[FrankSmith]

I am wondering what you guys think of this idea. It was windy and rainy in my area the other day and I needed to install base shoe in a few rooms. I didn’t want to set up outside and I try not to cut inside. I decided to grab my cheap hand saw miter box. I brought it around the room with me marked the piece cut it and nailed it on.

As I was doing this I thought if I got a hand miter box that had a little better action and put some felt on the bottom this might be faster than making a list and cutting outside. It was nice to not have to keep inventory on all the small pieces.

It is also worth noting that I never cope base shoe unless there is an existing piece that I am joining into. For as small as the profile is I have never had a problem with the miter and I don’t like the small piece that laps up on the top when you cope. I might try this idea a time or two and realize I hate it. That happens half the time. It definitely got the job done yesterday. We will see if I do it again.

 

[Metro M & L]

I always cut inside. Hook up the festool and have at. Does it still make a mess? Yup. Is it clean when Im done? Yup. Not really an option anyway when your working on a fourth floor condo.

Used my new laser measurer for some inside measurements and it was tits ! Lotsa fun to just push the button.

Today I finished laying floor in the 450 foot unit. Reinstalled old base moldings and cut and installed new base shoe. Humped all my gear out and were ready to sand and finish on Monday. Money made!

 

[Robie]

Many generations of craftsman (including my father) used them all the time.

 

[ObuckiO]

I am wondering what you guys think of this idea. It was windy and rainy in my area the other day and I needed to install base shoe in a few rooms. I didn’t want to set up outside and I try not to cut inside. I decided to grab my cheap hand saw miter box. I brought it around the room with me marked the piece cut it and nailed it on.

As I was doing this I thought if I got a hand miter box that had a little better action and put some felt on the bottom this might be faster than making a list and cutting outside. It was nice to not have to keep inventory on all the small pieces.

It is also worth noting that I never cope base shoe unless there is an existing piece that I am joining into. For as small as the profile is I have never had a problem with the miter and I don’t like the small piece that laps up on the top when you cope. I might try this idea a time or two and realize I hate it. That happens half the time. It definitely got the job done yesterday. We will see if I do it again.

I doubt I'd ever do it. However, if it helps you out on certain situations, so be it. I usually use the garage when I want to cut down on clean-up, but if I was in some sort of multi-floor condos or offices, I might drag around the miter box to different areas. Plus, I wouldn't have the option of using a manual miter box, because I don't have one.

As for the coping aspect...I cope everything due to shrinkage and less separation(even if getting painted). Plus, I think it's nicer/easier to put together.

I'll place a gentleman's bet you won't use your new idea more often than the other. :no:

 

[FrankSmith]

I'll place a gentleman's bet you won't use your new idea more often than the other. :no:

You are probably correct. I did it simply because it overcame the obstetrical of the day. As I was doing it I thought "is this a better way?" It probably isn't unless the right set of obstetrical poke their head again.

I agree coping is much better. I cope everything but shoe.

 

[ObuckiO]

You are probably correct. I did it simply because it overcame the obstetrical of the day. As I was doing it I thought "is this a better way?" It probably isn't unless the right set of obstetrical poke their head again.

I agree coping is much better. I cope everything but shoe.

It reminds me of how many different ways I tried in marking base and shoe. As in cutting all the measurements in one trip. I went from the 1-2-3 way, to the A-B-C, marking left/right cope 1st...

I suppose: "There's no shortcut in cutting corners"

 

[B.D.R.]

I love this rig. Made in the late 40's I think.
It's made out of cast iron, and is deadly accurate.
And it's quiet.

 

[asevereid]

I love this rig. Made in the late 40's I think.
It's made out of cast iron, and is deadly accurate.
And it's quiet.

That the Stanley? If so, I've got the same one. Took me a year of looking at flea markets and second hand stores to find a saw for it though.

 

[B.D.R.]

Came together, almost new condition.
I have a spare saw for it too.
Bought it from a customer for $50.

 

[Big Shoe]

Nice little saw I picked up at yard sale a few years ago. $25

 

[pinwheel]

I always cut inside. Hook up the festool and have at. Does it still make a mess? Yup. Is it clean when Im done? Yup. Not really an option anyway when your working on a fourth floor condo.

Used my new laser measurer for some inside measurements and it was tits ! Lotsa fun to just push the button.

Today I finished laying floor in the 450 foot unit. Reinstalled old base moldings and cut and installed new base shoe. Humped all my gear out and were ready to sand and finish on Monday. Money made!

You trim before you sand & finish? That's nuts man

 

[EricBrancard]

You trim before you sand & finish? That's nuts man

We sand and finish last as well. Sometimes run an edger around everything before trimming.

 

[hdavis]

I've done this, it's pretty fast, especially for a one room or small job. I'll still cope without mitering first, but that's slower than just mitering everything.

You're saving load, unload, setup, teardown, cleanup, load, unload time, so overall it can be faster for a small job.

 

[loneframer]

My dad trimmed everything with his Stanley box. I also found this mini version in his belongings when he passed.

For shoe, I cut everything snug and fine tune it with my miter trimmer, if needed.

 

[thom]

Talked to a former trim carpenter decades ago about the way his company cut trim for tract homes.

Each carpenter made his own miter box, a piece of 1X, properly cut to guide standard miters, attached to the side of a saw horse. They cut with a sharp cross-cut hand saw.

He said it cut as fast as a power miter box with much less set-up and break-down time, easier to move around, cheap.

I never tried it but oftentimes thought about it.

 

[ObuckiO]

Talked to a former trim carpenter decades ago about the way his company cut trim for tract homes.

Each carpenter made his own miter box, a piece of 1X, properly cut to guide standard miters, attached to the side of a saw horse. They cut with a sharp cross-cut hand saw.

He said it cut as fast as a power miter box with much less set-up and break-down time, easier to move around, cheap.

I never tried it but oftentimes thought about it.

One thing i've noticed with some trim carpenters, they were coping almost everything with a jig-saw. I've messed around with a piece of crown(trying it), but don't think i'll ever get in the habit of it.

 

[hdavis]

He said it cut as fast as a power miter box with much less set-up and break-down time, easier to move around, cheap.

I never tried it but oftentimes thought about it.

He's exaggerating about the speed, but it isn't terribly slow. Probably the biggest problem with doing it this way is getting a properly sharpened good saw.

 

[B.D.R.]

My rig even has crown stops on it, but I've never used it for that.
An old finisher that I used to work with, had a second chop saw that had sandpaper glued to the blade. He used it for tickling the angles on his trim.

 

[Metro M & L]

You trim before you sand & finish? That's nuts man

Its a rental. I wouldnt do it this way residential. I had it on the schedule to cut tuesday but they want me to fix a sinking floor where all the joists have rotted off the sill. Theres no crawl space access so I have to work top down. No extra time, just extra work, I mean money.

 

[rrk]

I love this rig. Made in the late 40's I think.
It's made out of cast iron, and is deadly accurate.
And it's quiet.

Those were made well into the 70s at least 75