner angle is 90°. We generally consider that the joint between the two walls is located at the 90° tip. If the cornered angle is less or more than the 90°, you can use a protractor or crown molding angle calculator to measure it.

Spring angle:

The crown molding spring angle commonly refers to the cutting angle between the wall and ceiling where you would perform the crown molding cut. Mostly, professionals will use 38° or 45° for the spring angle. You can use a protractor if you want more accurate angles during the cutting time.

Miter and bevel angles:

You can quickly determine the required miter and bevel angles accurately when you realize the spring and corner angles. The bevel angle refers to the bevel tilting of the miter saw towards the left. And the miter angle refers to which the miter saw blade is positioned with the cutting material.

You can take help from the bevel chart to accurately measure the bevel and miter angles.

Step 6: Cutting the Inside Corner

Here you will get to know the easiest way on “how do you cut molding with a miter saw?” We have simplified the steps for your convenience.

• Determine the bevel and miter saw angles accurately on the miter saw.
• Place the crown molding carefully on your miter saw.
• Make sure that the cutting material fits precisely and it doesn’t move.
• You will have to transform the molding pieces on the accurate cutting points. So, move the material until the cutting angle, and the blade matches the marked points on the molding material.
• You must hold the crown molding the power tool so that the gear doesn’t move during the cutting time. It helps you prevent any hazards.
• Place the cutting point (marked earlier) right on the saw blade.
• Please turn on the miter saw and wait for a few moments to allow the blade to come at its full speed.
• Now, perform the crown molding cuts according to the preset cutting angles.

Cutting Crown Molding Angles Chart

You must understand the miter saw angles chart to set the angles for molding cuts accurately. Mainly, you will deal with the three tips when you deal with a crown molding. These angles are-

1. Wall angle
2. Miter angle
3. Bevel angle

The wall angle determines the crown molding position as it creates an angle between the wall and ceiling. The other two angles are directly linked with the miter saw and will help you determine the exact cutting precision.

In the below chart, we have includes some standard angles chart for the crown molding-

Wall Angle	Miter Angle	Bevel Angle
60	50.8	37.8
70	45.3	35.4
75	42.7	34.1
80	40.1	32.8
90	35.3	30
100	30.7	27
120	22.2	20.7

Note: All the angles are measured in degree.  You can get the full chart for the crown molding angles online.

How to Cut Crown Molding Outside Corner?

When you make the first outside corner cut off the crown molding, it is recommended that you use a guide fence for it. The guide will help you achieve accurate cuts quickly. The DIY guide making is effortless too.

Remember that we told you about the painters’ tape?

You will have to use it to create the precise guiding of the crown molding outside corner cuts. At first, locate the position where you will place the crown during the cut time. This location will be right on the saw table where you put the crown for the cut.

After positioning the painter’s tape properly, grab the crown. Hold the piece of the height to ensure that it connects with the fence and table of the miter saw.  The molding bottom edge and the top edge should face the fence and table, respectively.

When the crown molding is appropriately positioned, use a pencil to mark the resting line of the molding right on the painter’s tape. The line will indicate where the molding cut must stop as the blade goes through the material.

Now, place the molding on the left side of the miter saw.  Then, make sure the molding is accurately placed against the newly constructed guide of the power tool.  Since you will be making the right side of the miter joint first, set the bevel angle at 45° right. Turn on the miter saw and use the blade to cut through the material.

For the right portion of the miter joint, you will have to place the material on the right side of the saw blade. Then use a 45° left bevel angle to cut.

This is all about “How do you cut an outside corner on crown molding with a miter saw?” Once you can create the fence guide properly, the rest of the procedure for cutting crown molding outside corner will become a brisk task.

How to Cut Crown Molding Flat?

Using a miter saw for crown molding cuts is a tricky and challenging process. So, many professionals instead cut the crown molding flat, not in a vertical position. It makes the cutting process more manageable. The steps include-

1. For cutting the crown molding in a flat position, set the angle of your miter saw at 31.6°. It should be easy since most miter saws have marked the rise.
2. Then set the bevel angle for the crown molding at 33.9°. You will also find it marked on the bevel scale.
3. Once you have set the miter angle and bevel angle precisely, lay flat the crown molding on an even surface.
4. Once the cut at one side is completed, reverse the settings. Then, repeat the cuts on the opposite ends of the crown.

This way, you can quickly cut the crown molding on a flat surface.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

When it comes to how to cut crown molding inside corners with a miter saw, you must pay total attention to the cutting and trimming session. Every angle must be set precisely so that the crown molded corners fit perfectly on the location.

Also, we recommend you to study the bevel angle and miter saw angle setup and how these two coordinates for different cuts. It will help you quickly set the cutting angles for both the inside and outside corners of the crown molding. This way, your cutting crown molding inside corners will be more than satisfactory.