How to Cut Crown Molding Laying Flat – With Easy Reference Templates
This tutorial explains how to cut crown molding flat, on any miter saw (provided your molding isn’t wider than your saw’s cutting area). It’s easy to get confused about which side of what corner you’re cutting by the time you take your length measurement and get to the saw. Creating a set of templates will give you a visual guide that you can use in the room to mock up the corner you’re working on – and take with you to the saw.
*This tutorial assumes you have 90° wall to ceiling joints and wall to wall joints. If you are working with a funky wall corners or vaulted ceiling – this tutorial will not be helpful.
Purchase my Crown Molding Template Guide which is a printable guide to reference every time you do a new crown molding project!
Spring Angle
First off, it is important to understand that crown molding is manufactured with varying spring angles. It is essential to know the spring angle of the crown molding you are using because it determines the saw settings you will use to cut the molding. Check out this post if you need help Finding the Spring Angle of your crown molding.
Saw’s Miter and Bevel Settings
I am demonstrating settings for 38° spring angles in this post. If you need to create templates for 45° or 52° spring angles, use the appropriate substitutions below.
45° Spring Angle Substitutions
Crown molding with a 45° spring angle is traditional choice, great for ceilings 9′-10′ heigh.
- Left bevel set to 30°
- Miter cuts will be R and L 35.3°
52° Spring Angle Substitutions
52° spring angle crown molding is generally chosen for heigh ceilings, 10′ and above.
- Left bevel set to 25.8°
- Miter cuts will be R and L 38.2°
Constants
These two things will be true for every cut:
- The left bevel will remain set to 33.9• for every cut. (Your saw might say 33.8 – and that’ll do just fine.)
- The backside of the crown molding will always lay flat on the saw surface.
Variables
These two things will change depending on the cut you are making.
- The miter will flip between left and right – but always at 31.6•.
- The edge of the molding that rests against the fence will flip between top and bottom. (Remember the decorative edge is the bottom.)
Inside Corners – Outside Corners
The reason crown molding gets so confusing is because you are accounting for the angle between the wall and ceiling and the angle between the wall and wall for every cut.
Make your Crown Molding Templates
Cut each template about 8″ long.
Remember that you will only flip your saw between right and left miter – AND flip your crown so the edge that rests against the saw fence changes.
Cut each template according to the instructions I’ve included below each picture and then write the instructions directly onto each template. In SHARPIE!
Outside Right
Outside Left
Inside Right
Inside Left
Now you should have four of your very own crown molding templates that are going to make your job so much easier!
I’ve been doing this for a good long while and I still need templates. My brain is very visual. It doesn’t translate, “left outside corner” into any kind of usable information. I HAVE to look at my visual guide – EVERY SINGLE TIME. They’re still handy after all these years!
I now offer a handy printable guide!
Also, if you corners are out of square, you’ll either have to make micro adjustments to your saw settings to get a perfect corner joint– OR, you can use my little trick to fix gaps that you might end up having.
Awesome tutorial. I don’t have a compound miter saw yet, but as soon as I add one to my “tools instead of jewels” gift hint list, I’ll be back! Cheers
I should complain about the splinters on my lips! 😉 I just made the templates. Sandra, your post was AWESOME! It was so easy to follow! I’m installing crown in my bathroom. I have never done crown before. The timing of your post was perfect! Templates are done. Now, on to the project!
It was also great to meet you at Haven!
Doh! My comment should say from Robyn @ Everyday a la Mode. I blame it on kissing the templates too much. 🙂
Well I knew it was you because it says so in the author field. LOL Mwah! Go refresh your lipstick now. 🙂
I always have issues with upper and crown Moulding., wrong every time. Either my measurement is wrong or the actual cut doesn’t match the next piece., I only have a regular mitre saw.,
I have been told so many things like you have to flip it upside down., etc., stand it up don’t lay down. It’s truly hard to practice on this expensive stuff.,
I kinda understand your directions but not totally so I’m bring a dumb blonde.,
I’ve always used 45 degree cuts so is that my problem but I don’t know how to get the angle you’re referring to.. could you elaborate or send me info to my email dd.bryant@hotmail. Com or do a slow video? That’s be great thx., Drema DYI
Sorry this didn’t make sense to you. Unfortunately I cannot create a video tutorial at this time. Sometime when I’m doing crown moulding again, I’ll try to do a video.
OMG!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I read about templates in other wood blogs, but they never included saw settings and I always came away feeling vaguely stupid, not just ignorant. (Two very different things to me.) I really appreciate this and will put it to good use when we finally reno our ceilings. We’ll be putting up bead board, crown molding and picture molding. Should prove interesting….. to say the least! Thanks again!
We all think about and understand things differently. My brain sometimes has to go on a long journey to get to the same conclusion that someone else might get to in a split second. It doesn’t mean anything more than I need a different explanation or approach. That is why I try to give detailed tutorials for those that have very creative brains like me. We think and understand things much differently than others. (Because we are awesome!)
SO, don’t ever feel even slightly stupid because you don’t understand something, just keep looking for an explanation that speaks to your brain better. 🙂
Thank you for your response. It’s nice to know I’m not alone! And it’s a nice reminder not to be so hard on myself and to not give up before the miracle happens.
Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really needed this.
I know you posted this awhile ago but I am new to the world of crown molding and was looking for something exactly like this. I actually spent like two hours making my own templates today and these are soooooooo helpful. The first one I made, I stared at it for like 30 minutes thinking THIS CAN’T BE RIGHT but lol it was. Having these as a reference was a real game changer. Thanks for posting such clear instructions.
Thank you for this! I’m still trying to master using my mitre saw – never know which way to set the blade so I fudge it. Now I know!!
Glad I could help but there’s noting wrong with fudging things, I do that a lot too. 😉