Crown Molding Angle

Crown molding sits at an angle to the wall, which is why cutting it is more than a simple miter. Lay it flat on the saw and you need a miter and a bevel together, and the numbers depend on how far the molding springs off the wall and how square the corner really is. This gives you both saw settings for any corner.

Two angles, not one

A picture frame is a flat miter. Crown leans out from the wall, so to cut it lying flat on the saw table you swing the saw for the miter and tilt the blade for the bevel at the same time. The pair comes from the spring angle, how far the molding leans, and the corner angle. For standard 38 degree crown on a square corner, that is about 31.6 degrees miter and 33.9 degrees bevel.

Find your spring angle

Most crown is cut to spring at 38 or 45 degrees, and it is often stamped on the back. If not, set the molding into a framing square the way it sits on the wall and read where it touches, or measure the flat on its back edge. Getting this right matters, because the wrong spring angle throws both the miter and the bevel off and the joint gaps.

Corners are rarely square

Drywall corners are built up with tape and mud and almost never land on a true 90. A corner that is actually 91 or 89 degrees needs its own settings, and on crown a degree shows. Measure the real corner with an angle finder and enter it here, rather than assuming 90, and the miter and bevel adjust to match.

Flat or upright

This calculator is for the flat method, molding lying on the table, which any compound saw can do. The other way is to stand the molding upright against the fence at its spring angle, held by a stop, and cut a plain miter. Upright is simpler once your stops are set; flat handles any spring angle and steep corners. Either way, cope the inside corners for the tightest fit.

More MakerKiln tools

• miter angleMiter Angle CalculatorThe angle to cut each piece for a flat frame, box or many-sided ring, or for any corner.→
• board feetBoard Foot CalculatorBoard feet and cost for a whole lumber list, with a waste allowance.→
• sheet planCut List OptimizerHow much sheet goods to buy and the layout to cut from, to cut waste.→

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