shoe molding - cope or mitre?

[billconner]

Cope or mitre - that is the question. Pre-finished solid maple. Planning on using a brad nailer. Thanks!

 

[The Cobbler]

proper coping always looks and fits better than a 45° does, IMO

 

[jkeyser14]

Coping always looks better, especially with stained wood.

 

[Higgins]

And once it is coped, you can use some fine sandpaper on the coped piece to fine tune in the curvature and it will look great !!!!

AL

 

[quattro_sinko]

Not recommending anyone try from a liability standpoint, but safely coping with a scroll blade in a jig-saw is the bee's knees. About as quick and clean as you can get in one shot, with a little practice.

 

[Bert_]

I find even an decent/average coped joint looks better than anything but the tightnest mitered joint.

 

[billconner]

Thanks. Guessed this. Coping saw, Dremel tool with the tiny drum, or oscillating tool?

3 inside corners, 3 outside, and 6 ends.

Thinking I'll just shape end, not try to mitre a little return. This is small shoe, barely 1/2 x 3/4, and not bothered by the maple end grain.

 

[mike93lx]

i wouldn't use an angle grinder on something that small, but i've used one on larger trim with decent results.

i'd probably just grab my coping saw, a file and some sandpaper, but the dremel likely gets it done faster.

 

[rcbk00]

All inside corners on baseboard, shoe, chair rail, and crown should get coped. For shoe, I use a jigsaw to cut away the majority of the waste. That's followed up with a razor knife and/or a piece of sandpaper shaped into a roll to fine tune the edge. On trim larger than shoe, I'll often use my m12 right angle die grinder with a 2" roloc sanding disk to fine tune or back bevel.

 

[56Mark]

Last year I coped a bunch of shoe using a cordless cutoff tool. Then I took some medium grit sand paper and glued it on to piece of the shoe to use as a profile sander to sand right up to the mitered edge. (I think it was sticky backed sandpaper).

 

[billconner]

Done. Coping saw and dowel with sandpaper. For the two I needed (I know I said 3 but one was behind a baseboard radiator) it was easy.

And hurrah for brad nailer. Last time I used a finish nailer and had to set and putty nails. Not now.

Lots of good help on this one. Thank you!!!!