By Bob Vila | Updated Nov 12, 2013 8:17 PM
Coping is a process by which one piece with an irregular surface is fitted to another. In practice, most of us encounter coping in cutting trim work, especially cornice and baseboard moldings.
Only the coping saw can give the tight inside corner joints that make your work look professional. If corners aren’t coped, they gap and look sloppy, a telltale sign of unskilled carpentry. The coping saw and its cousin the fretsaw perform other tasks, too, as both are designed to cut along most any curve at a range of angles.
The lightweight coping saw has a hardwood handle affixed to a U-shaped steel frame. The frame holds a very thin blade between the arms of the U. A threaded bolt connects the frame and the blade to the handle. Turning the handle tightens (or loosens) the tension on the blade. Holders at either end of the blade can be pivoted so the angle of cut can be adjusted.
The standard blade on most contemporary models is 6-3/4 inches; 10-, 15-, and 20-teeth-per-inch blades are available. The depth of the throat varies, but approximately 5 inches is usual.
Coping an Inside Corner Many, many years ago some very clever person devised this technique. Even today, there’s a wonderful simplicity to coping a corner that leaves me wondering, “Now, how did they ever figure this would work?”
Fitting a molding into an inside corner is a four-step process:
This coping technique may sound harder than it actually is. If you feel hesitant about trying it, you’ll need to get bold and go for it when you are doing cornice or other moldings with curved profiles. Simple miter cuts of such moldings almost never align neatly. But get your confidence and sawing skills up first by practicing on cove, quarter round, or other simple moldings.
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