Crown Molding Jig | General Tools
880-Crown King Review
When the words "crown molding" get used on a job estimate for a client, my first thought is... RUN!! I have learned from 17 years in the home repair business that crown can be a bear to install, especially if you don't do it on a consistent basis. Whether it's an old house or new, getting clean crisp miter joints on drywall or plaster can be tricky and most tools that claims to simplify the process usually end up complicating it.
Keeping that in mind, when the folks at Tool Skool asked for my honest opinion on this jig, I was skeptical at best.
Crown Mold Methods
There are several ways to cut and install crown; I've been "skooled" on 3 different methods. Over the years, my favorite method has been to make patterns of both inside and outside angles. These give me a visual of the profile of a properly made cut.
I've also found I make fewer mistakes using this method. I also like cutting crown on a 45 degree angle with the crown resting against the fence of my saw. This works fine unless your work pieces are larger than your saw's fence can accommodate.
Crown King Jig Overview
Upon inspection, the Crown King Crown Molding Jig has an angled slot for the crown to ride in. It also has a yellow insert for two different spring angles; a 45 degree angle is the most common type of crown.
The instructions are quite detailed & in color with good pictures. I read through them and decided to give it a try. I placed the jig on my saw, clamped it to the fence, got a scrap piece of crown, and tried an inside corner cut.
I wasn't sure where to place the wood inside the jig; there's not a definite slot to slide it into. My first try was a failure; I looked at the angles I made and test fit it in a corner - I was way off. I almost gave up, but I tried again, positioning the crown with a level. This worked like a charm, the cuts were precise and fit in the corner perfectly. This made me smile. :)
Crown King Crown Molding Jig Opinion
If you have a little spare time, this little jig is worth learning the ropes, if you have the extra $30 - $40 to spend. I didn't get the chance yet to use it on a variety of different types of crown, but I think that it would be up for the task.
Those yellow inserts have handy spring angle finders if you're not sure what type of crown you're working with, and the jig has big lettering that's easily seen by older eyes. This tool is a keeper for me; it has some handy helper features that will aid in future installs. And as you know, anything that helps with a crown molding job is a valuable commodity in my book!
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