Home Theater #34 - Crown Molding

I installed the crown molding in our home theater this morning, and all went pretty well. The following pictures show the fixturing (also called jigs) I build to make it quite a bit easier...

Here is the cutting fixture I made for my chop saw:


The key feature of this fixture, is that it holds the crown molding in the same orientation as when it's installed. In this case, the "trough" that holds the molding is 2" wide and 2.5" tall. This is screwed to the metal fence on the saw.


Why I really like this method:
- It's very easy to visualize the cut. This is great for DIY people like me who don't cut crown regularly - no compound set-ups.
- The cut marks in the fixture allow me the line up my cuts very accurately.
- The fixture holds the molding securely - no sliding around on long pieces.


The next set of photos show the fixture for building inside corners. I have tried to cope inside miters with very limited success. I find it difficult to get a clean profile. I prefer to pre-build my corners, then install them (it takes two people to hold them)...


Again this fixture holds the crown pieces in the same orientation as when they are on the wall.


I glue the pieces, slide them together, and air-nail them from the back-side. Once the glue dries, it makes a perfect miter joint - accurate and strong.


Here is a picture of the corner joint once installed (no additional caulking or painting after the assembly). There is enough flex in the glued pieces to allow me to fit it snugly into corners that are a bit off of 90 degrees. I caulk any gaps.


This photo shows the outside corner, done with a small piece and cut at 22.5 angles. It's not painted because I cut these right before install.


Finally, I put a nailer strip (3/4 x 3/4 pine) in place before the crown. I glue and tack-nail these in place, so I don't have to worry about where the studs are located.


I filled the nail holes and joints between the pieces (cut at 45 deg) to finish of my work for the day. After everything dries overnight I will sand and paint it all.

Building the fixtures took about an hour - and I am sure I made up the time jsut doing the theater room. I am using this crown profile throughout the house, so it was well worth the effort.