Why cant I use 45 degree mitres for fitting skirting boards?

The main reasons for not doing internal mitres are finding the angle, shrinkage on pine boards and by scribing you overcome both and you don't need to be too accurate on the length between corners.
If you really must do an internal mitre for whatever reason here's a simple cheat for the angle. A mitre only works when both halves have the same angle. So, get a sheet of paper and fold it to fit exactly into the corner, it's often not 90deg, then fold it in half. Set your saw to the angle you have created.

Chippy Mears

 

7 years has gone by.

 

Well, that was a while ago, too ! But these antique posts still get read today - and are still useful ! Thanks, chaps !

But I *still* haven't seen anyone give the *real*reason why skirting boards need to be scribed rather than mitred (sometimes)...

No, I'm not a chippy.

But I have just been removing some skirting boards....

Look down on a bit of wall, say between the window wall and the chimney breast. Consider mitred joints. If the skirting is fixed to the chimney breast and to the outside wall, then it is not possible to insert the joining piece if the ends are motred, because the gap between the walls (the back of the missing skirting board) is longer than the space between the faces of the parallel skirting boards (the front of the missing skirting board).

Yes, I know. You start at the door and work your way round the room. But (as I said above) "sometimes".....

 

Coz if you are a chippy and you do internal mitres, you're off the job!!!!

I think the answer was given in there, somewhere. It is simply that timber shrinks and a scribed joint means that when, not if, that happens the resulting gap will be less noticeable. And I'll start an old argument again, here; contrary to some opinions MDF skirting can shrinnk in certain circumstances - normally when the merchant has stored or transported it badly (open back lorry on a wet day, etc). Been ther, snagged that, so don't tell me it doesn't happen you guys!

No you don't! Or at least I don't. You start at the door, but cut your scribed joints so that as far as possible they face away from the door. This means that the wall facing the door may well have a straight ended piece of skirting applied to it with two more pieces at either end scribed onto it.

Well I am a chippy - and some of the jobs I see in even commercial properties are not the work of my fellow carpenters/joiners, so taking anything you pull out as "best practice" doesn't always work........ Like the floor we've just pulled out to replace made up out of 6 x 2s at 600mm centres. That one bounced like a trampoline! The one we put in to replace it was 8 x 2s at 400mm centres and will be getting a 22mm thick floor. It doesn't bounce at all thanks to some extra steels in the middle. Proper job!

 

Here's how to do it proper..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsnOsidTT0s&feature=related


You wood butchers advocating butt joints should hang up your tools.
Or should that be stirrups and horse whips.

 

if your mitres do not fit,
fill em up with glue and s..t

or just chaulk the buggers. NOT.

 

I find it quicker scribing skirting boards and the corners don't need filling.

 

I have said this before on here but ill say it again.

Internal conrers may not be 90o so your 45o cuts may not join up also you have to cut pieces with 2 45o mitres bang on the make them meet. Scribing is a piece of **** once you get the hang of it and if you are lazy like me then do the straight cuts with a jigsaw and finish the rest with a coping saw. practice with some off cuts and perfect it.

Once you have you will see why this is the best way as it is faster and you get a better finish.

I used to mitre my internal corners but I learned at college how to do it the right way and mastered it with off cuts and I can see why it is the chosen way.

 

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