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Cutting An Outside Corner with a Miter Saw

November 14, 2021

The bathroom renovation is under way. I’m at that exciting stage where I get to make the walls pretty with chair and trim moulding. Eeek!

The only problem is I had to contemplate ‘how in the world do I get these outside corners to work’!

Spoiler alert — it isn’t the same as cutting inside corners. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, let me explain.

Let’s dissect this wall because before you can do anything, you need to understand what part of the wall is the inside and outside. And when I say dissect, I’m just going to show because there isn’t much to it (I swear!)

The inside corners are where the walls meet, like the inside of a box.

The outside corners are the outer edges, like the outside of a box.

The end.

OK so now that we understand that, measuring the inside corner is pretty simple. You use a cheap protractor and divide that number 2. That’s what you set your miter saw angle to.

For example assuming that your wall isn’t square (because most aren’t), your inside corner is 88 degrees.

88 divided by 2 is 44.

Set your miter saw to 44 degrees and make your cut.

Now for the outside corner.

The process is similar but there’s one additional step. I’ll walk you through what I did on my wall.

Empire protractor/angle finder

I bought this protractor/angle finder for about $7 at Home Depot. There really is no need to buy an expensive digital angle finder unless that suits your fancy.

Hold the protractor around the wall making sure the edges are flush on the wall. Tighten the gold dial so the hands of the protractor don’t move — if it does, your measurement will not be accurate.

Let’s turn that around so we can read it. The angle of this outside wall is 85 degrees.

I must’ve lost my bearings along the way and I cut that 85 degree angle using the ‘inside corner’ formula (85 degree divided by 2) and this is what the moulding looked like. A mess. Repeat after me: this does not work on outside corners!!

So how did I correct this? I found the right formula after understanding why this didn’t work. I’ll tell you. This didn’t work because while miter saws and protractors both measure angles, protractors can measure up to 180 degrees. 85 degrees when cutting an outside corner does not translate the same to your miter saw.

So this is what you do:

180 degrees minus the angle divided by 2

In English, that translates to: 180-85= 95 / 2 = 47.5 <– this is your mitered angle.

I made the cuts again at 47.5 degrees and look at the difference.

Now they actually meet.

So much better, even if it is still waiting to be painted!

Be sure to follow the bathroom renovation on Instagram to see how it turns out.

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About Me

Meet Michelle

Hi, my name is Michelle and I am a self-taught woodworker, DIYer and plant lover. I'll thank COVID-19 for the plant loving part. My DIY and woodworking journey started in Fall 2018 after I purchased my old 1880s home. I started with building furniture that I didn't want to purchase from a store. From there, my building spiraled into creating custom projects for others. I now spend time building and also renovating my home. My goal is to show you that you can do it too! You can read more under the 'Meet Michelle' tab.

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Remember two weeks ago I started punching the brad Remember two weeks ago I started punching the brad nail holes and then had to repaint the doors😅? Well they are finally done. And btw it was worth doing that. They are so much better!! 

Oh and I *may be hangin them today 🙌🏽

#customcabinets #customcabinetry #pantrymakeover #pantryremodel #girlswhobuild #woodworker #femalewoodworker
Gonna keep it real..if you couldn’t tell, after Gonna keep it real..if you couldn’t tell, after I got the cabinets built I’ve been moving super slow b/c I’ve been avoiding attching these doors - for good reason 😩 

10 straight hours on my feet and it’s still not done. 

So don’t go zooming and inspecting.🥲

Two upper left cabs still need adjustment and then some planing.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞:

Do I add trim to the shaker doors? I think it would make it feel more original to the home. Let me know what you think below. Or go vote in my stories!

#analysisparalysis #customcabinets #customcabinetry #femalewoodworker #diypantry #pantrymakeover #femalediy
Who just built cabinets? This girl right here!! I Who just built cabinets? This girl right here!!

In the freezing cold. With a broken tablesaw. Ok- not my best move but I had to get it done somehow.

I was so shook and I’m still nervous about the doors but it don’t even matter bc today I got cabssss!

#learnasyougo #ilovebuilding #cabinets #diycabinets #pantrymakeover #girlswhobuild #femalebuilder #femalewoodworker
Tell me what’s better than making the tiniest ba Tell me what’s better than making the tiniest bathroom ever the biggest mood? I’ll wait.

@behrpaint Secluded Woods

#behrpaint #behr #bathroomdesign #bathroomrenovation #mood #carpentry #catpentrywork #diyprojects #diybathroom #mirrordupe #transitionaldesign
Okay use your imagination here and hear me out. Pi Okay use your imagination here and hear me out. Picture a portrait on the wall. Modern window with white trim and black panes. The stair risers are going black b/c I need the treads to pop because my gawd. And let’s not forget some picture molding up the staircase. #dreaming😍😊

The before pic was taken before I even had an ig account. Many years ago. I lived with the wall like that for at least 2 years. Yup! You read that right! Cant believe what a little paint can do🤗

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Yesss 8 weeks from surgery and I’m ready to fini Yesss 8 weeks from surgery and I’m ready to finish this bathroom! Picture that forest green in a mini bathroom. From the ceiling to the baseboard with gold and black finishes. It’s going to be a whole big mood. 

Black bathroom photo credit: houseandhome.com

#halfbath #bathroommakeover #goldaccents #diybathroom #bathroomremodel
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