How to butt into cove cornice?

Morning @MGusto

Ahh cornice the stuff that does my head in.... 🙂 Tho if you like puzzles then you will have fun! Seriously getting it worked in your mind really the lighbulb moment is worth it and you have $350 plus painting you can save 😀 (crazy quote for sure)

I went one step further to make it harder and made up my own cornice from two pieces.... Looking back I could have done it easier lol

Garage lining for stud walls stage 2 (Cornice and skirting boards) is the project, I tried a variety of tools, some I had not used before 🙂

In the end I found a copping saw very handy to give shapped cuts on uneven surfaces, With plaster it will be a lot easier.

I found that corners are not equal (I did the framing even lol)

For the cost of a length of plaster and your time, Id like to know what you will spend your saved dollars on? 🙂

Dave

Hi Dave @Dave-1

"Ahh cornice the stuff that does my head in"

Same here. I tried it 23 years ago with just the mitres - and wasted a length of cornice. I had my father's old jig (below) and thought "this'll be easy!"

But no. Eventually got it sorted - as it was all to do with how it was positioned in the jig.

Thanks for all the responses - appreciated

Re @EricL suggestion. That 45 cut was the first thing I tried and this is the result

So I am not sure how the two pencil trick works, since the loose piece does not butt up against the existing cornice.

Re @Noyade perhaps if you remember how the cornice needs to be positioned in the mitre box that would be greatly appreciated.

The pencil marks on the cornice are myself playing around with the needle gauge.

I dont want to keep cutting hit and miss but hopefully wait until a solution is posted. (The cut doesnt need to be perfect because I can bog it up with filler)

Cheers

EricL

Hello @MGusto

You are halfway there my friend! Place the pencil set in parallel on the cornice on the left, using the cornice attached as a guide follow/trace the shape of the cornice while the tip of the pencil is on the loose cornice.

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

Eric

Afternoon @MGusto

How about lining your straight piece up withthe bit on the pillar of the wall and then transfering the curve over to the new piece.

01 04-09-2024b.jpg

So slide the new piece up in front so the whole piece is actually covering the curve of the existing cornice, then behind from our viewing angle you mark the rear of the cornice's curve. Then either cut with a saw/mitersaw or copping saw.

I took a fair few times and a load of frustration but eventually it started making sense to me.

Dave

Thank you

I am not sure that it will achieve the 45 you need for the corner????

Is this what you mean? Unfortunately you cant see the tips of the pencils and it is difficult to get the correct angle so the lead makes contact with the cornice. (Excuse the hand - it's what blood thinners and prednisolone does to your skin)

Afternoon @MGusto

Nooo The piece you have in your hand, bring it towards you so it can sit over the short piece fo cornice on the wall, then you draw the arc on the back of the cornice.

Dave

Thank you for your persistence with with me Dave @Dave-1

I understand where your coming from now. I take it I need to trace the right hand side of the pillar from behind not the left hand side to get the right angle?

Afternoon @MGusto

🙂 yep thats what I am trying to describe. And no persistance, it just means that however one person is describing it, it isnt matching up to the other persons idea of what it is.

Believe me its like looking at a puzzle and working out how to have a start point to look at.

We all have been there!

Dave

You're getting there @MGusto

The 90mm mitre box can make the cut, but in your case you're butting against the other cornice - so you have to visualize straight on and cut the beveled edge away at 90 degrees with something like a coping saw.

I found it impossible to draw. 😑

But if you keep nibbling and using that pencil method above - you'll get there.

MitchellMc

I got you, @Noyade and @MGusto!!

Great minds, hey! I've been drawing it up. As best I can tell, even though it's a butt joint and not a mitre, it's still a standard mitre, but with the top edge flattened off.

Mitchell

That's it!! 😁 Nice one Mitchell! @MitchellMc

I just found the coping saw worked for me. Dunno what the professionals do....

Thanks for that @MitchellMc . It appears what you are saying is consistent with the notion of a scribe joint. However my spatial skills are considerably lacking and I am having difficulty in translating that into an actual cut. Oh my, my brain hurts.

@MitchellMc @Noyade @Dave-1 @EricL

Thank you everybody for your input. Now the actual doing....

1. Get a scrap cut at 90 and hold it upright over the cornice you want to cut and rotate it until the edges of the scrap meet with the edge of the cutting cornice - this will achieve a 45.

Trace the arc onto the cutting cornice and cut. I used a hacksaw as I didnt have a coping saw.

Now you have to get rid of the edge and leave the profile intact as alluded by Mitchell in his post. I used a rasp.

Its not quite a perfect fit yet - It is hard to know what needs to be shaved away. Also there will need to be some bogging up but that is no different to plugging a hole in a plaster wall.

With everybody sharing and contributing, this epitomises what this site is all about.

I will post later when I have cut the other side and glued and then bogged and then painted.

Cheers Mike

Afternoon @MGusto

"Cheering" 🙂 Do you feel more releived? 🙂

More "cheering"

Dave

EricL

Hi @MGusto

That looks close enough to me, and with a bit of filler it will look perfect.

Please keep us updated with your project, we look forward to seeing your cornice fully installed.

Eric

Nailbag

Nice work @MGusto

Fell off the ladder (doing the job) so I have been quiet for a bit.

Glued with high strength water based liquid nails

Filled the gaps

Sanded and then painted

Job done!

JacobZ

Hi @MGusto,

I'm so sorry to hear of your fall. I hope you are alright and nothing too serious came of it.

Cornice is not an easy material to work with and you've done a fantastic job of it.

You should be very proud of what you've achieved.

Jacob

Yes, speedy recovery @MGusto ! I hope no bones were broken.

And an excellent job above!