Kitchen cornice and finishing off

Discussion in 'Engineers' Talk' started by Davey65, Mar 11, 2014.

  1. Davey65

    Davey65 New Member

    Hello all,

    For the last few weeks I've been installing my own kitchen. It's not been as easy as I thought so respect to all you kitchen fitters!

    I'm just doing the finishing touches and I've got a couple of questions:

    1) I have a mitre saw for cutting the mitres on the external corners of the cornices. Do I also need to mitre the internal corners or can these be butt jointed same as you would do with skirting board? It's the Travis Perkins Perla gloss white kitchen if that makes any difference?

    2) I assume I screw the cornices down into the carcass of the cupboard so the screws are hidden - is this correct? It's going to be difficult getting a screwdriver in as there isn't much room between the top of the cornice and the ceiling - however I'm sure I'll find a way!

    3) I need to seal the tops of the decorative end panels where these were cut to the correct height. They are made if MDF - is it ok to use oil based gloss paint on these or should I get some clear varnish?

    Thanks for your help!

    Davey :)
     
  2. Phil the Paver

    Phil the Paver Screwfix Select

    yes cut both internal and external corners.

    If it awkward to get a screw driver in, you could stick then on with something like, No Nails, Sticks like ****.

    A clear varish should be ok.
     
  3. snezza30

    snezza30 Member

    You should miter the internal joints on the cornice. Even if it looks square (I'm not familiar with Travis Perkins kitchens!) it may well have a slight bevel on the edges and if you don't internal miter them, the little gaps will show.

    If you can get access to the top of the cornice, it always looks far more tidy if the screws are not visible.

    Why did you cut the TOPS of the MDF end panels.......!!!!!!!????????
    Any trimming of the height should have been trimmed from the bottom, not the top......!!!!!!!!
    As it is now too late to do it correctly, just get some Gloss White iron on carcass edging from Travis or B&Q, and edge it up with an iron and trim it to fit.
    Its cheap enough to buy, maybe not as cheap as WHITE PAINT !!!!!!!!, but it is the correct way to do it.

    Snezza.
     
  4. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    A bead of silicon and panel pins will stick your cornices on but use mitre mate on the cut edges.
    I must be missing something about cutting the the end panels as if I was cutting a decor panel on a wall unit to height I would trim the top as well.
    Joining the internals on skirting is scribing not butt jointing but as said mitre the cornice.
     
  5. Davey - are you wanting to paint the tops of the cut end panels to seal them or decorate them? If the latter, I don't understand how they are visible :confused:.

    Anyways, how good is your mitre saw? Is it leccy or hand? Either way, fit them in the 'mitre box' so's the saw blade cuts into the visible face of the cornice, and press gently... That way you should get a very neat cut in the melamine covering (if you cut through from behind, expect some damage/roughness to be showing at the front.

    Chippie gives a good suggestion above - cut all the pieces and then glue the mitres together with 'mitre mate' before screwing down.

    If you don't, you will weep; the - cough - perfect mitres you perform will move and open up as you screw down each piece.

    Mitre Mate is surprisingly strong, especially considering the small contact area and that it's effectively an 'end grain' even tho' it's MDF.
     
  6. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

    You do need to mitre mate, the joints on the cornice before fixing it to the top of the units. If space is limited above the wall units, you can drill through the top of the wall units and screw from underneath (capping off the screw heads with those plastic covers) ;);)

    PS the decor end panels,, I'm assuming these are on the wall units?? The only one's I've used have been used to almost create a stop for the cornice. (cornice is cut so it fits between the decor end panels, which overlap the wall units both at the top and bottom of them)
     
  7. snezza30

    snezza30 Member

    Well, one of us has assumed something incorrectly!!!!

    I assumed he was talking about Base unit End Panels. You assumed he was talking about Wall unit End Panels.

    I agree, if they are wall unit ones, I would have cut the top not the bottom. BUT, they should be finished with edging tape, not paint or varnish!!!!!!
     
  8. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    Why would he have cornice on a base end panel?
     
    jmac80 likes this.
  9. And why wouldn't he have the worktop going over it...

    Ah, the mystery :rolleyes:
     
    jmac80 likes this.
  10. Davey65

    Davey65 New Member

    Thanks for all your help.

    Seems I was trying to take a short cut by not cutting mitres on the internal corners! No problem - I'll do it properly now I know.

    I've got an eleccy mitre saw - it's only a cheap B&Q one but I've bought a new 64 tooth blade for it so hopefully it will be ok.

    If the saw is ok then it just depends how accurately I can measure the lengths required! That's the bit that bothers me!

    I will glue the mitres before fixing the cornices to the units. I've spent so long on this I don't want to @@@@ it up now!

    I think if I drill holes in the cornices before offering them up I should be able to get a little stubby screwdriver to screw down into the cabinets.

    The end panels are on tall base units - an oven housing and a FF. I scribed the top of the base units against these to get the correct height. Having done that it just seemed easier to cut the top!

    Clearly the cut tops can't be seen but I want to seal them to protect from moisture and so we can wipe these down. However the end panels are 25 mm thick so I can't use edging tape - any suggestions?

    Thank you
     
  11. Presumably you will be taking your cornice returns over the cut edges of the end panels in any case, so definitely no risk of the cut edges being seen even if you have an out-of-body experience.

    And you did the right thing in marking off along the top of the tall units to get the 'cut' on the end panel - so that's all good.

    It doesn't really need sealing, as the room moisture levels won't do it any harm. But, if you want to, just use whatever you have - any water or oil-based paint, varnish, even a neat smear of silicone as mentioned above.

    You'll likely find that the B&Q mitre saw will do a clean enough cut (as long as you cut into the decorative front foil layer and cut slowly), but there is every chance in the world that the mitres won't be exactly 90o. I'd strongly suggest doing a test cut with any wood battens you may have lying around - cut, glue and check resulting angle against something you know is square - like the unit tops! There should be adjustment on the saw to tweak the cutting angle - but teeny, tiny bits at a time (any adjustment has a 'doubled' effect on a mitre.)

    As for measuring, don't forget the adage - measure twice, cut once. Except make that thrice.

    Position the cornice along the top of the units, and set them the correct overhang (don't do a silly mistake and forget that doors need to go on there first, 'cos that affects the overhang by a good 20mm. Really, don't forget that bit. Seriously, now - you'll feel such an idiot if you do that particular whopper. Your friends won't let you forget it. For years. It'll become legendary pub talk. Seriously. How do I know? Because, er, someone told me... :oops:)

    Measure how far in from the front of the unit tops the cornice sits, and transfer that measurement all along the unit tops, and returns. At the corners, draw a 45o line which will essentially be a line from the outermost corner tip, to where the two rear guidelines touch to make their corner - continue that 45o line inwards an inch or so, so's it'll be clearly visible when you place the cornice lengths on there to mark. When you now position your cornice length, you can mark on its back where that mitre cut will be. Also roughly sketch a pencil line over the top of the cornice to indicate in which angle direction the mitre will have to be cut. (Really - do that too or else you will get a cut wrong somewhere. You will. Guess how I kn...)

    If that 'rear' mark line is enough so guide your mitre saw, then fine. If it isn't, then you'll need to transfer that line to where is is enough - up to the top of the cornice, or up to the top and then to the front AT FORTY-FIVE DEGREES, etc.

    Then, hold or clamp the cornice real tight so's it cannot move during cutting. Also make sure it is sitting absolutely flat on the saw bed, and cut slowly in one gentle slice. Don't go back and forth, or hesitate half-way through.

    And, for pity's sakes, allow for the thickness of the saw blade... Cut on the 'waste' side of your line.

    Tbh, if your cornice length is a couple of mm too long or short, it's unlikely to be noticed. But a poor mitre angle almost certainly will...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 12, 2014
  12. joiner1959

    joiner1959 Active Member

    :(
    A Master Class in cornice fitting. Well done D A. Like you I also know someone who started cornicing, forgetting that the doors were still to be fitted.:(
     
  13. I need a lurv smiley :)
     
  14. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

  15. Phil the Paver

    Phil the Paver Screwfix Select

    That's what I call a Smiley, :p
     
  16. Davey65

    Davey65 New Member

    Yes thank you DA for taking the time to do such a detailed reply.

    I know what I've got to do now - guess what I'm doing this weekend lol

    Thanks again

    Davey
     
  17. That's not lurv - that's just...rude.
     
  18. Matthew Holmes

    Matthew Holmes New Member

    It's really up to you personally I like to use a 45 degree angle on all, you can but them up but you would have to notch the shape of the piece you are butting it up-to, which is a little tedious when you are done you are obviously going caulk around edges, which hide some I have a few pics of skirting that I fitted at a 45 degree angle if you check out my Facebook page www.facebook.com/Handy.Hands.helpers
     

    Attached Files:

  19. PJ Wales

    PJ Wales Member

    Mathew no no no the toilet seat is off centre.... get it fixed NOOOOOOOOOO

    LOL
     
  20. unphased

    unphased Screwfix Select

    And the morel of the post is...
     

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