How to cut a scribe/cope internal corner on skirting boards or baseboards. All the tools used are available from my Amazon store. https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/spendtimesavemoneydiy
When it comes to an internal corner with skirting boards, cutting two 45 degree angles isn’t the right thing to do. The walls probably won’t be 90 degrees to each other so there will be a gap. The gap could be filled with caulk or some other type of filler but as the timber moves with changes in humidity the gap will always open up.
The correct method is to scribe or cope one piece of skirting board over the other. An internal skirting board scribe. Scribing or coping put simply is cutting the shape of the skirting board out so it will fit over the other one as pictured below.
The tools I use for this job are; a fine toothed panel saw, combination square, a coping saw and not essential but very useful if you can afford one is a powered mitre saw.
In order to easily get the profile shape that I needed to cut out, I simply cut the skirting board at a 45 degree angle and that revealed the profile shape of the moulding. Since I have a power mitre saw, that is the best tool to use to cut the 45 degree mitre. If you don’t have a mitre saw then the angle can be drawn on to the skirting board with a combination square and it can be cut with a fine toothed panel saw. I recommend cutting from the front of the skirting board so that the break out from the saw cut is on the back. However in my video I cut from the back and still had a good cut.
The profile might be a bit difficult to see, if it is I like to highlight the outline with a pencil so when I’m cutting I can clearly see the lines.
I now have to cut out this profile shape so that it will fit over the other piece of skirting board. To do this I use 2 different saws. For the straight cut I use a panel saw which is designed to cut in a straight line. For the complex cut of the profile shape I use a coping saw, with its fine blade it can cope cut around the tightest of curves.
When scribing or coping skirting board I always back cut my pieces. This is a great tip for anyone and especially for those who struggle to cut square. All it means is I tip the saw slightly so the cut isn’t square or at 90 degrees to the face of the skirting board. It is angled back slightly so that only the very tip of the face of the skirting board is going to touch the other piece. And if the cut isn’t perfect, the fine tip can be corrected with a piece of coarse sandpaper or a chisel with ease.
Cutting out the moulded part of the skirting board with a coping saw, I cut the very top at a 90 degree angle but the rest I back cut slightly so that only the front edge touches.
Coping saws can be tricky to use and when cutting tight curves the narrow blade is very easy to snap. A good tip here is to always keep the saw moving and cutting. The blade usually snaps when it isn’t moving enough and is forced around a curve. The blade can be turned to get better access to the cut. You do this by unscrewing the handle and turning the pins which hold the blade. And then tighten the handle again. Make sure the pins are in line with each other, if they are not then the blade will be twisted and will snap a lot easier.
The coping saw is a difficult tool to use at first and scribing skirting boards isn’t easy. But if you practice scribing with a coping saw then you will master both at the same time.
Some people recommend using other methods such as using a jigsaw or even an angle grinder with a sanding disk in it, but I have used this method for 20 years and always had great results.
So that’s how to cut a scribe/cope internal corner on skirting boards or baseboards. I hope this article helps you with your project. If it has then please leave me a comment and let me know how you get on. Be sure to watch my youtube video that accompanies this article and remember to Like, share and subscribe to help the channel grow. You can follow me and our house on Facebook and Instagram for the latest projects on our renovation or my latest DIY tips. http://spendtimesavemoney.com/index.php/2020/01/19/how-to-cut-an-external-mitre-outside-corner-on-skirting-boards-baseboards/
If you need to buy any of the tools seen in this video there are Amazon links to them all in my shop.
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