Unpopular opinion: I think a 5-degree bevel on a miter saw is a waste of time for most trim

I was installing crown molding in a house in Tacoma last week and decided to skip the standard 5-degree tilt on my miter cuts, just going for a straight 45. The joints fit together so much tighter and cleaner than usual, with no weird gaps. I think that extra angle just adds a point of failure unless you're dealing with a really uneven ceiling. Has anyone else found that simpler cuts work better for basic crown jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

finleyw998d ago

You know, I've always wondered if that 5-degree tilt was just extra work for no reason. Your point about the joints fitting tighter with a straight 45 makes total sense. I might have to try skipping it on the next basic job and see what happens.

ryanh568d ago

So when you say basic crown jobs, what exactly are you working with? Like, are we talking simple 8-foot flat ceilings with standard builder-grade crown, or does this also hold up on taller ceilings with a more detailed profile? I'm just trying to picture where the straight 45 would actually fail.