Friday, September 5, 2008

Not coping well at all

We're fine - it's a bit of a home improvement pun.

For some completely idiotic reason, we don't own a coping saw. They only cost $10 max, but we just never remember that we need one, and haven't been so frustrated that we've bought one.

So every once in a while -like about 3 times since we've been working on the house - we need to cope some trim and we remember that we don't have a coping saw. We are so fortunate that almost all of the original trim in the house is intact - albeit slathered with layers of white, then pink, then white paint. So on those couple of occasions when I've had to cope a corner moulding, we've muddled through with an array of every-other-tool-that-cuts-that-I-can-get-my-hands-on.

No wonder, then, that when I went to install the mudroom trim the other evening, I had a forehead-slapping moment of 'geez, we STILL don't have a coping saw!'

Using a combination of big saw to cut off the corner, zona saw to start in on the curves as best I could, sharp small chisel to score the rest of the outline, and then big, flat sharp chisel and moulding laid upside down on the bench to scrape away and shape the curve. Then sandpaper - wonderful sandpaper - to make it look finished. Ridiculous, I tells ya. Thank goodness we only have simple mouldings or we'd be up the creek.


And do you think we'll actually go buy a coping saw? No, we won't remember, and I think this is probably the last trim we need to add. Famous last words, right?

By the way, I never understood the whole coping thing till I saw a segment about it on This Old House - then I was like, 'Oh, that's why (and how) you do it!' Tom Silva rocks, by the way. It really does look nicer than just mitering at 45 degree angles. I'm a believer.

5 comments:

Joe J. Ernst said...

The unfortunate thing is that using a coping saw only makes it marginally easier. Coping is the bane of my existence, especially when doing crown moulding!

Jennifer said...

Nice cope! :)

Karen Anne said...

How do you know how much to take off? Is it a 45 degree angle?

Darrell Hawley said...

Karen, for what it's worth, I've always done a 45 degree angle. My copes are passable, but could be better.

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