It is just about impossible to install Crown Molding without using a good Miter Saw.  When working with Crown Molding that is wider than 5 1/2", you must use a Compound Miter Saw ( Dual compound makes it easier ), which allows you to lay the stock flat on the table, and tilt the saw to the correct cutting angle.  The inexpensive Sears Miter saw that I started with would not stay square, and had to be manually trued every cut, which takes time and is very frustrating.  It went the way of the "garage sale" and has since been replaced with a much nicer DeWalt (DW708) Sliding compound miter saw, which is a wonderful tool. 

The new saw was much too deep to fit on my old work bench, so I wound up making a rolling miter saw stand for the saw.  It only cost me about $80 to make this stand, as all of the wood except one sheet of plywood came out of the scrap wood bin.  It has cherry, mahogany, pine, poplar and white oak in it, but for the price of a couple of hinges, some locking casters and a sheet of 3/4 plywood, you wind up with an excellent stand for your miter saw which will help immensely with handling those long pieces of molding.  I highly recommend building a stand for your saw with long extensions to support long stock.  It makes installing molding enjoyable, instead of being a hassle.

A great example of using an auxiliary fence jig to cut crown molding, and several great tips for keeping your cuts in the right direction and orientation can be found in a Video Tip, " Upside Down and Backward" Still work best for Crown Molding.  The video works best if you have fast internet connection, but Clayton Dekorne is a professional and shows how to keep it from getting confusing when you move from your measurements to the Saw.  We have all cut miters the wrong direction, and his use of small sample miters can save you a lot of time, money and frustration.

Looking for the best place to buy Tools on the Web, try Top Selling Tools & Hardware at Amazon.com and those tools will arrive at your door in a few days!

Please click on either of the pictures for a larger version.