Making Crown Molding?

On Sep 27, 12:17=A0pm, Jeff B <[email protected]> wrote:
> Does anyone have pointers to websites or publications that can provide
> info on making my own crown moulding? =A0 My custom kitchen cabinets
> came with really nice stained cherry crown molding. =A0But to complete
> the room, I need about 50' of paint grade molding. =A0The profile is NOT
> standard and only comes from the cab manufacturer (of course!). =A0 Even
> for their unstained maple, they want an outrageous $12 per lin foot.
> A local lumber mill can design a cutter and run some for me, but that
> isn't much cheaper since the cost of the cutter set up is about $250.
> Theirs works out to about $10 per lin foot.
>
> I just need some $1.50/ft paint grade pine but with a matching
> profile. =A0I'd like to look into making my own from stock with a router
> and saw.
>
> Pointers needed. =A0Thanks!!
>
> --Jeff

Making molding is a pain. Making molding that matches someone else's
profiles without custom made knives is almost impossible.

If it were me and I thought I was getting really screwed, I would
change out all the molding and put another profile up. There are
plenty of places to buy molding in most large cities, and even on the
internet.

Somewhere in there, you might want to figure what your time is worth
as well.

Robert

I did something similar just last week. Attempts to use a large core box bit
in a router for the concave parts did not go well. I ended up using a table
saw.



You can make coves on a table saw by running the stock against a diagonal
fence. Take multiple passes, small bites, raising the blade a bit at a time
and it won't be scary.



A cove, in conjuction with various bevel cuts to approimate a convex curve
can be sanded smooth to an S-curve profile. Build up the rest multipart
moldings.



If you join your painted moulding to the cherry stuff with a coped joint, it
won't matter of the curves (radii) match exactly. Just make sure that the
sharp edges all come together and it will look fine.



I'll post some pictures to ABPW.



-Steve





"Jeff B" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Does anyone have pointers to websites or publications that can provide
> info on making my own crown moulding? My custom kitchen cabinets
> came with really nice stained cherry crown molding. But to complete
> the room, I need about 50' of paint grade molding. The profile is NOT
> standard and only comes from the cab manufacturer (of course!). Even
> for their unstained maple, they want an outrageous $12 per lin foot.
> A local lumber mill can design a cutter and run some for me, but that
> isn't much cheaper since the cost of the cutter set up is about $250.
> Theirs works out to about $10 per lin foot.
>
> I just need some $1.50/ft paint grade pine but with a matching
> profile. I'd like to look into making my own from stock with a router
> and saw.
>
> Pointers needed. Thanks!!
>
> --Jeff

This reminds me of the old problem of wearing out a pair of suit pants
while the coat is still in perfect shape. Trying to buy a pair of
pants that match "close enough" is just impossible and the near match
looks horrible and obvious. So, the trick is to buy a contrasting pair
of pants, like gray to go with the black coat.

In other words, the painted crown is different enough than the natural
wood molding that finding a complimentary shape and painting it is
better than getting something very close. Maybe make the painted
version 1/3 smaller or larger to make it obvious you aren't trying for
a perfect match. Maybe make the painted version less complex, or
dentil or pick up some other shape to mimic from elsewhere on the
cabinetry.


On Sep 27, 10:17=A0am, Jeff B <[email protected]> wrote:
> Does anyone have pointers to websites or publications that can provide
> info on making my own crown moulding? =A0 My custom kitchen cabinets
> came with really nice stained cherry crown molding. =A0But to complete
> the room, I need about 50' of paint grade molding. =A0The profile is NOT
> standard and only comes from the cab manufacturer (of course!). =A0 Even
> for their unstained maple, they want an outrageous $12 per lin foot.
> A local lumber mill can design a cutter and run some for me, but that
> isn't much cheaper since the cost of the cutter set up is about $250.
> Theirs works out to about $10 per lin foot.
>
> I just need some $1.50/ft paint grade pine but with a matching
> profile. =A0I'd like to look into making my own from stock with a router
> and saw.
>
> Pointers needed. =A0Thanks!!
>
> --Jeff

Jeff B wrote:
> Does anyone have pointers to websites or publications that can provide
> info on making my own crown moulding? My custom kitchen cabinets
> came with really nice stained cherry crown molding. But to complete
> the room, I need about 50' of paint grade molding. The profile is NOT
> standard and only comes from the cab manufacturer (of course!). Even
> for their unstained maple, they want an outrageous $12 per lin foot.
> A local lumber mill can design a cutter and run some for me, but that
> isn't much cheaper since the cost of the cutter set up is about $250.
> Theirs works out to about $10 per lin foot.
>
> I just need some $1.50/ft paint grade pine but with a matching
> profile. I'd like to look into making my own from stock with a router
> and saw.
...
Generally what he (Robert aka nailshooter) said...

Does it have to match exactly or is close good enough? If you're
painting as opposed to the cherry, I'd assume it isn't going to be
abutted directly so once it's installed, if it's even close it's
unlikely anybody will ever notice.

Or, go w/ a contrasting moulding that's obviously not trying to match
would be another alternative, possibly.

As for the making, it's simply look at the profile and find a series of
coves and other cutters of proper radii and plan out a series of passes
to get the desired profile. That, of course, is easier said than done.

Oh, last thought -- any chance you could come close by taking smaller
available mouldings and build it up piecewise?

--