Confirmation for reasons to scribe internal corners on skirting

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by ShabbaPlanks, Nov 7, 2006.

  1. Could you please quote where I said that I cannot scribe with a jigsaw, or even used a jigsaw to scribe.
     
  2. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    I used to work at Chatsworth House it that's stately enough for you.
     
  3. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    I'm an old fashioned youngster, that uses a jack saw for the straight part of the scribe, a coping saw for the profiled section, and power tools for everything in between. They still teach the dimensions of tusk tenons in colleges for Christs sake, mark you on knowing the particular name for a component that may have three or four alternate regional names (noggins, dwangs, blocking), and still quote the dihedral angle when teaching cut roofing. So you'll have to forgive me if I don't take college curriculums too seriously with a lot of their relevance these days. Time is money unfortunately.
     
    Deleted member 11267 likes this.
  4. KEVIN NAIRN

    KEVIN NAIRN Member

    Hello Jord86, colleges teach how carpentry was done in the past, as well as modern practises. A friend who did a carp & joinery course, was taught how to make a plumb line to test for plumb using a floorboard, string and weight, how to fix another board to the bottom at right angles to test for level (the way the Romans built their buildings); how to make mitre boxes for use with tenon saws and panel saws. And, as you correctly say, what a tusk tenon joint is and why it's used. This is all good, as it gives the student a good all round knowledge of the trade and skills involved. Yes, I know that tusk tenon joints have been replaced by Jiffy hangers, but if you work on a listed building you may have to replace one, so you need to know what it is. The course is a comprehensive one that try's to covers all aspects and situations that a carp may come across.
     
  5. KEVIN NAIRN

    KEVIN NAIRN Member

    This is gonna upset a lot of people, it's not a scribed joint anyway, it's a COPED joint! A scribed joint is when you run a pencil along a packer to duplicate an angle. Example: using a 6mm thick piece of MDF on the floor against a door to get a 6mm parallel gap under the door. Or when you have a gap between the worktop and wall. Shall I put my helmet on now?
     
    WillyEckerslike likes this.
  6. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    No,because you're correct, however it doesn't matter really does it? If a traditional word is substituted for another slang or broader used term in order for a wider audience to understand,then unfortunately the older word becomes obsolete. A prime example is to "scarf a piece in," I always learned the term scarf in carpentry was part of jointing timber e.g. a splayed scarf joint in a ridge, nowadays it's used to describe recessing a block into an old hinge or lock position,which it's far more commonly known as than my other example, so which is correct?
     
  7. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    I've scarfed loads of timber as you described, I've never had a name for filling in old hinge recesses.
     
  8. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    Maybe it's a regional thing as I mentioned, that's what everyone seems to say in South Wales, "scarf a piece in butt', the yanks name for the same process is a Dutchman I believe,though these normally appear to be decorative rather than disguising anything.
     
  9. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    I don't disagree, but when students are failed on a question that I personally had in my exam a few years ago "what is a Lip Cut?" (Which luckily I had correct, being a sad know all) then I really think it's time for a curriculum overhaul.
     
  10. WillyEckerslike

    WillyEckerslike Screwfix Select

    I was joking about the caulking.....
    I use the same method as Jord and get good results. Never got on very well using a jigsaw tbh.
     
    Deleted member 11267 likes this.
  11. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select

    See what you've started man! :)
     
  12. Knew you were joking about the caulk Willy,Coping saw is the best tool for the job.
     
  13. Had to google that one Jord,never heard a Birdsmouth called a lip cut.
     
    Jord86 likes this.
  14. WillyEckerslike

    WillyEckerslike Screwfix Select

    Now I think about it a coping saw was the first proper tool I was given - 50 years ago or thereabouts. My father used to draw some basic shapes on some old floorboards and get me to practice cutting them out. He said it was much harder to cut a curved line than a straight one. That was before he watched me try to saw straight though .....
     
    Jord86 likes this.
  15. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select

    It's not mate :) have a second guess then I'll tell you what I've always thought (learned) it to be. And I think it's bloody ridiculous.
     
  16. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    I try not to do skirting, I prefer working standing up.
     
  17. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    My father gave me a block of 4x4 and a smoothing plane for Xmas and said " There you go lad, now make your own fxxxxng presents!"
     
  18. gpierce

    gpierce Active Member

    I cut it on a mitre saw, flip it upside down and then cut down to where the actual moulding starts (leaving the saw at 45 - a ridiculous amount of back cut but I don't have to adjust the saw, then cope out the rest by hand, tidy up with a file and jobs a ball of wool. It's very rare I ever need to caulk or fill corners on a join when doing it this way.

    I've tried it Chippies way using a jigsaw. I don't for 1 second doubt it can be done just as well with a jigsaw but I don't find it much faster, and prefer to use a coping saw. Less noise, and it does the job beautifully. I back cut probably 20 - 30 degrees when coping apart from the very top, although thats partly because most of the local housing stock is 100 years old and the corners will be anything but square.
     
    seen it all before likes this.
  19. Jord86 likes this.
  20. Mr Rusty

    Mr Rusty Screwfix Select

    I do it almost exactly the same as gpierce except I don't leave the saw set at 45 - just a smidgen of back cut, and then a coping saw.
     
    seen it all before and gpierce like this.

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