While working as a trim carpenter, I learned to love coping the baseboard. Few things in life as satisfying.

I just finished my basement and like every trim job I have ever done, it's coped 100%. Because I am also the painter, I don't even consider mitered inside corners. A good tip for final sanding of the unassembled cope joint... make a sanding block using a scrap of baseboard. Use spray adhesive and glue the sandpaper to the profile...

I agree, coping can look clean in certain applications, however, I hate the way the top of the joint looks. I typically cut my insides at a 44° & outsides at 46°. If the base is open in the back, it’s minimal and the caulking hides it. If the corners really bad, use the angle finder. Stain grade, angle finder on every corner. Write the angle on the wall behind the base.

In 73' when I was learning finish work, I was taught to cope inside corners. That is the way I have done them ever since.

Finish carpenter for over 4 decades, there are many tricks that make mitering fast with excellent results, typically on painted millwork I use a glued miter joint to prevent callbacks for cracking corners due to wood movement, on prefinish coping with a Collins foot and a shaper made with scrap and sand paper usually give excellent results with decent speed, but there are always carpenters out there that say “ you can’t do that “, with the specialized tools of today technics need to change.

I have been doing trim work for the past 40 years in high end custom homes. I do cope the baseboards only because I think it is actually a little faster. You can cut all the flat pieces 1/16th short it won’t matter because the cope will cover it When you back cut the flat part of the miter with the saw it’s only the profile you’re taking out with the coping saw saw. it literally takes 10 seconds with a good coping saw. That being said if you know how to mitre your angles and adjust your saw You can do just as good of a job mitering. so instead of 45 all the time you Can just do all your inside corners at 44° and make everything a tad long and spring fit it. It will look just as good as any cope

I always try to arrange my coped joints so that they are on the shortest peices. It makes it so much easier to square cut both ends of the biggest peices. Obviously if the room is just your standard rectangle with 2 doors that's irrelevant, but I often get to do my copes on peices under 5 feet which is really nice.

… From a carpenter, with real life experience. Nothing really fancy, just straight forward good craftsmanship. Great interesting video. I really liked the from right to left approach, easy to forget for us non professionals that proven methods makes efficiency 😅

Omg...that opening is gold!

Exactly how I was taught to use the coping saw. Even down to using the dropsaw to do the first neat cut. All the way in Australia, before youtube. 😄

This would have been more effective with stain grade, because regardless of coping or mitering, if you're going to paint, you should caulk (or spackle). And if it's stain grade, you should cope. It takes more time initially, but once you get in to the swing of it and stop making mistakes it goes fast enough. Tight joints mean less time on the caulking step, and checking square on the corners is wisdom.

When I took my building trades class in high school, we were taught to use the coping method. I’ve always found that it gives better results and quite frankly I enjoy it more.

@The Funny Carpenter. Thanks for the coping lesson. I'll keep in mind to start from one side of a room and move in one direction. Keeps me from having to constantly switching from left or right hand cuts. I see that caulk is not always your friend. Coping a joint is better rather than using caulk for hiding the sin of a bad joint. The carpenters who trimmed my house definitely had stock in a caulk company. Hope you and your family stay safe and well.

A wonderful considerate explanation. Now I’m ready for oak moldings. I love golden oak trim.

After doing a lot of trim in DIY fashion these tips are really nice. Coping seems like it would take longer (maybe not for professionals) but definitely a good tool to have in the kit. Thanks

Thanks for the video, I'm about to build and build and install base board in my entire house and I know this can make the difference between good and great.

You nailed it..... DIY..er here. I've done both. In my limited experience, on my own, simple base geometry, I've mitered. If it's busy I would agree coping is so nice. I'm not a pro, so going slow is not a problem... Mr. TomPara below is spot on for first timers, a dremel with a barrel sander insert is your friend, Find some cheap base, and practice a few corners. A quick (edit) You want one of these. Starrett Miter Saw Protractor, Prosite 505P-7. I'll let you do the affiliate link to you know where.... I have literally bought three, two as stocking stuffers.

Perfect timing for this to pop up, I always start to hate myself when I start coping crown. Just doing my own stuff at home so I have to re-learn every time I take to the saw, but it seems worth it when the joints are tight.

I use copping method always. I start with square cut on both ends on the wall opposite the door. Then a cope cut into that piece, working my way around the room in both directions to the door. That way you will never look into an open cut from the entrance if anything moves or opens up with time.

I've been coping baseboard in my room do-overs ever since I learned about it a few years ago. Instead of a coping saw, I use a router with a 45 or 30 degree bit. I can use two hands to control the baseboard and really get exact material removal along my profile. I can do the longer pieces by setting up a support along the length.

Thank you for this tutorial. I learned a lot (I'm fairly new to woodworking). You have a terrific presence - very clear in your presentation. Thanks again

Love the video. I have just one difference in how I was taught to layout a coped room. It’s difficult to describe but I was taught not to work one direction around the room but rather to consider how it was going to be looked at. Always look at the square cut along the coped piece and you never see the sawcut of the cope. So if you stand at the door looking into a room the far wall should have 2 square 90 degrees cuts while the coped pieces run along the adjacent walls etc. I guess I’m just old school but my instructor was a stickler for doing it right and 40 years later I’m still as fast as the mitred corner hacks. Lol. Btw I use a jig saw method. Very quick.

That is a classy detail. Sign of a craftsman. Nicely played.

This is a great tutorial! I will miter first, test fit, then go with the coping saw if needed but I like your method of coping to isolate the curves.

It’s defiantly a personal choice but once I started coping with a coping foot it’s made things so much faster and easier for me! One thing I like to do is use the mitre saw like you showed, then the jigsaw to do maybe 80-90% of the cut and then use a dermal with a bur to get it perfect and if need be a file, gets me some pretty good copes but takes practice not to go too far, but once you get the hang of it it seems like a good system! Works for me at least!

There’s a certain satisfaction in coping a joint and seeing the nice fit

Brilliant! I'm going to add this to my skill set.

After a couple of rooms coping becomes second nature. A small tip is to not cut the non coped end square. By cutting the non coped end at an angle it will push into the plaster allowing you to cut the skirting a couple of millimetres too long. Now when you come to place the skirting against the wall place the non coped edge against the wall first, bow the skirting in the center and put the coped edge in place. Push the bowed center of the skirting against the wall and fix in place. I hope you can make some sense of that.

LOVE THIS! So glad I found your channel by accident.

Coping all the way for the win funny carpenter little thing I like to do use your CA glue and glue a piece of the sand paper to a little scrap of the baseboard on the profile side and it works great for for cleaning up the coped ends 👍

Love your videos! Easily the most complete and professional, including anticipating and answering the questions your audience will no doubt have, that I have seen. As an engineer with a tendency to be a bit of a perfectionist, your concise and clear approach to teaching works really well for me. Thanks! I am about to embark on replacing all the trim in our 1980’s house. Regarding the “counter-clockwise” approach for us right-handed folks, when committed to doing the most professional job by coping as much as possible, wouldn’t it be better to choose what to cope based on the visibility of the joint from the perspective of the main entry into the room, rather than just progressing sequentially right to left? Or, is there something about the CCW approach that I am missing that is intrinsically better (I understand it is easier and more efficient)? Thanks again. Have subscribed.

I've mitered and coped (typically doing the miter when I'm in a rush) but the coped joint not only gives a better looking joint but I've found that my miter joints had the tendency to open a few years later. Not certain why (maybe wood dried out and shrank) but I've never seen a coped joint open no matter how many years had passed.

Makes sense to me, I've always started my skirting boards (baseboards) on the wall from the opposite of the door...just the way I was taught. But I'll try your method on my next fit out.y..i like to use a scrap block of timber on the end of or top edge of the baseboard and hold it tight to the top edge to eliminate and tear out . Nice Feestool drop saw to you lucky bugger, awesome saw but hope to own one. Cheers mate.

As a parent I’d say the perfectly coped joint is entirely more magical :)

As a trim guy for a few years now I'd recommend miter saw and CA Glue and just take ur time measuring and cutting ever 32nd counts and remember the sheetrock can flex some so make it tight. 😉 the time it saves is a lifetime of playing with your kids.

A good blade on a coping saw cuts pretty quickly. I just do the whole thing on my miter saw stand. Works great for me. Thank you

Excellent explanation and presentation!

Brilliant video! Thanks! Time to up my game.... always avoided coping...

YOU"RE HIRED!! My contractor is THE WORST after watching your meticulous work! Great job!!

Wow. Impressive, but then again…you’re a professional. And Funny. Thanks

Excellent video - very clearly explained.

I use a flap wheel on my grinder for coping. Once you're used to it, it's way faster than a coping saw and way easier to control than a jigsaw. When I see mitred inside corners it just looks like amateur hour to me.

Dude you nailed it.. Of all the videos ive watched yours is BY FAR (Yelling) The Best Thanks so much.. I already have a Makita 12" double slider.. but obviously have not used it to its capacity.. Well here we go.. i will let you know how it went!! Thanks again

I usually trim off the outside edge of the 45 cut, with a blade, and that mostly brings the 2 pieces closer, in case the existing wall corner has jutting edges. Seems to work great, and of course caulk is our best friend lol. I call it "Love in a tube" Love the cope saw though.

I use a trim router with an up spiral bit to cope...works great

Great advise. Thanks!

I cope with an angle grider. Finally got it down to an art without sacrificing on time.

Liked this video in the first 10 seconds 😂 not sure I’ve ever liked a video that fast

Saw a video on coping and decided to give it a go. After the coping saw though I ended up cheating with power tools which worked out rather well. I agree they are much more forgiving on corners.

Thank you , I’ve been looking to improve my carpentry skills and I’m good at mitering the angles but I hate having to find the right amount of degree to cut. Tried coping my first time a week ago but of course I didn’t have a coping saw so I struggled

Nice explanation. I'm gonna try for sure. Cheers.

Cope, cope, baby. I'm a DIYer with ok results using a hand saw and Stanley miter box, as well as a power miter saw. But coping the inside corners is the way IMO, if you have the time and desire to do it.

I knew you'd come around!...excellent tutorial...especially the layout

Thank you, this explains everything I wanted to know. Great channel.!

For painted base, it doesn’t really matter if it’s coping or mitering, but if it’s stained wood, coping is far better.

I'm going to try it for the first time in our newly remodeled room. Tgis is the last part and I have all the pieces. I cut them each a foot longer than they they needed to be at the store because I'm afraid of messing up. I was going to miter originally but the mlre I thought about it the less I felt confident in my miter skills and coping just makes more sense to me even if it takes more time.

Your right, if you could be sure everything was Plumb and squere then mitres every time but there not almost every time

20 plus year carpenter here… I think I’ve only mitered one inside corner in my entire career… coping is def fastest, easiest, and best method. (For the pro’s at least). Angle grinder is my preferred method.

I spray glue a piece of baseboard about a foot long and stick the sandpaper to it. It makes for a wonderful sanding block in the shape of your baseboard.

I found the coping saw so hard on MDF! I cut it down on my mitre saw and the attack the back cutting with my dremel with a Cutting/Shaping Wheel.. should add I've had a stack of baseboard in my bedroom for 2 yrs - procrastinating! 100yr old house.. nothing is square

I use a dremmel rotary tool with a small sanding drum to get the sanding nice & fast.

This is very advanced. And different tools

As always, great video! Thanks for the laugh at 5:36. Loved the music! 👍

I find the biggest challenge with skirting boards isn't the corners (which if I was coping I'd do with a router setup to be way more accurate), it's the lack of squareness and straightness in every wall and floor. I often find it easier to cut out a lot of the back of a board to avoid these imperfections.

Paint grade just cut a few pairs of different angles - 44°, 45°, 46°... whatever you feel you need. Make them 6 - 8 inches long for a fair assessment (can make some a couple inches long for corners next to doors.) Write the angle of each on the backside. It *might* take 5 minutes and waste a foot or two of material - big waah. Use them when measuring your cuts and you're done. Sometimes a mismatched pair of angles works better than two of a kind. Also there are times when using super glue and accelerator as you would when doing crown mouldings works even better.

If you have ever coped with a small angle grinder on MDF molding, you will never want to go back to the alternatives!!!! Seriously. There are lots of videos out there on it. It is soooo fast and soooo easy!!!

Interesting, in England we call this a scribe joint, we also do the scribe joint on internal corners into the moulding as viewed from the door, so that any shrinkage encountered in the future is not immediately evident as you come into the room, the external corners are mitred, I am an old school carpenter mind, things do change in the modern world, and I think standards do drop.

Excellent

I set my angle to 44.5ish (45.5 on outsides) and back cut. Works great

Really a great video bud!! I always love coping its just so satisfying, thanks for the great tips bud!!! Have a great weekend🍻👌🍻

Use adhesive backed sand paper on a scrap to make a profile sanding block, I miter 99% of the time, especially with painted millwork, glue joints rarely open, so no call backs for cracked paint in corners, nice job.

Damn..this video almost makes me think that i can actually do this! Great vid. Great pointers

This was helpful.

In NZ, the DIY recommendation is coping, due to the amount of geological activity, small and medium earthquakes can cause a mitred joint to split/move whereas a coped joint (with the same movement) is less obvious

Good Job

Huh. I never coped. Now you got me thinking!

Great video 🏆

I cut maple trim (crown, baseboard, light rail, all week every week and I miter every joint perfectly.

For flat stock base, would you recommend just butting the boards on the inside corners, as well as filling the void where the round over edge meets the flat stock? Would love to see more videos on different types of moldings and how to manage them. Thank you!

When I watch your finish carpentry videos I realize two things: 1] I'll never be able to see a job through fully at a "good enough" quality level 2] It's going to be a huge pain in my ass to find a Finish Carpenter meticulous enough to hit these quality levels

This is a great method....if you have the time.....

I have a 1920 farmhouse/craftsman home, and throughout the 1st floor, they used 1x3 standard boards for the baseboard and just butted them together. its on my list of things to make look old again. I had to do the same with the lights. all were home depot garbage, and now they are 20s and 30s originals that i rewired.

I always cope corners on base using a Dewalt 20 Volt jigsaw and a coping foot. It does take a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it then it goes fast.

Outside angles have to be mitred (and well pinned). Inside angles are better scribed (coped). It allows the wood to move without opening an ugly gap.

Mitter cuts is faster no doubt but come on the results that cope gives is outstanding, it might take a bit more time but less caulking and it looks professional

Thanks. I was pulling my hairs out in frustration over one corner that just wouldn't get right, becausethe ceiling and the wall are far from straight or perfection and angled. I bought some insanely expensive crown mouldings and if i didn't get this one right it would be costly to get a new length shipped home and start over.

I simply cannot comprehend how cutting a profile on 45 degrees can give you the same profile as the straight cut. It really defies everything I have ever learned.

Good stuff and explanations. I can see why coping is better but I will not be using it anytime soon

A good trim carpenter can make both look good. I prefer mitres but have coped more than a few wonky corners.

Would you apply the same logic to crown? I'm getting ready to tackle my first crown job and have been strongly considering coping my inside corners. The only problem is that I lack a good hand saw, and without it, I feel lost - I just cannot cope.

Painter by trade so I’ve spent many years fixing bad corners. The mitre is way faster and as long as pretty good I can fix it with caulking and paint. I guess the coping method would be best if you aren’t painting the baseboards but who does that anymore.

jigsaw is my go to for the cope

Inside-corner miters tend to open up over time as the wood stabilizes, leaving gaps after 1-2 years usually. Coping inside-corners is always the way to go.

love the table you have for your mitre saw. do you have a video on how you made that?

I'm by no means a finish carpenter but, I've had to start doing all of the trim work because I can't find anyone who will set their nails and caulk what's needed. Everyone leaves it up to the painter (me) to make their sloppy work look good so, I just do it myself. I've always found it easier to cope than to miter

Sometimes I find it hard to cope, no matter what my therapist says. I think I'll try mitering next time!

In the long run, coping is faster. You avoid frustration of imperfections.

It is kind of funny how much difficulty people these days have with the concept of coping trim. When I was a kid in the 1970's, we were told in shop class that coping trim was one of the first jobs given to 14 year old apprentice carpenters in the late 1800's (and presumably before).

When I'm using copes I find the measuring process much easier as well.

I’ve have no problem using my angle grinder with a flap sander