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.

With this method, two things will remain constant:
– The crown molding always lays flat on the saw.
– The saw is set with a constant left bevel.

What will change:
– The edge of the molding that is against the saw fence.
– The miter angle will flip between left and right

Saw’s Miter and Bevel Settings

This tutorial assumes that the angle between the wall and ceiling is 90• and the crown spring angle is either 38 or 45. If you are working with a funky spring angle or vaulted ceiling – this tutorial will not be helpful.

Spring Angle

First off, it is important to understand that crown molding is manufactured with varying spring angles. Knowing the spring angle of the molding you are using is important because it determines the settings for your miter saw.
*Crown spring angle = the angle between the back of the crown and the wall when the bottom of the crown molding is seated against the wall.
**The decorative edge of the molding is the bottom.

The most common spring angle is 38• so that is what I am demonstrating in this post. If you need to create templates for 45• spring angle use the substitutions below.

Constants

These two things will be true for every cut:

1. The left bevel will remain set to 33.9• for every cut. (Your saw might say 33.8 – and that’ll do just fine.)
2. 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.

1. The miter will flip between left and right – but always at 31.6•.
2. 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!

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.