Cutting Coving Joints

vonsworld · 18 Nov 2019

Hi
I'm planning to fit some coving and wanted some advice on cutting the corner joints.
Can you use an ordinary mitre box to cut the 45 degree corners, or is there anything special about the mitre boxes they sell specifically for coving?

I've watched some videos on cutting coving and it appears that the saw might need to cut at a slant, not just a vertical 45 degrees?

Thanks for your advice

footprints · 18 Nov 2019

A normal mitre box may be too small, all vertical cuts, but you would not credit how many ways you can cut a mitre wrong! Get four scrap bits and cut an outside pair and an inside pair. Then use them to check you have your coving in the mitre box the correct way before chopping up long bits!

vonsworld · 18 Nov 2019

Yes, I've been trying to figure out how much extra coving I should buy to make up for all the mistakes I'm bound to make! Some of the corners in the room are also not particulaly square, so I should have some fun

cwhaley · 20 Nov 2019

+1 to @footprints post! I did 4 rooms in our house and the key is practicing your angles and cuts first -- even if the coving is put into the mitre box slightly different to before it'll ruin your joints.

I was good by the end of it, but needed a lot of filler and careful sanding for the first two rooms!

vonsworld · 20 Nov 2019

Thanks for your reply, I'll buy an extra length of coving just to practise my corner skills!
I did put up some coving about 20 years ago and remember that it went well at the time, but cant remember how I cut the corners. I see that Wickes sell a plastic triangular template for cutting corners, rather than a mitre box, so might give that a go.

Plaster or polystyrene coving, thats my next decision!

footprints · 20 Nov 2019

Use lightweight a sort of foam product covered in paper Lots around I think screwfix do it. Easy to work and looks just like plaster when fitted.

opps · 22 Nov 2019

I often use my Nobex Champion mitre saw to cut coving. The saw allows the blade to be locked at any angle, usefull when corners are not a true 90 degrees. In the homes where I watched the guys fitting the massive plaster cornices, they use custom made mitre boxes.

sircerebus666 · 24 Nov 2019

Build your own mitre box to suit the size of coving, easy to do , plenty of YouTube videos on how to do it.

Don't cut at a slant, you cut vertically down , cut a couple of test corners and you will see what I mean

Polystyrene is lighter but harder to get a nice sharp corner when the walls are not at 90 degrees

Plaster much heavier but you can rasp off some of the mitre to get a lovely join

Filling in gaps on corners is noticeable cause you lose the sharpness

Plenty of practice and I'm sure you will do a cracking job

lostinthelight · 24 Nov 2019

I made this one in the early 1980’s and still in use from time to time

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Cutting Coving Joints

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