Everyone,
I’m in the process of completing a wall with an arched doorway between two rooms. I’ve already framed the wall, used a trammel and a router to cut the plywood arch form, drywalled, taped, installed the jambs, etc. The last task is to install the moldings.
The arch is a moderate “eyebrow” arch. The casing will be mitered at the intersection of the top and sides. (No rosettes or blocks)The corner angle is less than 90 degrees (because of the arch). Should I miter the side casing at 45 degrees and miter the top casing to fit the side casing? Or should I just compute the angle between the side and top, divide in two, and miter the top and sides at the same angle? One other consideration is that the same casing runs around non-arched windows and doors in both rooms — all mitered with 45 degree angles.
Thanks for you help.
Frank R.
Replies
The only way the math will work is if your mitre is half of thet total angle. Otherwise the widths will be different. When I do out of the ordinary mitres I make a couple of test blocks first.
Have a good day
Cliffy
Frank
I do a picture better then I do words. Look at the attachment.
Doug
Edited 8/3/2005 9:57 pm ET by Doug@es
Thanks for the visual. The arch molding is flexible and was made to fit this opening. I'll definitely measure twice on that cut.
Frank R.
Frank
Dont measure, hold it up there and mark it, less chance of a mistake.
When your making the money cut you cant have any mistakes!
Doug
Place the vertical piece of trim on the wall exactly where it goes and draw a line on both sides at the area where your miter will be.
Place the arched piece of trim where you want it and mark both sides of it near the miter.
Now draw a line through both intersections.
Put the arched piece back up there and transfer the last line you made onto the face of the trim, cut it, nail it.
Now fit the vertical piece.
What Doug said. I use the tape measure in my trimwork about 50% of the time anymore, if that. Always mark off your pieces and trace or draw precise outlines of the mouldings onto the wall including the miter cuts. Hold your mouldings up to the drawings and mark the two ends of the miter cut onto the mouldings, and then connect the marks if you are able.
Everyone,
I'll put the angle finder and tape measure away and follow your advice. Thanks.
FR