Scarf articulatio help conceal the seam in your molding . Before remodeling , learn how to make one .
For the beneficial appearance , molding should run in one continuous stripfrom one box of the room to the next . But a junction becomes unavoidable when the room is longer than your molding . The answer is a scarf join to make the seam as unseeable as possible . Made with 45 - degree cuts , this furrow wo n’t take any attention away from the beautiful elbow room it sits in . Learn how to make one for your family makeover using our helpful tips below .
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
Materials
Instructions
How to Make a Scarf Joint
Find a Location
If possible , locate the joint where a bed , bookcase , or other large slice of piece of furniture will hide it . That way , you ’ll only see the seam on amoving day . Behind a room access is another good spot , but be careful of pose a joint too stuffy to a corner . A line closer than 16 inches from a street corner may look as if you ’re fixing a mistake — not create a plan extension .
pick out the location for the scarf joint , positioning itover a macho-man , if potential . Mark the he-man ’s edges and centerline onto a piece of tape enforce to the paries .
Mark the Cut Line
Fit the end of one forge musical composition into a corner , then mark the seam cutting line . In this illustration , the box at the right is fit first . To aid your cutting , mark diagonally across your border piece of music .
Make the First Cut
Make the first one-half of the scarf joint with a45 - point mitre cutthat opens aside from the wall . Nail this piece to the paries at the other stud poker locations along the rampart .
Make a Second Cut
Fit the goal of the second molding comic strip into its corner , and mark the location of its scarf marijuana cigarette . discover that the miter run face-to-face to the cut in the first piece you installed . Makeseveral cutsto sneak up to a perfect convulsion .
Drill Pilot Holes
Using acordless drill , practise pilot holes for the nail that will assure the bed and reserve the molding to the wall . Do n’t overleap this step since the mucilage makes the joint slippery , and the pieces can shift out of position as you ’re driving the fasteners . Slightly angle the pilot holes so the reefer does n’t slide apart when you drive the nail .
Drive Nails and Sand
Apply gum to both ends of the junction . Get both nail start through the pilots before you drive either one of them completely . set the nails as little as possible . Sand the joint smooth and touch up the paint .
Smart Sanding Tips
Flat Edge
stretch harsh paper into a hard rubbersanding blockto level the monotonic surfaces of scarf - joined moldings . Do n’t concentrate sanding imperativeness right at the joint line — square out the sand several inch to each side of the furrow line . polish off dust with a tack cloth , then apply fuse to the natural wood .
Curved Edge
tranquil curving surfaces with sandpaper wrap around a rod or piston chamber that equalise the border . Some good cylinders let in round pencil , dowel rods , and PVC plumbing pipe . atmospheric pressure - sensitive abrasive ( PSA ) sting to the cylinder , making your work easy . Spraying adhesive on ordinary sandpaper is a unspoilt alternative to a PSA .
Large-Scale Scarf Joints
On some large pieces of trimness oeuvre , such ascrown molding , you may join length before facility . Doing this significantly reduce the workplace you need to perform whilestanding on a ravel . As a result , you get good roast with less piece of work .
For the wood gusset , cut the scarf marijuana cigarette , put on glue to the cut ends , and agitate them together hard . Align the assembly against a straightedge and apply strips of masking mag tape to keep the joint shut . mucilage and screw a plywood gusset plate over the seam . As the size of it of the clay sculpture increases , prefer thicker plywood , but ensure it does n’t interpose with the installation clearances . Steel mending plates are a well alternative to plyboard , lend excellent strength with minimum bulk . Choose coarse - draw screws for maximal holding magnate in softwoods . Do n’t set about to motor or dash nail through the alloy plates during facility .
Disguising the Joint
you may do several other things to disguise the joint . If you’rejoining woodthat will get a light finish , join while that have the same subdued food grain pattern . join a wildly grained funnies with one that has uncoiled cereal will make the difference immediately apparent .
Painted scarf joint jointsare wanton to hold in , but they still require careful craft and sanding . Paint is merely a wind up coat , not a therapeutic for a hapless burst .
If you apply blot and a readable finish before cut the scarf , you wo n’t have to sand the joint smoothly . Although this will save the endeavor of applying the finish after installation , it stand for that you ’ll need to spend supererogatory time to fit the joint as tight as possible . pertain up the joint ’s ends with a spot pen to get rid of the show of raw wood .
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It ’s all in the item . Whether you ’re on a budget or want to invest in top - grade , custom products , check out some of our DIY melodic theme to redefine your space and make the best of diadem mold , baseboards , wall joints , and more .
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