Step 11: Cut the return

cutting a return
Kolin Smith Photo:
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Where the crown molding doesn't butt ito something, you need to finish it with a return. Cut a 45-degree miter on the end of the crown (as you did for an outside corner) and nail it up. Next, make a 45-degree cut in the opposite direction on another piece.

Adjust the saw to zero degrees and lay the piece flat and face-down on the saw table. You'll need to remove your wood guide fence for this.

Cut through the crown, starting at the very point of the miter.
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    Tools List

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    • miter saw
      Power Miter Saw,
      rents for $30 to $50 a day
    • coping saw
      Coping Saw,
      for shaping inside corners
    • chalk line
      Chalk Line,
      to creat a reference line on a wall with an uneven ceiling
    • hot glue gun
      Hot-Melt Glue Gun,
      to glue a temporary fence to the saw
    • rasp
      Rasp,
      for smoothing coped joints
    • drill
      Drill/driver,
      to predrill nail holes where molding is prone to split
    • hammer
      Hammer and Nailset,
      or rent a pneumatic nail gun and compressor for $30 to $40 a day

    Shopping List

    Close
    1. Crown molding

    To get the number of linear feet you need, measure the perimeter of the room, then add 15 to 20 percent for cut-off waste and errors



    2. 4d finish nails

    3. 6d or 8d finish nails

    4. Polyurethane glue

    (or yellow carpenter's glue, which cleans up more easily but isn't as strong on the end grain of a miter cut)



    5. Wood putty

    6. Paint or stain