How to properly cut the ceiling plinth in the corners with a miter box?

It is impossible to achieve a vintage style in the interior without the use of narrow or wide skirting boards, moldings. They are intensively used by modern designers for stylish decoration of ceilings, central and lower parts of rooms. Let's take a look at how to properly cut the ceiling plinth in the corners using a miter box.

In most cases, it is not difficult to decorate a living space with expressive elements of decorative stucco molding. They are mainly used for the purpose of:

• improving the aesthetics of the interior;
• masking wall defects;
• hiding electrical wiring laid from the invisible side.

Aesthetic fragments with ornate patterns, complex ornaments are cut to size with a sharp knife or hacksaw for metal, applied to a flat, prepared in advance, and glued using an adhesive composition. Virtually any beginner in the field of repair can quickly decorate the wall with stucco fragments. But when it comes to decorating corners, at such a difficult stage of work, the main difficulties arise. They are associated, first of all, with the ability to achieve even corners, which is very difficult if you use improvised devices - a knife or a hacksaw. To withstand a certain slope, professional tools are required.

It should be emphasized that the use of a miter box is not the only way to create even corners of decorative strips, but they are all inferior to the joinery in terms of the degree of use and the quality of cutting. Only professionals with extensive experience can achieve the required edges without a tool. Therefore, it is advisable for connoisseurs of vintage styles to think about the question of how to learn how to work with a carpentry machine in order to easily and quickly cut the outer, inner corners. It is important to list the main advantages of the miter box:

• low cost;
• easy use without special tools;
• fixation options on any surface;
• small size and weight (made of plastic, wood, metal);
• cutting corners in two planes;
• work with planks of virtually any material.

Along with the obvious advantages, the carpentry machine has two minor drawbacks - there is no way to manually set the required cutting angle, the parameters of the workpiece are limited by the width of the product. Despite several negative points, no worthy alternatives to miter box have been invented yet. Carpentry machines sold in stores usually have six characteristic slots to reach the corners in the workpieces. That is, three on each side.

Molding, plinth, fillet can be cut at an angle of 45, 135, 30, 60, 15 degrees, depending on the model. However, one should not think that the design features end there, because carpentry devices are different: simple, rotary, electrical. But for cutting the slats in order to improve the style of the interior, an ordinary carpentry machine will suffice.

In order to properly cut the ceiling plinth in the corners using a miter box, several requirements must be met, namely, to prepare a carpentry machine with certain parameters and a bar. It must be remembered that skirting boards, moldings are made from different materials - woodworking products, modern polymers. It makes sense to list the characteristic properties of each material.

• Wooden fillets are very strong and heavy. Therefore, you should prepare a sharp hacksaw.
• Foam moldings are quite fragile. During processing, they crumble, which complicates the process. It is recommended to cut the corner with a sharp knife.
• Products for the ceiling made of PVC also do not differ in high strength properties. It is better to cut such strips with a hacksaw without applying strong pressure.
• Fillets made of extruded polystyrene foam practically do not crumble, trimming corners from this material takes less time. You can use a construction knife or a hacksaw.
• Cutting corners from polyurethane moldings is also not difficult. This material is well cut with a sharp knife and does not form chips.

In order to properly cut off the outer or inner corner of the baseboards, you must first perform the markup - attach the product to the ceiling and outline thin lines with a pencil. In order to cut fillets at a certain angle using a miter box, you must follow the detailed instructions that can be obtained from an experienced carpenter. First of all, beginners are advised to practice on an unnecessary piece of wood, so as not to spoil the decorative element. You should try to cut the inner and outer corners, to achieve high-quality work in order to avoid mistakes in the future.

At first, it is logical to try to make an inner corner and only then an outer one.

• Lean the fillet against the joint on the ceiling and measure the required length.
• Place the skirting board right side out in the carpentry machine.
• Press the bar against the wall.
• Holding the molding with your left hand, take the hacksaw with the other.
• Choose a 45 degree position.
• Decide on a convenient cutting position.
• Start cutting without applying firm pressure to the cutting tool.
• Saw the reciprocal fillet immediately.

At the end of the work, the resulting planes must be docked on the floor and the accuracy of the cut must be checked. Carefully sand the irregularities with sandpaper. Now you need to achieve the outer corners. Why is it so important to do the inner corner first, and not vice versa? A justified step will allow you not to be mistaken with the dimensions. In the opposite case, a force majeure situation is possible when the fillet may not be enough in length. Therefore, the second stage is the formation of the outer corners. How to make beveled edges with a carpentry machine?

• Take a plinth, attach it to the ceiling and outline the dimensions with a pencil.
• Place the decorative material in the miter box and press it against the wall with your left hand.
• Take the hacksaw with your right hand, select the position of the slots at 45 degrees.
• Cut off at the marked mark.
• When cutting with a hacksaw, do not press too hard so as not to spoil the decor.

Also saw down bevels in the striking plates.

In some situations, you will still have to adjust the dimensions if the angle of the walls is not exactly 90 degrees. In this case, you will have to achieve a characteristic slope of the fillets using other methods. If the miter box is not at hand or there is no desire to use the carpentry machine, you can do otherwise. In hardware stores, special plugs are sold, which are distinguished by great style. They will perfectly hide all the flaws of an uneven cut. To achieve excellent aesthetics with the help of such elements, it is necessary to saw off the ceiling plinth in length, cut at an even angle, glue fillets, and set a decorative corner on a complex mating place.

How to cut off the ceiling plinth correctly and quickly in the corners, see the following video.