Built-up Victorian Casing Techniques Article

basswood

Many of you have seen this already, but if you want to see the article, click the link, then choose HTML or PDF (PDF is better):

http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlc.../View/1002otjb

Cheers,

Basswood

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IHI

Thanks for the link

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katoman

Thanks for the link.

In regards to the 'jack mitre' - the correct way to do this is the head cassing is installed full width and the side cassings are coped over the shape on the head cassing.

Then the backband is applied which covers the end grain on the head cassing.

I've renovated many turn of the century homes, and this has always been the way the cassings are done. No mitres to open up.

Just thought guys would like to know this.

smeagol

Do you use a shaper when doing jackmiters in new construction? (like a door mullion)

katoman

If it's a reno job, there usually aren't too many doors, and I'll do it by hand. But if there are a lot of doors (eg. I may have one coming up that has 30 doors = 120 cassing copes) then I will have the cutter made and do them up on the shaper in the shop.

We don't run into this too often these days. But again I don't specialize in historic restorations.

texastutt

Do you have any photos of the coping?

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katoman

I don't have any photos. Tomorrow I will make a cassing, cope and post photos. I think you'll see why the old guys did it that way.

basswood

The approach you describe works best if the casing is mostly flat, with a small bead detail or small ogee profile on the inside edge of the casing.

If you look at the casing I was working with the profiled area is large. Coping those casing legs to overlay the head casing would be a daunting task with out machining the coped profile with a set of shaper knives.

Also the cope would consist of fins of very thin material that would have to come to a perfect knife edge for the stepped casing... not the best approach IMO.

Another note, if you are coping just the small bead or ogee, those copes are for joints so small that if just jack mitered instead, the miters would not be likely to open. So there is not much point to it, much like coping base shoe molding.

All the best,

Bass

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katoman

Agreed Bass, that profile is not the best candidate for coping. The main purpose of coping is to eliminate the butt joint, which will likely open up.

Yes it is usually done on cassings with a small bead molding, and large flat area. All the more reason to cope this. In the homes I have worked on this had been done by hand.

Another alternative which I have done is to bisquit join the flat area.

Always more than one way to skin a cat.

tang

I have JLCs from when it was in newspaper format over 20 years ago. Some of the best articles I have seen in recent years have been published by Bass. The February article was superb. I love the jig with the cheep hand saw to cut the jack miters, with pocket screws at the butt joint its as good as it gets. Coping that profile would be a nightmare for me but after reading the article I feel confident I could produce that casing with the tools I have. Thanks, Bass keep up the great work!! Tang