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Victorian Remodel:
Improving The Original
Window & Door Casing
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| In This
Article:
We start with a simple backboard, rip
baseboard narrower, attach "return" pieces and nail it to the backer. We
add a "bed" molding and door stop for decoration.
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Related Articles:
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| Skill Level: 3-4
(Moderate +) |
Time Taken: 2½ To 7
Hours |
By
Bruce W. Maki, Editor
We didn't get a chance to photograph the door and window casings before we
removed them last fall. The second floor of this 1900 farmhouse had none of the
elaborate trim found on the main level. It appeared to us that the owners ran
low on funds and skimped on the upstairs, which contained three bedrooms. For
one hundred years there has not even been a finished floor. They merely painted
the tongue-and-groove subfloor.
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These photos were taken in the adjacent bedroom, yet to be
remodeled / restored. The top casing is the same as the side casing... just
a board with 2 grooves. |
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This a typical window and door casing found on the main
level, all red oak, which was plentiful in Northern Michigan around the turn
of the 20th century. |
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We could not find any molding like the profile on the left.
So we took the liberty of making up our own. It only looks complicated.
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We used a piece of ordinary colonial doorstop molding with a
small fancy embossed trim nailed on top. |
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But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
We started with a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" Medium Density Fiberboard
(particleboard). We ripped the sheet into 6 inch wide strips on the
table saw, and then cut the boards long enough to span beyond the
vertical pieces of casing
We could have used 1x6 clear pine for this back board, but MDF
is much cheaper and less prone to warping.
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- The other ingredients are:
1.Colonial baseboard (ripped down to 2-1/2" on a table saw)
2. Bed molding
(which is like a mini-crown molding)
3. Colonial doorstop
4. Embossed trim
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The next step was to cut the baseboard and fabricate the top rail
with the returns on each end. This took quite some time.
For details see Top Rail With Returns.
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The Top Rail was positioned above the back board...
And fastened with 1-1/4" brad nails.
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A note about pneumatic nailers: We use air nailers because they save
us a lot of time and give a degree of accuracy that hand nailing can rarely
match. Nevertheless, this project could be done with ordinary hand-driven finish
nails. 4 penny nails (about 1 inch long) probably won't split the wood, except
near the ends or on the small return pieces. In those places pre-drilling
the hole can save a lot of headaches.
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The bed molding was laid out and marked.
Cutting the return is tricky because when the blade cuts all the way
through, the small piece often gets knocked aside. I let the blade come
to a stop before raising the miter saw handle.
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Notice the upside-down orientation of the bed molding. The horizontal
table of the saw equates to the underside of the Top Rail.
The return is tested for fit.
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The other return piece is cut.
The front section of bed molding is laid out against the back board so
it can be marked for cutting.
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What's the difference? At first glance you might think that both
ways would produce the right cut.
The picture on the left is wrong. The cut on the right worked out
correctly.
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Cutting crown molding and bed molding can be very confusing. We have seen
carpenters with fifteen years of experience get all turned around in the
orientation of the workpiece. Often there are two ways of cutting crown - as a
bevel or as a miter.
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The bed molding is fitted in place.
The other end is marked for the next cut. A very fine pencil or pen
helps maintain accuracy.
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Didn't I just mention this problem?... I cut the long piece
wrong, but it was not ruined.
There is no way these two pieces are going to fit.
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With the bed molding cut properly, I used the brad nailer to tack the
molding to the top rail and the back board.
The returns both fit nicely. I did not use carpenter's glue here, but
it couldn't hurt.
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The lower trim was easier, just miter a few pieces of doorstop trim...
...and nail them in place, flush with the bottom of the back board. I
used shorter brads here, only 1 inch.
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The embossed trim was also easy to cut and was tacked on with small
brads. When centered on the flat section of the doorstop trim, the
embossed piece gave it a nice complex texture.
Combining millwork sections can yield impressive results. And to
think... this was just an experiment.
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Another view.
The view from the back side. Observe how the bed molding leaves a tiny
space in behind. Crown molding does the same thing.
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Close ups shots of the previous. |
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The nail holes were filled with putty and the wood was given a coat of
oil-based primer.
The end cut of the MDF back board was a little rough, so we filled it
with putty.
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Next a coat of semi-gloss latex paint was applied.
Installation will have to wait until the side trim pieces and bottom
sill have been refinished.
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Notes: This project was essentially an experiment to see if we could
create a top casing that resembled those found on the first floor. This window
casing, about five feet long, took over seven hours in the workshop, not
including painting. The next day we made the same trim for the door, which was
just over three feet long. This second assembly took only 2.5 hours and was of
higher quality. Now that's a learning curve! If we were outfitting an entire
house in this type of trim, we would set up a little production area and make
rapid multiple copies of certain parts (like the return pieces). The time per
unit might be reduced to 1.5 hours or less.
The worst thing about making this type of window casing would be to see it
covered by curtains!
The minimum tools needed to make this type of trim:
- Good quality miter box and back saw (trim saw).
- Drill for pre-drilling nail holes.
- Hammer, nail set.
- Quick-Grip style clamps (2) to hold work together while nailing.
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Tools Used:
- Power Miter Saw
- Table Saw
- Biscuit Joiner
- Pneumatic Brad Nailer
- Assorted Hand Tools
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Materials Used:
- Particle Board or MDF Board
- Colonial Baseboard
- Colonial Door Stop Trim
- Bed Molding (Small Crown)
- Decorative Trim
- Wood Filler
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