We recommend using a saw with a carbide tipped blade as the high glue content within MDF can dull a regular steel blade rather quickly. If not, I use my jigsaw with a downward cutting blade.. Keeping the saw blade to the right hand side of the pencil line I carefully cut the skirting up to the part first scribed with the compass. They vary in diameter with the most popular being 210 mm (8.25") and the 255 mm (10"). For a 90-degree angle inside corner, the longest measurement is located where the walls touch to form the corner. Now placing your saw in the mitre slot guides you cut and saw away until you reach the bottom of your mitred cuts in the block. Now the Chop Saw is used on 90-degree walls for external skirting board mitres with good result. Registering provides you with personalized services, including: wish list, order status and promotions. As your blade hits the flat part of the skirting stop cutting. Then using a Chopsaw or handsaw combined with a mitre block, have the skirting board facing you and cut the end at a 45-degree angle. Even though the skirting is new, removing it isn't an option for fear of damaging the new plaster. Use a coping saw to cut away the waste section of the mitre and you’ll be left with the profile of the skirting board (INSET). A mitre cut is used when skirting boards meet at an angle, normally on a corner. This is called coping because it was traditionally done with a coping saw, but any rotary tool with a cutting blade can replicate the cut. If you have a 90° interior angle start by setting your mitre saw or mitre square to 45° and cut down the top part of the skirting board moulding. If you only have a small number of cuts to make (e.g. This is the easiest option if you have access to a multi-cutter. The wiggly line of the cut (135º) on the face of the skirting is exactly where you have to cut , say with a coping saw, to fit snugly round the other board. In order to find the profile that needs to be cut out for the other piece of skirting board to fit over the piece I have just fitted. Her fiction short story "Black Ice" recently won a National Space Society contest. Once this is done you can use a chisel to finish the cutting. How to find and bisect the angle of a corner wall and how to cut the skirting board to suite. A straight cut is easier than a mitre cut using this method, but should still be done with care. Without meaning to state the obvious, don’t forget to switch the mitre saw to the opposite side of its axis when cutting the second board,or you’ll end up with identical boards that don’t meet! So, let's look at how to cut skirting boards on the wall without needing to remove them first! Then, use your miter saw to cut the end of the first board at a 45-degree angle and then smoothen it by sanding it. This method also helps clear the cutting line from sawdust. This Toolstop guide explains all on how to cut skirting board, mainly how to cut skirting board without a mitre saw. Instead of using a coping saw, learn to cope baseboard with a miter saw. Here's a list of everything that may be needed: Because you'll likely be making multiple types of cuts, we've listed all the tools required to perform them. If you want to install trim without a miter box, however, there is a way to do it using only square cuts, which you can make with a standard circular saw. Swing by our showroom - we have 100 designs available in many sizes and orders can be ready in just a couple of days! Make sure you don’t over sand. During the process, you'll need to cut them so we're going to show you how to cut skirting boards. Best for a practised DIYer as ideally you need a woodworking vice and careful hand on the saw. If you're new skirting boards are MDF (as most are in this day and age), certain saws will do a much better job. With the saw set I cut both pieces to the pencil marks that I had made at the start. This will be the contour of the baseboard. Remember that you can’t take back any cut you make so taking your time is a good idea. £14.19 delivery. The forward piece will be slighting longer or shorter, but the 45-degree cut will take care of that difference in length. This will reduce the risk of the MDF chipping as you saw through it (but it will make more dust so always wear the correct safety equipment!). You can use pretty much any kind of tool that is used to cut wood to do straight cuts. We're conveniently located just outside of Birmingham City Centre - jump off at Spaghetti Junction and we're just round the corner! Chop saw for straight cuts through timber. A miter saw is the only way to get that angle exactly right. The average DIYer may use a mitre box to keep costs down, especially if they don't mitre skirting boards that often. You won't need to replace your skirting boards and architraves any time soon - we guarantee it. Start by measuring and cutting your skirting board to length – to do this, take the measurement and add around 1cm. This can be seen as an alternative to a mitre box. You'll also want to use a blade with as many teeth as possible. Here's a way to do it. Cut along this pencil line 25 degrees away from the miter. I bought this (with a new fine tooth saw) and in less than an hour I have eight clean accurate mitre cuts. Generally, you should be able to hire a mitre saw relatively cheaply so this is the option we'd recommend if your budget allows. That tool is about $150. Using your tape measure, measure the required length of skirting. This is called coping because it was traditionally done with a coping saw, but any rotary tool with a cutting blade can replicate the cut. However, you’ll need some glue, an adjustable bevel, some wood screws, a screwdriver, a carpenter’s square, and 1x6 and 1x4 lumber. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. This article should really help you out, if you plan to use a mitre saw to help fit your skirting boards. Baseboard is the trim molding mounted along the floor. Using your mitre saw, cut the end of the skirting board that needs to be shaped at a 45° angle. To cut the scarf joint in the middle, position the first board in place and mark a 45-degree cut at a stud location. F.R.R. These are the alternatives to buying a power saw. 12 inch ABS Multiple Angle Plastic Clamping Mitre Box with 14 inch Back Saw. So my top tip for external mitred skirting board is By using this method the mitre should be spot on and there should be no gaps. Cut boards with a coping saw so they fit into the face of the 1st board. When fitting skirting, this is another type of cut you'll need to make. Then you use a pilot drill bit to drill holes that overlap each other along the cutting line. You can simply choose any 1 of the 4 options above to avoid buying an expensive mitre saw. This will be the contour of the baseboard. This style of baseboard uses a block specially designed to fit into the corners. For a mitre cut, you'll also need a protractor to measure and draw your angle onto the skirting board (this is used as the guide for the saw). This type of trim used to be installed on all walls; the trim was used to hide the uneven crack between the wall and the floor.