poplar and pine can warp way worse than plywood might.
Some clients can afford a no particle board option so veneer core plywood is good. I use it on almost everything as I build a lot of cases.
That's OK Gilly, they already know I'm weird.
Just use an Iron and chase it with a block of wood, you'll be fine.

:kewl:

Edgebanding video......I dont use the special edge trimmer tool he uses in the video ....I use the edge teeth of a flat file.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5a40hj

I did 5" crown molding in 2 rooms with cathedral ceilings. Never again. Cutting the joints took lots of trial and error and PATIENCE.

Putty and paint....makes it what it ain’t. 😂
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....makes a carpenter what he ain’t. 😂


Big difference in paint grade jobs versus stained or prefinished.
For the latter you need more skill and patience....using putty in poorly fitting joints looks like crap.

I have a ton more welding experience over carpentry experience, so my old saying was always- a grinder and paint makes you the welder you aint! but yes i can see how a stained job would make a big difference.

We just did crown molding around our gallery and i was quite humbled by it. i tried a few different approaches and for me, I found that the best method was to use my makita grinder that i usually use on metal paired with a 40 grit sand paper disc was the best tool for corners... but one end and then cope the other side with the grinder.

I grind and polish glass occasionally... that is a zen art that i could write a book about....

A couple thoughts on crown molding, which I have done a lot of;

Check ceiling lines first for level. If level, easy peasy. But if you put your eyes up at ceiling level you will find sighting 4 out of 5 will make you seasick... If delta is less than .5 inch, caulk between top of crown and ceiling.

Be sure you have a tall enough fence on your miter saw and mark or tape the base for the spring angle so your joints will be consistent.

Make up 4 set up pieces and mark them inside left, inside right, outside left, outside right. These will help you to minimize mistakes when setting up your cuts, especially on inside pieces that are to be coped. I still do this every time.

Makes a pencil line on the profile after cutting. It will make coping much easier as you can see the line better. Take your time with coping saw. It is not a race. And it does not matter how nice the backside of the cope looks. I usually have a tablesaw handy to knock down anything I think might help the final fit.

Nebe, I will butt end both ends of wall opposite entry to room as first piece to install. Then cope left and right, looking for where outside miter joint or long wall requires mid joint to prevent doing a double ended coped piece

Great tips ! I wish I talked to you last week.
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Great tips Ross.

How about putting blocks in the corners and make straight cuts!
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Stick to fishing

It’s easy nowadays compared to a hand miter box, lion trimmer and hammer
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I still have a lion trimmer.....

Or a spiral ratchet screwdriver......still use it in the shop once in a while....for nostalgia.

In the 90's I was working as a foreman installing architectural millwork, in banks, libraries, country clubs, airports etc. Most of my crew were usually unskilled guys who could not cope prefinished 5" cherry crown moulding to save their lives. When we landed a job finishing out a five story hotel with crown moulding throughout, I suggested that we buy a machine called a Copemaster.
It will cope any moulding profile in a few seconds. With it we "precoped" left and right ends of crown moulding stock in the shop, making it easier for the installers on the job.


https://youtu.be/LWqF5r6RhyM

That is an interesting machine, some setup time but it should make money.

Yes....if I remember correctly it cost around $500, my company saved more than that on that one job alone. These days I'm back doing residential...still do a lot of crown moulding...but no need for copemaster.
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Now it's $2495 but skill levels have not gone up

When I started in the home building trade, the entire house was built without any nail guns....framing, siding, roofing, trim....all nailed by hand. Todays carpenters use a nail gun like it's an automatic weapon....way too many nails and in all the wrong places.
Also I've noticed that almost none of them have a block plane,sharpening stone, or handsaw:scratch:

And sawzalls were for Plumbers
I had a box with 4 handsaws
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Things ain’t like they yusta wuz.....

Laid flown my floor trim yesterday. I guess that is when you discover how uneven your subfloor is... 😆
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Me too.... my shoulder still hurts from nailing off the ceiling strapping... :jump:

Yeah Gup...that underhanded nailing was a tough job for me as a scrawney 18 yr. old....but I did learn to hammer left handed once my right arm went numb.:rolleyes:.....and driving 16d nails in all day long... with a 22 oz hammer...after the first six months my blisters turned to calluses.

Finished up on two more....The furniture style legs on the island can go either way vertically...customers choice.

So clean. Does the home owner hire you or are you hired by a designer to execute their concept?
I make pendant lighting for kitchens if you ever have a client that wants something very unique.
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I work directly for the developer/ home builder....they refer customers to kitchen design/cabinet provider...then I install with very limited contact with customer....which is just how I like it to be honest...for me.... after 45 years of doing this.... customers are usually a PIA.

Haha! I bet they are a pain in the ass.
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This is the problem I have with pro builders is when you don't get to hover over their shoulder. You see something you think isn't being done right, it's easy to google an expert YouTube video on how to do it on your iPad so you can just show them the right way. They're never very happy about it.

:hidin:

A customer recently told me he had spent 80 grand on his cabinets and appliances and told me my installation had to be perfect. I do good work but not perfect and i told him so. All I can do is my best.
I also told him it wasnt too late to get someone else.
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