Kitchen cabinet Cornice mitre cuts

[Arrow2]

Hi folks, I badly need some help in cutting the cornice pieces for my kitchen cabinets.
I have cut the first 45deg angle fine but when I try to cut the angle at the other end of the piece I can't seem to get the position right.

Here's the problem I have. I mark off the measurement on the underside of the cornice at the point where the angle changes. With the cornice on the mitre saw, oriented as it would be fitted to the cabinet, the cut mark is now underneath the work.
How do I cut to the correct distance as it is very difficult to judge where that mark is in relation to the blade. Lining up the mark with the reference mark on the cutter does not work because of the width of the base of the cornice,

If i make the mark on the back of the cornice instead, would this work. I don't want to waste any more cornice trying out these hit and miss trials.

Any help greatly appreciated. thanks.

 

[lmkitchens]

Are you using a electric chop saw or hand mitre saw? You can eye so much of a cut up against the groove in an electric chop saw, cut it over size and trim to the correct length. Wasting 5mm is better than a full length.

I always cut the longest length first, if you muck it up you can always use it for shorter lengths.

Make sure you're saw is set up plumb or you're mitres will never match also, to do this set at 90* and check with a square on one side, then check the other side. If plumb there will be no gap either side, if it needs adjusting do it a small amount and check again until correct!

 

[steve61]

If the mitred joint is only at one end ie square cut the other end, then what I always do is cut the mitre first, and then cut the piece to length afterwards. Gets the right length every time, so long as the mitre is cut correctly.

Also helps to glue (mitre bond) the pieces together before fixing to units.

Hope this helps
Steve

 

[Arrow2]

Thanks folks for the information. The problem is not the saw.
I am using a fine cut hand mitre saw. The type that is secured by vertical steel bars at the front & back of the blade & whose angles are set by a lever & swivel plate. It does a great job & is very accurate. Even if I used my power compound sliding mitre saw the problem would be the same.

The whole problem is how to line up the blade with the point on the cornice where the cut needs to be. As I said the first angle at one end is 45deg. No problem. At the other end its 22.5degs. Thats because its the first angle of a decorative corner shelf unit.

It doesn't matter really what the angle is, its how to cut it correctly that counts. If it was 90 degs it would not be a problem, just line up the mark with the saws reference mark & cut. When the angle gets changed the reference on the base of the saw assembly also changes & its not so easy to know exactly where the cornice piece should be placed to get the cut in exactly the right place for the length to be right. Hope this reads the way its meant to. Cheers

 

[danechip]

Really struggling to understand this. I also mark on the bottom.

Would putting a piece of cardboard on your saw with a line drawn using a protractor help guide you?

I tend to make templates for a lot of things, mainly tiling and flooring around those damn toilets.

 

[Arrow2]

Thanks Danechip, I will give that a try. I know what you mean about the bathroom tiles. Last time I drilled 4 holes where the screws go & fitted the whole tile under the toilet. Made for a great seal between the two also. Cheers.

 

[Arrow2]

I think I found the answer, so here goes.

Take a piece of the cornice & lay it in place (as it would be when fitted) on top of the cabinet. Draw a line along the back edge of the cornice on the cabinet.

Move the piece of cornice to the ajoining section (where the angle changes) hold in place again & draw another line to cross the previous mark.

Now take the length of cornice that will be fitted to the cabinet, hold it in position & mark the back of it where the 2 pencil marks cross.

Use a set square & draw up the back face from the mark just made.
Line this mark up to the datum line in the centre of the mitre saw base.

Set the correct internal or external angle for the blade. The resulting cut should give a perfect length. No practice should be neccessary. I hope I am right, but once I have tried it I will confirm my theory.