How to work with Mouldings
| Work with Moulding Links - Jump to section | |
Tools often used/required
- Mitre Box and fine tooth saw
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Hammer
- Nails and finishing nails (pins)
- Wood filler
- Coping saw
- G-Clamp
Removing old mouldings
Most often the old moulding has been nailed on. To remove, find a gap between the moulding and wall and gently pry open using, for example a screwdriver or the claw end of a hammer*. Work from one end to the other, loosening the nails until the old moulding can be removed.
* It is advisable to protect the door jam from accidental damage by using a piece of corrugated cardboard or cloth
Measuring moulding requirements
For skirting, picture rail, dado or chair rail
Measure the width of each wall in the room to be decorated. Round up each measurement to allow for cutting and joining, and total. Purchase in lengths most suitable for your project.
For architraves and picture frames
Measure the perimeter of the area to be decorated, making sure to add the width of the moulding to allow for mitred joins around the corners.
Cutting a Mitre for external corners: 45 degrees
Please refer to the illustration to clarify terminology for front face, back face, and visible edges A, B, C and D.
 |
 |
For an external (outer) corner, or around door and window measurements, remember to add the width of the moulding to the length in order to allow for the longest point of the 45 degree angle.
2. Mark required measurement on the visible face edge of the moulding with a pencil
3. Place the moulding visible face edge uppermost in the mitre box
This ensures a smooth saw cut on the visible surface and that any "break-out" will be on the "non-visible" surface. For a neat result it is best to keep the moulding firmly in position, so do try to clamp if possible to avoid movement and also apply a cushioning pad or mat so that the clamp does not mark the moulding.
 |
 |
Measure as for external corner, however reverse the procedure when cutting as follows:
- For the left hand piece, the saw should be positioned 45 degrees from left to right.
- For the right hand piece, the saw should be positioned 45 degrees from right to left.
For the left hand piece, the saw should be positioned 45 degrees from right to left. For the right hand piece, the saw should be positioned 45 degrees from left to right
Splicing a moulding
This is a neat method to join two lengths of straight moulding. Position the moulding with the visible face edge uppermost in the mitre box (this ensures the saw cut on the visible face is clean and that any break-out will appear on the non visible face of the moulding) with the back of the moulding against the back wall of the mitre box.
Mitre the joining ends at 45 degrees. The two pieces overlap making a diagonal joint.
For a stronger join, position spliced moulding ends in front of a stud so that the joining pieces can be nailed into the stud.
Joining Timber
Pre-cut grooved dowels provide joints of exceptional structural strength in furniture and related components:
- Pre-drill mating surfaces
- Apply adhesive to both dowel ends and mating joint surfaces
- Insert the grooved dowels into mating services
- Clamp the joint firmly & leave to bond
Dowel Size Guidelines
Generally the length of a dowel should be 1.5 times the thickness of the wood or 6mm less than the combined thickness of the holes drilled (for a 20mm thick component, the dowel length should be approximately 30mm).
The diameter of a dowel should be approximately one third of the thickness of the timber into which it is to be inserted (for a 30mm thick component, the dowel diameter would be approximately 10mm)
When using dowels to join carcasing panels, there should be a minimum of 3 dowels per join or they should be approximately 100mm apart.
A minimum of 2 dowels per join is required for doors and frames, however they should not be more than 25-50mm apart.
Other joining ideas
|
|
||||
|
|
