How to Cut Crown With a Compound Saw on a Tray Ceiling

Tray ceilings are found in many areas of the home, including in living room, dining room and master bedroom. A tray ceiling is a portion of the ceiling that is recessed, providing a deeper dimension to the room. Many times, a tray ceiling is enhanced with crown molding, which is a decorative molding that covers the inside edges at the top of the ceiling. When installing crown molding, you must cut the molding pieces to size using a compound miter saw, which allows you to make angled cuts. Cutting crown molding differs from the method used to cut traditional molding and is made easier with a simple trick.

Measuring tape
Pencil
Safety glasses
Miter saw

Instructions

- 1
  Use a tape measure to determine the length of the crown molding needed.
- 2
  Measure the crown molding and make a mark at the point to be cut.
- 3
  Rotate the miter saw to the 45-degree position. To rotate the saw, pull the handle on the bottom of the saw toward you and then rotate the saw. When cutting crown molding for a tray ceiling, you will use inside cuts, but the molding is held upside down; so if cutting the portion of the molding to be placed on the right side of the ceiling, move the saw to the right and vice-versa.
- 4
  Position the crown molding against the miter saw fence and table. When cutting the molding, rotate the molding so that it is upside down. With the molding upside down, place the shoulder of the molding against the saw table and the foot against the saw fence. The molding should be positioned as if the fence is the wall and the table is the ceiling.
- 5
  Align the blade with the mark made on the molding.
- 6
  Put on your safety glasses and squeeze the trigger on the miter saw, passing the blade through the molding. Be sure to hold the molding with your other hand, but ensure that your hand is far away from the saw blade.

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