I can't cope!


  #1  
Old 01-07-01, 08:24 PM
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Unhappy

(i posted this on "lumber and panelling" too)

Can't cope inside corners on baseboard, that is. I'm installing 3-1/2" and 2-1/2" (different rooms) "Colonial Style" baseboard and the books and the pros say to cope the inside corners and miter the outside corners. I've got the BHG Basic Carpentry book and I've tried the technique for coping the corners given therein -- cut an inside miter (I'm using a manual miter box) and then "cope away" the edge until you have (supposedly) a coped corner that will fit snug to its corresponding piece.

The problem is that the best I've been able to do with that is an approximation of a coped corner. Fortunately, most of the inside corners I've done so far are in closets and a fair amount of wood putty and sanding will make the joints look o.k. (gee, just like my mitered door casings ... enough "goop" and sandpaper and they look like a pro might have done them ... on a bad day!). Unfortunately, I've got about a dozen or so inside corners left, many of them in more "exposed" areas.

Can someone tell me "the secret?" What I might be doing wrong or what I should do to "cope with" this problem? I'm going to get new coping saw blades (the sharpest I can find) tomorrow, but is there anything else to make this easier to cope with (pardon the pun)???

THANKS for any help!!

Sequoia Schroeder
Van Nuys (Southern Calif.)
 
  #2  
Old 01-08-01, 08:04 AM
some help
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Hello
You have heard all this before. But you need to cut a good 45* angle on the base..Inside corner long point on the backto the wall..Now lay it flat and cope from the bottom with the blade cutting on the down stroke.now you want to follow the line made on the wood at the finish side and cut it with that point a little longer that the back..Take your time much easy to take the time to do it ones than have to do it two-four? times now take a small round (like a pencil) and rap sand paper around it and work on the fit on the work bench first...use a small scrap of base..when you cope the bace, you only want to cope one end the other is square makes it much easyer..start at one point and go in one direction...Good Luck
 
  #3  
Old 01-09-01, 04:44 PM
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You know what. If your tired of coping with bad coping, then cut your corners at 45 degrees and but keep your nails at least 6" from the corner to prevent your mitres from spreading. Coping corners is the preferred method for professionals. A lot of practice and the right technique and coping corners becomes a breeze, but using the 45 degree method will give you the exact same look.
 
  #4  
Old 01-09-01, 08:48 PM
some help
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hello
Yes 45* cornners will give the same look but will crack open in no time and the 45* need to be fitted as well to make them look good I thought you wanted to learn to cope the corners....O-Well
 
  #5  
Old 01-10-01, 05:21 AM
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Cool I can cope ... sort of

I've taken the tips I've gotten on this forum and others and I've actually been able to cope some of the joints fairly well. The other problem I've encountered is that the walls are not EXACTLY plumb and the floor (slab) is not perfectly flat. When I nailed the baseboard top and bottom, it conformed to the slight bend at the bottom of the wall from the drywall nailing. Then the coping joint which worked so well on the nice, flat work table didn't work so well. Also all that bending and nailing, particularlly in the corners, was really hard on my back.

For the balance of the baseboard, I've just tacked the moulding in place, or just placed it. When I'm all done cutting and fitting the moulding, I'm going to rent an electric finish nailer (I hope there IS such a thing ... I don't have a compressor for a compressed air nailer) and nail in only the top 1/3 of the moulding, trying to keep it as straight up and down as possible... then I'll use the wood putty (solvent-type, pro grade) to "perfect" the corners where necessary.

Thanks again,

Sequoia
 
  #6  
Old 01-10-01, 05:37 AM
some help
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HELLO
Very glad to hear you are coping the base. If you are having problems in the corners you can take a block of wood 2x set it on the floor in corner a tap it along the wall in each side at the corner will help even out the sheet rock. dry fit the corner with both peices and scribe the bottom to the floor (if it is painted coulking will work) and nail the first side in, then fit the coped joint and the coped joint on the other end should there be one, then nail the second in and work you way around the rooms. you do not need to nail the base like it will hold up the house, a few well placed nails and then coulk the top and bottom will hold it in strait and tight. if need be after you nail if it pulls the base in to tight us putty knife and pull it back out and coulk..Good luck
 
  #7  
Old 01-11-01, 05:55 PM
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Yea, You've got the gist of it but remember to use latex caulking. Very important and if your using hardwood, no caulking at all.
 
 

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