How-To
Coping Inside Corners
Finish carpenter Tucker Windover demonstrates how to achieve a perfect inside corner when running baseboard.
Carpenter Tucker Windover shows how the trickiest part of running baseboard, coping an inside corner, can be done quickly and be made to look perfect. In this gem from the Fine Homebuilding Video Vault, Tucker shows us how he starts the coping process by making a 45° bevel on the baseboard, then carefully cuts the inside curves from both sides. Tucker also explains how “springing the board” can put the final dressing on an inside corner.
Check out all the videos in this series on baseboards from Tucker Windover:
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Happy to see a great, experienced carpenter do this the old fashioned way. I've seen demonstrations of coping inside corners with a small grinder, usually preceded by a comment that this requires considerable practice. I have always used Tucker's method and much prefer it.
I learned with a coping saw, and after seeing all the grinder comments tried it once. It worked mostly OK but I was using MDF material and boy howdy, was there a lot of dust! I'll probably stick with the coping saw.
I've done these with a jigsaw. A bit faster, & clean up with a sharp chisel or gouge.
I've coped with a coping saw, grinder, table saw and jig saw. While the coping saw might be the most fun, it's also about the slowest method. I've found the jig saw with a Collins Coping Foot to be the most efficient for me.