Kitchen Cornice??

PeteJones

Need some help with kitchen cornice, not a carpenter but handy enough and installed a few cupboards in my kitchen. Wife wants a finish look with the cornice but I've already cut up one cornice and still struggling :mad:

First, I used a mitre box and hand saw but that does not cut the corners straight so borrowed a friend's mitre saw. It cut the 45 degree corners ok but when I match them up you can see that it is not straight.

What am I doing wrong??

kadman

Hi,

You need to position the cornice in the mitre box, at the exact upright angle that it will be fitted in, aqnd then cut it at 45 degrees. Job done.

Maybe someone on the woodcrafts forum might be near you, to show you how its done.

kadman

Avns1s

You won't get it perfect in any case. Just get it as close as possible and then use joint filler or polyfilla to fill any space left.

If using joint filler, just use enough. If you allow excess and let it go hard, you'll have great fun (NOT) with it!!

Just apply sufficient to fill the joint, then remove the excess with a damp sponge. You can go back over it if necessary

karltimber

Where are you PeteJones ??

PeteJones

Thanks Guys,

Where do you get the joint filler?

I am based in Kildare Kadman. Do you think the joint filler will solve it?

Avns1s

PeteJones wrote:

Thanks Guys,

Where do you get the joint filler?

I am based in Kildare Kadman. Do you think the joint filler will solve it?

Any builders providers will have joint filler but if it's only the kitchen with, say 4 corners and another 4-6 straight joints, then get a standard box of polyfilla. It'll be cheaper and more workable, if a bit slower going off, which can be a good thing!

Wertz

Don't use joint filler or polyfilla....it's white plaster. Thta's gonna stick out like a sore thumb IMO.
I assume you're using crown moulding in a prefinished wood/wood-effect...if so then get some apropriately coloured caulk and a caulking gun. It's available in most wood finish colours.
Apply to your internal corners and wipe off excess with a damp cloth. The external corners are a little trickier so take more care. Aloow to dry and sink and do it a second time if necessary.
One tube of this stuff is more than enough....costs about 6-7 euro for it.

Avns1s

Wertz wrote:

Don't use joint filler or polyfilla....it's white plaster. Thta's gonna stick out like a sore thumb IMO.
I assume you're using crown moulding in a prefinished wood/wood-effect...if so then get some apropriately coloured caulk and a caulking gun. It's available in most wood finish colours.
Apply to your internal corners and wipe off excess with a damp cloth. The external corners are a little trickier so take more care. Aloow to dry and sink and do it a second time if necessary.
One tube of this stuff is more than enough....costs about 6-7 euro for it.

Why on earth would it "stick out"? It's usual to paint coving when its fitted. It'll only stick out if the installer makes a hash of filling the joints and the same applies whether you use joint filler, polyfilla OR caulk!

Wertz

He's talking about the cornice moulding for the top of his kitchen cupboards, not about standard plaster coving for the ceiling/wall join.
Any idiot can put that stuff up and fix up any mistakes in their cuts....getting a tight mitre on veneered MDF or timber is a wee bit more difficult...and disguising mistakes in it with plaster fillers is downright amateurish...

GreeBo

Whats more annoying is getting perfect mitre cuts on your light blind or cornice and then finding that the bloody presses arent square.

Filling the gap at the back of the joint will make a big difference, expecially on a cornice, it usually looks bad because you can see light through it.

On a light blind you have to be a bit more careful.

Alun

GreeBo wrote:

What's more annoying is getting perfect mitre cuts on your light blind or cornice and then finding that the bloody presses aren't square.

That was my initial reaction too .. with big unwieldy cornices it's sometimes difficult to get the cut perfectly right, but any gap would be quite small. Like you say, more likely that the cabinets aren't as square as you'd first imagine.

Avns1s

Wertz wrote:

He's talking about the cornice moulding for the top of his kitchen cupboards, not about standard plaster coving for the ceiling/wall join.
Any idiot can put that stuff up and fix up any mistakes in their cuts....getting a tight mitre on veneered MDF or timber is a wee bit more difficult...and disguising mistakes in it with plaster fillers is downright amateurish...

A thousand apologies. Why oh why don't you read the posts properly Avns1s.

Sorry OP for the decidedly stupid advice and to you too Wertz. Off to eat the proverbial humble pie!!:o

J.R.

To get a perfect angle you would be advised to cut mitre with an electric chop saw. These can be hired but be careful if unfamiliar with them as its very easy to have a nasty accident while concentrating, holding and looking at mitre angle. The cornice, as previously stated, needs to be placed on the saw base at the angle it will be fitted at on cupboards - there is usually a flat piece at the top & bottom of cornice if you check it carefully - this is the area you rest on the saw base with back of cornice resting against back upstand of saw base.

Buy some 'mitrebond' in a kitchen supply outlet. This is a brilliant glue (expensive approx. €23) specially designed for the job. It is a two part glue. Place bead of glue on one mitre cut and spray the other mitre cut then joint together immediately. After 30 seconds they are permanently stuck solid. You now have a perfect mitre with no gaps. The joint is stuck solid and the length of cornice with glued angle attached can be lifted into position.

If units are level there should be no problem fitting. If they are not you will never get cornice to fit correctly.

If there is a slight gap fill with some wood filler, wipe excess with a damp cloth then and roll a screwdriver over the joint. This will close the joint and make gap invisible.

Hotwheels

I agree

A mitre saw is the best way to get clean accurate cuts, it takes a little practice to get the top cornice to sit right on the saw when cutting it, get it wrong and the mitre will either be too long or short..
On long bits use a block of timber etc to keep the cornice level, and get someone to hold it steady with you, while you cut

Try if you can to go round the corners using the same piece of cornice, moldings can differ slightly. By this I mean if you have to run a short mitre around the corner of the press, try and use an off cut from the same piece…


Getting the corners to close nice and tight is not easy, but the best way is to use a small L-Bracket, you will need to flatten it a bit with a hammer to get the angle right.
Then you can screw it to the back of the cornice on one side of the joint and use another screw to pull the joint closed nice and tight, and use a bit of glue too

When it comes to filling any gaps, (with practice you won’t need to) if its solid timber use the likes of Brummer wood fillers, and get a bit of stain the same color as the wood. (if you need to)To touch up the joints.
Use the stain sparingly and run the cloth back along the cornice a bit to match it in, be careful because it can eat into the lacquer quite quickly…

Hope it helps…take your time and you’ll be fine…
And make sure the chop-saw has a fine blade fitted, and watch your fingers