Why cant I use 45 degree mitres for fitting skirting boards?

[Scoby_Beasley]

Meant in a tongue in cheek way, after all this is an "amateur" web site where professionals/people who have done jobs before can pass on any useful hints tips ( I'm sick of buying/doing something and when you finish somebody says "But I know............")

Glad you liked it !!

As an aside, my record to keep swmbo happy is 5 times decorating the front room in 11 months.................we are no longer together

 

[desmitch]

Use MDF.It doesn't shrink..Well mine hasn't

 

[splinter]

Wow,big bust up over internal mitres on skirting ,
Just to add my bit Internal mitres should always be scribed on skirting &dado rails.
Believe it or not it is easier to cut a scribe than to cut 2 mitres and then try and get them to fit.
To cut a scribe all you need to do is measure the skirting to be scribed add a couple of mm's cut a mitre on the skirting this will give you a profile to cut to.

 

[Aiken]

The missus bought me 1 of these http://www.magicmitre.com/ Never used it as I prefer to scribe all my joints on skirting

 

[Dewy]

That magicmitre with jack expert saw has been sold on QVC for years.
It's out of stock at the moment but they sell thousands of them in the DIY hours on Sunday mornings.

 

[pipme]

Many years ago, I watched a couple of classy chippys scribe the internals, but they also .. just about notched the top faces so joint looked like mitre from above, I am sure of this .. anyone ?
And do remember them packing and / or relieved the back of the skirting such that it was straight and plumbish ( new concrete - office block ). or was that the first fix ??
P

 

[RKB]

Splinter said

To cut a scribe all you need to do is measure the skirting to be scribed add a couple of mm's cut a mitre on the skirting this will give you a profile to cut to.

Can somebody elabortae on this - I'm intrigued how this is done?
Thanks

 

[Dewy]

Splinter said

To cut a scribe all you need to do is measure the skirting to be scribed add a couple of mm's cut a mitre on the skirting this will give you a profile to cut to.

Can somebody elabortae on this - I'm intrigued how this is done?
Thanks

You cut a mitre on one piece for the internal scribe then use a coping saw to follow the shape at a steeper angle.
The other piece is just straight.
When joined they look like a perfect mitre but get over the problem of movement which you would see if you made an internal mitre on both pieces.

 

[masona]

Many years ago, I watched a couple of classy chippys scribe the internals, but they also .. just about notched the top faces so joint looked like mitre from above, I am sure of this .. anyone ?

Indeed you're correct sir. This is known as internal mitre There not many carpenter who do it this way or they don't know I still do it this way as you say it give you a internal mitre cut from the top. This way is a lot easier than using a coping saw method, most people would find it hard to get a perfect curve cut with a coping saw. I was going to explain about the internel mitre in the earlier post but then I've lost interest

 

[RKB]

Thanks, Dewy.

 

[pipme]

Ah ha !! That is it maso' !! The very same .. You got 'MagicMitre' ? http://www.magicmitre.co.uk/ ...... any good ?

I do remember the two big chippys (Bristol, Davies bros) having a laugh at a 'chancer' chippy who just could not get that joint right .. the pretty basic skirting was finished in a pinkish primer ... the inept guy used plaster as a filler to mask his poor joint.
New chippys were given a short staircase (two twixt floors) to shutter up alone .. their test I suppose. .. after making their saw bench and sharpening 'horse' !! . ... Jock the ex pattern maker astounding all with his reusable coping stone moulds / shuttering .. several off - identical results !!
Whoa ! that was the '60's !! before descending into engineering !!

p

 

[splinter]

Many years ago, I watched a couple of classy chippys scribe the internals, but they also .. just about notched the top faces so joint looked like mitre from above, I am sure of this .. anyone ?

Indeed you're correct sir. This is known as internal mitre There not many carpenter who do it this way or they don't know I still do it this way as you say it give you a internal mitre cut from the top. This way is a lot easier than using a coping saw method, most people would find it hard to get a perfect curve cut with a coping saw. I was going to explain about the internel mitre in the earlier post but then I've lost interest

the problem with this method is ,if it was used on a wall in a bog standard house and the walls were not perfect the join could open when the skirting is being fixed and will still shrink and open in time.

 

[pipme]

Doesn't the notch method utilise the benefits of both mitre and butt ?
P

 

[masona]

Ah ha !! That is it maso' !! The very same .. You got 'MagicMitre' ? http://www.magicmitre.co.uk/ ...... any good ?

No, I don't own one ! The problem is I got so used to doing woodwork by hand tools. When I did my 7 yrs apprenticeship we didn't have hand power tools then ! I can still cut a 45 or 90 degree cut without using a square !

the problem with this method is ,if it was used on a wall in a bog standard house and the walls were not perfect the join could open when the skirting is being fixed and will still shrink and open in time.

I don't think so because you are only talking about the top 10 to 15% mitre cut which the wall have to be way out for it to notice. This is the bit where I glued the mitre join.

Doesn't the notch method utilise the benefits of both mitre and butt ?

Well I think so and never has any problem so far. Most carpenter prefer to scribe the skirting board as mention in the earlier post because it's easier and quicker if time is money ! When I used to do bank/building society work they insisted of having high standard of carpentery and you won't see any skirting board using the scribe method, well wasn't allow when I was doing it !

 

[pipme]

........... When I did my 7 yrs apprenticeship we didn't have wood then ! .................... When I used to do bank/building socitey work they insisted of having high standard of carpentery and you won't see any skirting board using the scribe method, well wasn't allow when I was doing it !

Hey Maso' couldn't resist that edit !! ......

I expect lots of the smart old Bank buildings are being converted into theme pubs, clubs and resturants (soon Casinorama) now ...