How to Cut Perfect Mitres for Moulding
A miter cut is an angled cut that fits against another angled cut to make a corner. In wood moulding, miter cuts are routinely used to go around both outside corners (as in, the edge of a chimney or other out-jutting feature) and inside corners (as in, the corner of a room). Square corners are 90 degrees, so you'll generally be making the two miter cuts at half that (45 degrees each) to form the corner. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Measure the wall from the corner. Transfer the measurement to a piece of moulding. Make the mark toward the back of the piece, on the top.
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Put the moulding on the miter saw platform, standing in the position it will go on the wall. Set it so the mark is under the blade.
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Swivel the miter saw blade 45 degrees. Which direction you swivel it depends on which kind of cut your are making. For an inside corner, turn the blade inward, so it points in toward the measured part of the moulding. For an outside corner, turn the blade outward, so it points away from the measured part of the moulding.
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Make the cut, holding the piece with one hand and engaging the saw and bringing ti down through the wood with the other hand.
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Repeat for the piece of moulding on the other side of the corner. Reverse the orientation of the moulding on the platform of the saw, so it's on the opposite side of the blade of the previous piece. Turn the blade to 45 degrees to the opposite direction as before (so it's still pointing inward for an inner corner, and outward for an outer corner).
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Set both pieces of moulding on the wall, with the cut miters in the corner, butted together. Secure the pieces to the wall with a trim nail gun, shooting two nails close together every foot or so along the trim.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear goggles while using a miter saw.
