This common crown moulding profile is not "isosceles" -- the ceiling leg is not equal to the wall leg. It affects the miter cuts. The correct angle can be measured graphically. Fortunately, the
manufacturer displays an accurate isometric diagram. An overlay sketch shows it to have angles of about 38° and 52° (for a right triangle).
When using a radial-arm saw, two jigs are needed: a thick durable
right triangle having the above two angles (I made mine from a piece of half-inch
OSB); and what I'll call a
bevel support bar tilted at the same angles (explained further below).
The
right triangle jig is for cutting the mounting blocks. Flipping it over is easier than swinging the saw arm back and forth. Some contractors don't even bother with mounting blocks for crown moulding, but I find it to help for both precise fitting and time savings working at the ceiling. Cutting the blocks may take time. But that's again where this jig comes in handy.
Orientation of grain for such small wood pieces is important to prevent splitting, so I use 2x3 lumber and cut across the more difficult wider dimension. One good block becomes a template.
Each moulding piece needs at least two mounting blocks, one at each end. But since I want to maximize the ease of point-and-shoot installation working solo with an air gun, I'm installing as many as five blocks for some walls, depending on their length. It's easy to precut all the blocks at one time.
The
bevel support bar jig (shown above between the stock and a 45° triangle) is simply two mounting blocks attached to some flat base. I hold the stock against it and against the 45° triangle to make the miter cut. That large 45° triangle is actually an architectural drafting tool sandwiched between pressboards for dedicated shop use. It assures a perfect 45° miter because it's much more precise and consistent than any shop tool calibration. The hand-held coping saw procedure follows as usual, resting on the same jig flipped 90°.
When using jigs like these and a radial-arm saw, the best strategy is to attach the moulding from left to right in the room. The first piece should go on the longest wall and have simple square cuts. Subsequent pieces then get a miter/coped end on the left to join the previous piece (placing the stock on the left side of the saw table so the motor housing doesn't have to travel over it) -- and a square cut at the progressive end for easier fine-tune trimming. That's probably the only limitation (thus, the workaround) when using a radial-arm saw for tall-profile crown mouldings. Profiles taller than your blade's radius is obviously not possible. The last piece should then be the shortest because it requires a coping/miter cut at both ends. Measuring with a laser device helps.
But having lost so much time over the summer and fall (they don't return calls, repeatedly handing off to somebody else who delays again and again not returning calls, etc., etc.), the good news now is that they'll do all the work at their expense, including concrete breaking and trenching. Or so they say.
Feather River 36" door (left) to Bedroom4 purchased as basic slab $349, while 24" in-swing door to Powder room (right) pre-hung at $389 (plus tax, Home Depot). Pocket door kit was $130 with shipping from Johnson Hardware.
Fixture uses a 21W-T5 34" tube with electronic ballast. Cost was $43.97 plus tax from Home Depot. Mounted on 1/2" plywood to cover junction box, which would be on the left in the photo. Bedroom 4.
From left to right:
The ceiling grill for the Fantech inline exhaust is a simple piece of plastic with four metal prongs. Disappointing though, is the tight continuous-friction type of attachment. In fact, short of having somebody stand in the attic to push down on the housing while somebody pushes the grill up from below, that residual gap shown is the best closure possible. It's a poor industrial design, unlike the Panasonic exhaust grill and all the recessed light trims that snap into place snugly.
This stepped soffit design hides an electronic ballast, double 15W-T8 18" fluorescent (although just one tube seems bright enough) with curved reflector in the rear, and the round Suntunnel aperture trim, which got a clear lens, in the front. Diffuser frames are held up by countersunk screws. Was not preconceived! Crown moulding also looks better, I think, coming straight across.
These recessed lights are slightly different from the other rooms'.
2nd year Brisbane Box (left), Wild Lilac (center), and 3rd year Lemonwood (right, which no longer needs regular water). Note that Brisbane Box has surpassed Lemonwood in size. New growth stem length seems to be controllable by frequency and amount of watering!
This one really likes moist soil. In fact, I think cutting back a bit on water has slowed its growth. The leaves have been maintained, but there wasn't much reddish new stuff over the summer. Trunk diameter also remains small.
This tree is not happy. I'm not sure what is wrong. I'm giving it the same reduced water as the other side yard trees. I don't think the drainage is much different either. There's adequate sun. It was growing vigorously the first year. I'll have to try increasing water frequency.
Looks okay even though it didn't get much water over the summer. Interesting!
This season I've drastically reduced water to these side yard trees, trying not to drown them.
Pittosporum undulatum or Victorian box or Cheesewood
Now fully established, these Euonymus shrubs are finally thriving with just two waterings over the summer. I believe they were near drowning before. Click on photo to backtrack.
