Replies

1. 
   Stilletto | Apr 28, 2006 02:03am | #1

   Good question man,  had the same problem last year on a kitchen remodel.  The cabinets had a crown and rope combo.  I couldn't get the rope to line up well enough for me so I used miniature plinth blocks out of leftover cabinet filler stock ripped down on the tablesaw,  I mitered them and hot glued them on each piece of crown at the corners it turned out good.

   Seems like they would make rope molding that turns both ways for this situation like left and right turning rope.  Maybe they do and I don't know about it.

   My Mommy says I'm special.

1. 
   basswood | Apr 28, 2006 04:36am | #5

   Thanks for commiserating.

2. 
   JeffBuck | Apr 28, 2006 02:08am | #2

   pick the most obvious outside corner on each run and take what the rest will give ya.

   Jeff

       Buck Construction

    Artistry In Carpentry

        Pittsburgh Pa

3. 
   hammer1 | Apr 28, 2006 04:15am | #3

   The better rope moldings come in left and right twists. You can get these to fit but when the twist goes continuously around a corner, you have to settle for "close enough". With unfinished moldings, you can shape the difference to make it less conspicuous. Pre-finished moldings you can't sand. I cut a couple of short samples and then try to get the best match out of the profile. Instead of cutting the inside corner first, I cut the outside 45, 22.5 or whatever first. Then I take the measure off the short point of the bevel to the stopping point. It's very touchy when you cut on a profile like a rope, 1/32" mistake looks like 1/8". If you have outside corners on both ends, you have to try to get them the same. There usually aren't a lot of inside corners on kitchen cabinets. These are much less visible than an outside corner. Rope molding can also be a little different from piece to piece. If you can wrap a corner with parts from the same contiuous piece, it helps. This is about the best I get without making a career of it. Egg and dart as well as dentin can present some of the same problems, if you want good balance on the corners, but rope is the worst.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   basswood | Apr 28, 2006 04:35am | #4

   Hammer & Jeff Buck,Thank you for the ideas. I haven't encountered rope molding very often and found it rather annoying today. I'm finished with it and it turned out OK. I just had no clue what I was doing...next time I'll have a better time of it.

1. 
   JeffBuck | Apr 28, 2006 06:57am | #6

   I don't run across it all the time ... but have hung myself by the rope enough.

    

   used to really piss me off ... then once ... working side by side with a fantastic cabinet maker ... I noticed the big piece we were setting had perfect rope ... all the way around.

   so I asked ... how the hell do ya ....?

    

   he laughed ... said that was the first time he could remember it actually working out like that ... then he said ... just pick the obvious and ignore the rest!

   I've been sleeping better since then ...

    

   Jeff    Buck Construction

    Artistry In Carpentry

        Pittsburgh Pa

4. 
   Kitchen Karl | Apr 28, 2006 07:57am | #7

   Basswood:  In most situations you won't be able to choose where the miter will be, because the length of the section will determine where the rope stops on the miter.  Here's a tip: try to start the next piece of the miter at about the same place you cut the first, of course this way the sizes will be about the same, then take some 220 grit sand paper and gently round whatever end of the miter is larger, finish by coloring in the sanded piece with some touch up stain or a marker that is close to the finish of the molding. 

5. 
   basswood | Apr 29, 2006 06:45am | #8

   With your advice I'll do better next time...Here's how it turned out:

   
   

   ---

   Edited 4/29/2006 12:09 am ET by basswood

1. 
   migraine | Apr 29, 2006 07:49am | #9

   All the fretting for no reason.  Looks great.

2. 
   JeffBuck | Apr 29, 2006 10:25am | #10

   looks great from here.

    

   next time I'll just sub the rope to U.

   Jeff    Buck Construction

    Artistry In Carpentry

        Pittsburgh Pa

3. 
   JulianTracy | Apr 29, 2006 03:32pm | #11

   Looks like now you are our resident rope molding expert. Welcome to the postition. After you get settled in, we'll all start asking you to share your tips for installation.JT

1. 
   basswood | Apr 29, 2006 04:25pm | #12

   Just Shoot Me Now! ; > ]

6. 
   tmaxxx | Apr 29, 2006 04:45pm | #13

   if you can get the mouding with the rope seperate, you can make perfect corners and have a joint in the middle.  less noticable if one twist is short, or long.

   Tmaxxx

   Urban Workshop Ltd

   Vancouver B.C.

   cheers.  Ill buy.

1. 
   basswood | Apr 29, 2006 04:51pm | #14

   "you can make perfect corners"No. I can't, not really. I got close, but was starting to develop a twitch.Molding designed by the Antichrist. 8 > {Edit to add: My rope was separate...you shouda seen the little pieces of that stuff flyin' off the slider & bouncing around the room...Dude, have you seen my rope return?

   Edited 4/29/2006 9:54 am ET by basswood