Sawling Moulding
By: Amanda Campbell
Updated: August 30, 2010
A sharp, fine-toothed handsaw works great for cutting a few pieces of molding, like this, but it can actually cause big problems when you’re trying to trim off just half-an-inch or so to get a piece of molding to fit exactly into place. It’s easy for the tension from the blade to snap off the waste piece you’re trying to trim off, and that leaves you with a sloppy, uneven cut. So here’s a quick tip for solving that problem.
The next time you need to trim off half-an-inch or less, clamp the molding to a scrap piece of board that’s wider then the molding. Like so. Now, it’s important to make sure the board extends past the end of the molding.
Then use smooth, straight strokes to cut through the molding and, partially, into the scrap board. The board will provide a rigid support for the molding and help prevent the waste piece (here) from breaking off before you’ve sawed all the way through.
You also need to be careful not to force the saw on the push stroke, or the blade will tend to flex and pop off the waste piece even with the board in place. Cutting off small portions of molding this way will help you get smooth, precise cuts every time.
The next time you need to trim off half-an-inch or less, clamp the molding to a scrap piece of board that’s wider then the molding. Like so. Now, it’s important to make sure the board extends past the end of the molding.
Then use smooth, straight strokes to cut through the molding and, partially, into the scrap board. The board will provide a rigid support for the molding and help prevent the waste piece (here) from breaking off before you’ve sawed all the way through.
You also need to be careful not to force the saw on the push stroke, or the blade will tend to flex and pop off the waste piece even with the board in place. Cutting off small portions of molding this way will help you get smooth, precise cuts every time.
