Hey folks,
Just looking for some suggestions here. I just finished putting up some 4″ maple crown in our living room. It was finished with a little stain (to help match the rest of the room’s original maple trim) followed by a few coats of poly. I spent a fair amount of time mudding the bows in the walls to a flat surface for the installation as well as installing a good backer board to nail into. Anyhow, now that is is up, it looks pretty good except even the tightest copes have a few areas where, if you are standing in the right spot, it gives a dark shadow, kinda’ like looking into a train tunnel….well, not that bad. So, is there anything I can do to these areas to hide the imperfections in my work?
Thoughts I had, were to use “DAP Plastic Wood” maybe add a little of the stain I used on the crown to get the color close. Just carefully pack into the gaps.
My other though was is there any type of clear stainable calk? This is something I was going to experiment with. Just clear calk the gap and try to dab a little stain on the seam with a sponge.
If there are any products or techniques out there (other than getting better at my copes!) I am missing I would appreciate some advice.
Thanks,
Jay
Replies
Can anyone else see this "problem"? One of the most aggravating things about doing stuff yourself is that you see every mistake you made - and you can never, ever, ever, forget where they are and how they got there. It can be a real curse!!- lol
What I'm saying is that you may be better off to just let it go rather than try to fix it. Trying to fix boo-boo's on stained wood can sometimes make the problem worse.
If you just gotta try something, look for some of the wax crayon type fillers. They come in a wide range of colors and can even be blended together if you can't find a good color match. I roll a small amount between my fingers to warm them then work them into the crack. I smooth them with the pointy end of a painters 5-in-1 tool, or a blade from a utility knife.
he never met Jane...
she's fix it as soon as he wasn't looking...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Are you looking at waves in the wall?
Just finish the maple and clauk the gap to match the wall color. Use just enought to fill the gap and wipe off the excess from the maple.
Edited 12/14/2007 12:43 pm ET by USAnigel
On the back of the cope, there is often a little corner left where the shape transitions. This can hit and prevent a closed cope. You just need to take it off with a knife before you put it up. That's assuming everything else was correct. When you cope crown, don't try to cut the entire profile on one pass. Where there are intersections or changes in direction, you make a few straight in cuts to those points. When the coping saw comes around a corner it will mate with those relief cuts, waste will drop and you won't have to try to force the saw to change directions.
The easiest way to fill the gap is with color putty. It comes in a small plastic cup. I think Minwax is making some, I've seen it at HD. Knead it and press it in, buff off the excess with a cloth, touch up with the polyurethane you used. Great for filling nail holes, too.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
If the gap is at the bottom, slide a stiff putty knife behind the crown and see if a bit of pressure closes it up. If this works, cut a thin tapered shim, slide it up and remove the knife. Cut any excess off with a utility knife.Caulk under the crown where the gap is.
Otherwise, just live with it, your probably the person who would notice it.
mike
Cut or sandsome of the crown that's left over and gather the sawdust. Mix it with some regular wood glue, and use it as a filler. If you cut it fine enough, it should make for a fairly good match. Sometimes, it helps to seal it up after it dries and before staining. It won't be perfect, but will probably not be very noticeable to anyone other than you.
Hey Everyone.
Thanks for the suggestions here. I ended up picking up some colored putty. I grabbed two colors and will work the two together to try and match the wood as best as possible. I will try it on one of the smaller gaps. If it looks ok, I will continue onto some of the larger gaps. If it looks worse, I will just bag the whole idea and leave things alone. Thanks again for all the help and I will let folks know how things turn out.
Jay