[AFNurse]

So, the contstruction business in SA may be booming, but I am sure hoping that SOMEPLACE in the USA construction workers take pride in their products.... I have hung a bunch of crown throughout the house (not the really fancy stuff, but it sure does dress things up nice!)...... Crown is not easy to cut and hang....but if there isn't a square angle in the house it sure makes it even harder!!! Some of it looks pretty good....some places will need about 1/2 tube of cauk to try salvaging......THIS SUX!!!

[SK]

I hear ya AFN. I've hung a bunch of crown and it's not easy to just get a 45º in the corners, let alone line up with shoddy construction. Do you have a finishing nail gun? Sure makes it easier..along with a good helper.

Crown molding sure gives a room an elegant look and well worth it. Good luck.

[AFNurse]

Yup! Got the finishing nail gun. LOVE it. and yes, it does make the project easier. I like the look of crown, I just hate the cutting.....especially without square walls.

[voodoochild]

Try coping the corners instead of cutting the inside miter, it works alot better. I'm sure it's a little late now but I thought I'd offer my .02.....

Oh, and BTW, No, nobody gives a ratts a** about the quality of their work anymore. We take our time and do a much better job than most of the meatballers out there, we also charge more, but not overly expensive. I choose to make less and do a quality job than make more and cut the corners. Shoot me a PM if I can offer any advice in the molding department......Good luck!

[kenfuzed]

Many years ago I used to work for Hitachi power tools around the time they started making their slide compound saw here in the US. I would travel to places throughout the SW, mostly White Cap stores, to train staff on teaching others to cut crown. That stuff will really put the old "measure twice cut once" saying to work.

I'll be doing crown molding on my place later this year. I'm looking forward as much as dreading it.

[SPORSTERBOY]

That Locktite Suregrip Also Works Real Good If You Don't Want To Nail. In Some Cases It's Not So Much The Shoddy Workmanship Depending On How Old The House Is And Where You Live. Remember The Aprenticeship And The New Journyman Experience, Amazing How Fast A House Goes Up. We Do That Alot At My Job, Let The Helpers Weld And Fabricate, Not Always The Best Quality, But They Have To Learn Sometime. Then You Have The Get It Done As Fast As Possible Factor That Makes Quality Go Down, Depending On What Your Craft Is You Fine The Falts All The Time, Like Me Being A Fabricator, I See It Every Where With The Things I Buy.

[maxpower_hd]

Diddo on coping the corners. My house was a former cottage. Not a square, plumb or level serface to be found. Except in the addition I put on myself.....with the help of some friends....a 24x28 garage with a room over.

[Blackmouth]

You'll have a hard time finding more than a handfull of companies IN ANY INDUSTRY taking pride in their work nowadays.

A house is something you probably don't want to buy when the housing market is booming: you get double-shafted. The price of the house is high (sellers market) and the building is done too quick to focus on quality (there's another house to build right after yours since the market is booming).

BTW, howdy AFNurse from a fellow San Antonio resident.

[maxpower_hd]

Up until recently it seemed anyone with a truck and a ladder around here was a contractor. Now all of a sudden there are a lot of trucks and ladders for sale.

I have friends that have been in the business all there lives and I've done side work since I was in high school. So I try to do whatever I can myself. It seems to come out the way I want it that way.

[AFNurse]

Originally Posted by Blackmouth

You'll have a hard time finding more than a handfull of companies IN ANY INDUSTRY taking pride in their work nowadays.

A house is something you probably don't want to buy when the housing market is booming: you get double-shafted. The price of the house is high (sellers market) and the building is done too quick to focus on quality (there's another house to build right after yours since the market is booming).

BTW, howdy AFNurse from a fellow San Antonio resident.

And SA is full of fast houses....

Welcome to the board Blackmouth! Where in SA are you at? I am on the West side, over near Sea World......

[Blackmouth]

Originally Posted by AFNurse

And SA is full of fast houses....

Welcome to the board Blackmouth! Where in SA are you at? I am on the West side, over near Sea World......

I'm a stones throw from you buddy.
I'm just outside 410 off of Culebra towards Westover Hills Blvd.

We need to hook up for a ride.
Any other forum members in our area?...I don't know too many folks here yet.

[AFNurse]

Originally Posted by Blackmouth

I'm a stones throw from you buddy.
I'm just outside 410 off of Culebra towards Westover Hills Blvd.

We need to hook up for a ride.
Any other forum members in our area?...I don't know too many folks here yet.

That's CLOSE!!! I live between Military and Potrenco...just inside the 1604...between sea world and the new SUPER HEB...... There are a couple other SA folk here....I have not met any of them that I know of!

[ironhorse]

if the wind don't slow down and the weather start warmining up you might have another SA rider

[Blackmouth]

Originally Posted by ironhorse

if the wind don't slow down and the weather start warmining up you might have another SA rider

You're welcome down here any time.

[Blackmouth]

Originally Posted by AFNurse

That's CLOSE!!! I live between Military and Potrenco...just inside the 1604...between sea world and the new SUPER HEB...... There are a couple other SA folk here....I have not met any of them that I know of!

Sweet.
I'll bet we pass each other on the road all the time.
I'm the guy on a Harley wearing a t-shirt and jeans...have you seen me?

I'll PM you my info...gimme a call whenever you wanna hook up for a ride.

[Art_NJr]

Originally Posted by AFNurse

So, the contstruction business in SA may be booming, but I am sure hoping that SOMEPLACE in the USA construction workers take pride in their products.... I have hung a bunch of crown throughout the house (not the really fancy stuff, but it sure does dress things up nice!)...... Crown is not easy to cut and hang....but if there isn't a square angle in the house it sure makes it even harder!!! Some of it looks pretty good....some places will need about 1/2 tube of cauk to try salvaging......THIS SUX!!!

Few tricks I learned from a master "old world" trim carpenter & I saw the Hitachi slide-compound mitre-saw metioned - best there is. Guy I used to work for bought 6 of 'em - one for each of us on the crew & it sure does make things easier & faster. But has also been mentioned, coping the ends is the way to go & that way it doesn't matter if the corner is perfectly square or not. That applies to crown moulding, chair rail, baseboards, et al.

The way I was taught is to run your moulding on the longest walls 1st with the ends cut square & the piece just a little bit too long. I've got a Paslode air-nailer & you tack either end - the middle will bow out a little bit, but that's OK. Push the piece in the middle, it'll snap into place & you don't need to shoot but a few finish nails in a few places to tighten it up.

If the wall is so long that you need more than one piece of moulding, don't cut the ends @ a 45 so they overlap - they'll never fit right & you'll see that joint. Cut the ends of the pieces square & again, one piece just a little bit too long. Tack the corners 1st, then go to the joint & with the handle of your hammer, you can tap both pieces so that joint lines up perfectly - then shoot it. I used to do a lot of stain-grade moulding where you couldn't caulk - but the only way you'll find the joint is to get up on a ladder & really look for it - you can run your fingernail over it & not feel it.

Then on the shorter walls, cope each end of the moulding going up there, again cutting the piece a little bit too long. Get the ends to fit nice, tack them, then snap the middle into place. The corner joints will tighten up & you won't need any caulk or wood filler. Again, that applies to any moulding - I even do shoe mould the same way. It takes longer, but that's the way I was taught & the end result sure does look nice.

I've had to deal with crown in a lot of houses with spray-textured ceilings & the ceiling wasn't anywhere near level. But if you do crown the way I described, you won't have any gaps & the ceiling will look level, even though it isn't.