How to Cut Quarter Round with Miter Saw?
To cut quarter round molding is another simple do-it-yourself project if you learn how to do that with the help of your miter saw. If you can learn how to do the quarter round molding perfectly, it means that you could save lots of money, materials, and also time.
What is Quarter Round Molding?
The quarter round will be having two sides forming an angle of 90 degrees with the third side forming a curve. This curve would amount to 1/4th of a circle.
Where It Can Be Used?
When you are replacing your carpeted floors with anything like tiles, laminates, woods or even concrete, the resultant replacement flooring will be slightly lower than your carpeting. Here, you can find a gap existing between the replacement flooring and your baseboards. In this case, instead of removing and re-hanging the baseboards, you can make use of quarter round molding for filling this gap. Furthermore, the quarter round molding can be useful for a range of trim purposes.
See how to cut quarter round with miter saw here:
Things You Will Require:
In order to make a quarter round molding, you would require the following things:
- Miter saw
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Tri-square
- Miter box
- Hammer
- Nails
- Air compressor
- Pin nailer
Start Off with Measuring the Base of Rooms:
As a first step in the process of making a quarter round molding, you must carefully measure alongside the base of the walls where you want to attach the molding by using your measuring tape and a pencil. Now, make an estimation of the total length you would require for each of your rooms.
In this, I would suggest you include some extra foot (one to two feet) for any possible errors that may arise and for using as scraps for getting the right angles being cut.
Continue with the Measuring of Quarter Round Molding:
After having measured the base of the rooms, start measuring the length of each quarter round molding. Mark these measurements on the back side of the molding that is to be cut. While doing so, start from an inside or outside corner at the ends of each room. I would recommend you to mark each and every piece of molding with a straight line by using a tri-square.
At the apex of the tri-square, you must mark a vertical line down the sides of the extra piece of your wood. I am suggesting you to draw this particular vertical line as this would be helpful for you in determining which side of the line should be cut.
Proceed with the Cutting of Quarter Round Molding:
For cutting the quarter round molding, position one of the ends of the molding inside your miter box just in the same way how it would be installed through the base of the walls. Now, hold your molding safely against the miter box’s wall, align your hand saw with the marks that were made during the previous steps. While doing so, you must make sure that the rounded edge is up and also facing forward.
While making the cut, you must not forget to cut on the sides along with the vertical line while sitting outside this line in such a way that your measurement is accurate. You are advised to keep your thumbnail right on the line and drag your handsaw towards you in order to start off with your first cut. Now, begin to cut cautiously, as well as slowly, until you get a deeper groove. This way, you could finish the cut more quickly.
Go On with the Alignment of Angles:
When you are done with the initial cut, make use of the scrap piece of your molding in order to secure the next piece attaching to it to have the appropriate angle. For achieving this, just set the extent of your molding above the scrap piece and mark a line on this. This line should match the angle of the initial length. Now, make a cut onto the scrap till the marked line.
Put both these pieces on your floor and see whether the length and scrap pieces are matching exactly. If yes, utilize this piece of scrap molding for cutting the next attaching length of your molding.
How to Reduce the Time of Installation?
You can make use of an electric miter saw to come up with easier cuts. But, you would have to face a significant amount of chipping during the cutting process. As the cuts that are to be done for quarter round molding are minor, I would suggest you make use of miter box in combination with a miter hand saw in order to get more precise cuts without any chipping and tearing. The process can be made much easier by using an air compressor and a pin nailer.
