I was cutting crown molding backwards for two years and only noticed when my apprentice asked a question.

I was installing crown in a kitchen remodel in Springfield, holding the molding against the fence of my miter saw like I always did. My apprentice, Jake, pointed at the scrap piece and said, 'Why is the flat part on the bottom up there?' I realized I had been treating the wall edge as the fence instead of the ceiling edge for every single cut. I had to redo six pieces that afternoon. Has anyone else had a basic technique they were doing wrong for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jenny16d ago

Yikes, classic brain lock.

jones.anna4d ago

That deck story is a perfect example. It's crazy how a tiny wrong turn at the start can become your whole process. You just get into a rhythm and your brain stops checking the basics. Makes me double check my own routines now, even for simple stuff.

drewsullivan16d ago

Read an article where a guy built a whole deck with the boards upside down. The rounded edge was facing the ground, and he didn't notice until he went to seal it. Makes you wonder how we get stuck in our own ways.