Cutting the dreaded mitres on coving sections.

[kempy17]

Almost finished a redecoration project but am having a complete nightmare cutting angles on the coving I've got.

The coving is the new plastic type from a company called Axxent in Belgium and it was brought via the Decorating Direct website. The profile is a little larger than most standard coving sections and it can be viewed via the following link for info

http://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/viewprod/o/ORACX106/

I have tried the coving mitre box approach but to no avail as I just cant seem to get the mitre joints to align. I think I'm probably wasting my time trying to cut them so does anyone know of a reliable tradesmen in the London area who would be willing to make the cuts for me (for a fee of course)? Or, does anyone know of a company that provides a materials cutting service?

Any suggestions and/or help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[2scoops0406]

Don't give up so easily, it's not very difficult. What specifically is your (even)problem ?

 

[Steve]

Try to imagine the coving up, in position, and think which bits need removing for it to fit in the corner . . . make a mark on the top and the bottom of the face of the coving, and lay it in the mitre box with the TOP edge on the BOTTOM of the box. Then you know you are cutting the angle on the right plane.

 

[wreckedit]

Next time you have to do a room try measuring the angle of the corners. If you find one at 90 degrees then your mitre block is very useful.
A device that halves the corner angle which you mark on the ceiling will show you were to cut the coving. It should then give you the best fit, I think!!

 

[AdamW]

I bet what you are doing is laying the coving flat in the mitre block, right?

As crafty says, imagine it in the position it will be once it is up.

 

[kempy17]

Thanks guys for your comments regarding the cutting of the coving.

I have now got hold of a small jig called 'Mitre Mate' and this has helped with the 90 degree corner cuts.

The room in question where the coving is being installed also has a few 30/60 degree type angles so is there a tool out there that would help determine a line on which to cut the coving for these?

Cheers again.

 

[bennettp23]

a bit if filler/decorators caulk will fill in the small gaps you may get before an emulsion finish.

I used decorating direct once. I thought the products were rubbish and customer service was terrible, I sent the materials back, coving and ceiling rose. I thought the material was not great, obviously not as good as proper plaster coving which I have also purchased but I also purchased plastic stuff from screwfix which was much better and easier to work with.

 

[Steve]

for the 60 degree angles, you need a 30 degree cut, I have a cheap metal adjustable mitre saw, it was £14.99 from b&q, but it has helped me out loads.

 

[Cackhanded]

If you look at the mating surfaces of the coving, there is a 'flat' running along each edge where it mounts against the ceiling and the wall.
When putting the coving into the box make sure that the corresponding flat is horizontal in the box. One other tip,dont use the upright side of the box nearest you,use the upright at the back, a saw cuts on the push stroke,if you have the coving on the front edge of the box then as you push to make a cut you are trying to push the coving away from the edge and the cut edge will wander. With the coving against the back upright then the saw cut will be trapping the coving against the back edge keeping it in position.
I see you are using the plastic type of coving,do you have the correct saw? std saws are much to coarse for this material, you can get (B&Q) a saw intended for the job. it has very fine teeth. A bit like a hacksaw blade but with gaps between the teeth about every inch or so.
eddie