What is the Best Crown Molding Jig? Well this is a question you may be asking when it comes time to jig up your ceilings with elegant crown molding. Let’s face it, crown molding can be unforgiving if it’s installed incorrectly and it is vital to use the right tool for the job. It’s great to be able to add, beautiful, ornate detail to your home, however, if you use the wrong jig, your ceilings will go from spectacular to craptacular pretty quickly!
Therefore, it’s important to know what to look for and to procure a good quality jig as there are certainly a lot of ordinary ones out there on the market. The good news is that they aren’t that expensive. Still, you don’t want to waste your money by getting the wrong one that’s poorly made. And the corners of your crown molding matter!
To assist you in your hunt for the best crown molding cutting jig, we’ve compiled a list of our top 5 recommended products. For those in a hurry, our top pick is the Kreg KMA2800 Pro Crown Molding Tool.
With this tool, you won’t need to go through the crown cut rigmorale of remembering that right is left and upside down is backwards etc. Instead it’s designed to be used with the coping method for inside miters.
And for those wanting to know more, underneath is our review guide How to Choose a Crown Molding Jig. In fact one of our most popular posts is on how to install crown molding and keep it flat. Also, how to measure crown molding is quite popular too. Plus, how much is crown molding? And the best rope lights for crown molding. It seems a few of you have gotten into some long overdue DIY while in lock down…ha, ha..
So let’s take a look at the best crown molding jig for your place.
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What is the Best Crown Molding Jig Overall –
Kreg KMA2800 Pro Crown Molding Tool
The Kreg KMA2800 Pro Crown Molding Tool is one of the best selling crown molding tools on Amazon at present. Possibly as it’s not too expensive and backed by the well respected, Kreg brand. What’s good about it? With this tool, you don’t need to worry about coping of joints and its extension arms lets you work with crown up to 5-1/2″ (140mm) wide. It works best for inside and outside corners.
I like the 8 non-slip rubber feet to give a sturdy foundation. Plus it’s compact and you can use it with a variety of different miter saws.
It comes with an angle finder – that’s a little bit trickier than others. For inside corners, the angled edges align with the blade. For outside corners the blade is opposite the angled edge of the tool and you need to be careful to pull the molding away from the tool to ensure the angled edge sits in the blade path. Not ideal, but not a deal breaker
The assembly instructions aren’t as clear as our top pick (pay attention to assembling the spring scale) but the ones on the tool itself are clear and easy to understand (you need to put these stickers on yourself like you did when you were a kid assembling a toy…Lol…)
Overall, you can get exact cuts every time with this tool that is a must for crown molding. Those who are generally against it, either don’t have the right power tool to use with it, or aren’t happy using any plastic jig as a guide. Like anything, there’s a learning curve. Just find the initial angle of the crown, measure and flip the piece upside down and cut on a 45 left or right. Simple.
For the reasonable asking price, the Kreg Pro Crown Molding Tool, gets our vote in top spot. High Five!
To check out the price of the Kreg KMA2800 Pro Crown Molding Tool click here.
THE GOOD:
- Transportable and durable
- Reputable manufacturer
- Compact design allows it to fit snuggly on the miter saw
- Easy-to-use for inside and outside corners
- No need for difficult compound-angle cuts
- Included a handy Angle Finder for accurate results
- Base can be locked in any spring angle between 30-60°
- 8 non-slip rubber feet guarantee a solid foundation
- Clear instructions on tool
THE BAD:
- Not very stable with long pieces
- Protractor is made of plastic
- Some compatibility issues reported with users (eg will not work with a 7 1/4 inch miter saw – best with 12″)
Best Crown-Cut Molding Cutting Jig Overall –
Bench Dog 10-027 Crown Molding Cutting Jig
If you’re wanting to cut crown molding the traditional way, you may want to consider the Bench Dog 10-027 Crown Molding Cutting Jig. Crown molding isn’t cheap so you don’t want to waste product with a zillion cuts you stuffed up and have to bin them.
On this jig the instructions are clear and straight forward and their are pictures to help you out. It’s important to remember that you’ll need to cut the crown upside down. Crown molding has the decorative side down which is usually the largest beveled edge on the back of the board. When cutting crown remember to measure at the decorative edge. If you need 6 feet of crown on your wall, measure the crown at the bottom six feet which, your mark will be at the top of your board when you bring to the saw because, “crown is cut upside down”. It surprising how often this is overlooked.
With this little gem, you’ll be able to make 4 cuts: The 90 degree inside corners cut, the 90 degrees outside corners cut, the right over left splice joints cut, and the left over right splice joints cut. Also remember that how the splice joints fit will depend on the molding’s profile that you are using.
This unit is quite stable and I’d recommend some support for long boards. Remember the jig is designed to be supported by the back of the miter saw table and if you are cutting anything larger than 4 1/4 inch molding, use a 10 or 12″ sliding compound miter saw. Also, I wouldn’t recommend this jig for anything more than 6″ even 5 1/2 might be pushing it.The
Overall, the Bench Dog sits nicely with the Miter saw fence. On the tool itself there are directions on which way to move and hold your crown which comes in very handy. It’s also made for solid polymer (rather than plastic) in the USA from a manufacturer who specializes in woodworking tools.
There’s no doubt, this is a useful tool. Does take a bit or nouse and getting use to the feel of a crown cut – and this type of cut isn’t for everybody.
To check out the price of the Bench Dog 10-027 Crown Molding Cutting Jig click here.
THE GOOD:
- Crown-Cut crown molding cutting jig
- Life time warranty
- Made from durable polymer in the USA.
- Fits all 10″ and larger miter saws (regular or sliding)
- Portable (doesn’t need to be attached to your miter saw)
- Clear set up guide to prevent costly mistakes!
THE BAD:
- Some user found that their jig arrived with bolts that were too short. Others didn’t find this as an issue.
- It’s not a ‘premium’ product, but it is a bit pricey
- Must follow the instruction super carefully as it’s not intuitive
Best Crown Molding Cutting Jig From the Front –
Milescraft 1405 Crown45 – Crown Molding Tool
The Milescraft 1405 Crown45 – Crown Molding Tool is going to be a popular tool professional users. The reason? Well, it’s versatile for a range of cutting angles and can be used with any miter saw tool. It’s quite effective with compound cuts which is useful for the majority of DIYer’s and pros alike.
I like that no assembly is required out of the box (unlike the Kreg – groan). Plus the low profile build makes it awesome to travel with (especially if you’re working with a wide range of saws and need a tool like this).
Also, with this jig you do not have to make upside down, backwards cut. Which may make life easier for some.
Remember that crown trim sits at a 30 to 50 degree angle from its desired place and so when cutting you must cut compound cuts simultanously because the wood sits flat on the saw (miter saw).
The difficult part is the placement of the blade since the resulting cut is on the bottom of the saw and you cannot see where this is happening, (so many make errors over and over again). However, the Milescraft jig lets you cut the wood as you see it with your eye (or rather how your going install the trim in its place), or it holds the wood so the cut can be seen. Just make sure you check each angle before the cut as it does not lock in the selected angle.
Some find it very helpful to mark the wood with the face toward you and for the low asking price, it’s worth it’s weight in gold!
To check out the price of the Milescraft 1405 Crown45 – Crown Molding Tool click here.
THE GOOD:
- Compact design works with most miter saws
- Makes right-side-up cutting of 2″ to 5-1/2″ Crown molding
- Supports Crown molding between 2″ to 5-1/2″
- Adjustable angle setting with angle finders for creating common molding spring angles (38°, 45° and 52°)
- Saw blade enters the material from the front
- No compound cuts necessary
THE BAD:
- The jig is not very rigid
- The instructions leave a bit to be desired
- Plastic support for degree setting can deteriorate
Best Budget Crown Molding Jig –
General Tools 881 E-Z Pro Crown King Molding Jig with Protractor
The General Tools 881 E-Z Pro Crown King Molding Jig with Protractor,is a jig and angle calculator that’s easy to use and will suit a wide range of buyers of every experience level.
There’s no bells and whistles with this plastic tool that weighs less than 1 lbs and measures 3.25 x 3 x 12 inches. The simple design of the interface makes it easy to line up, yet still provide quality cuts that are detailed and professional.
The General Tools Crown Molding Jig is actually a complete set that comes with a protractor (angle calculator) to make life easier and your crown cutting experience less frustrating. Of course, you still need to measure the angles and set your tools to cut specifically at the desired angle, whether it’s 38-, 45-, or 52-degree. But thanks to the protractor, the entire process is easy and painless.
I like that you can use the jig and protractor right out of the box without having to painfully assemble something.
This little gem removes the coping of joints, complicated angle calculations, and compound-angle cutting. Plus it’s durable and although lightweight, is reasonably sturdy too and holds stock well.
Tools like this allow you to avoid the mental gymnastics that you have to do with the ‘upside down approach’ to cut an inside corner. That confusion completely vanishes with this crown jig. Just put the stock in right-side up and drop the blade. No more upside-down crown for with this champ.
It’s also great that it has the inside/outside right/left angles stamped into the top of the jig.
Note, it’s specifically designed for 45-degree moldings. However, you will get the flexibility of 38 or 52 degrees, with the insert.
A low cost option with an adjustable angle finder for precision. Well worth checking out!
To check out the price of the General Tools 881 E-Z Pro Crown King Molding Jig with Protractor, click here.
THE GOOD:
- Mitered corner joints in four easy steps
- Cut perfectly mitered interior and exterior corner joints
- 45° spring angle crown molding jig with adapter for 52° and 38° angles
- No difficult angle calculations, coping of joints or compound-angle cutting
- Comes with Angle Finder (shows you the exact angle of inside and outside corner)
- No assembly required
THE BAD:
- Not useful for polystyrene crown molding
- Designed with the length end on the down side
- The instructions are ordinary (it doesn’t specify it cuts pieces right side up)
Most Versatile Crown Molding Jig –
Fuller Tool 320-0755 Ogee Cut Crown Molding Cutting Guide Moulding Jig 
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The Fuller Tool 320-0755 Ogee Cut Crown Molding Cutting Guide Moulding Jig is a versatile jig that can be used with a range of saw types including, powered miter or manual miter saws, radial and table saws.
Unlike most other jigs, this one is made in Canada (with both metric and imperial measurements provided) and is an inexpensive product. With over 75 years of tradition in the market, the Fuller brand makes reputable products that are used widely by professionals and home owners alike.
With this Ogee Cutting Guide it’s relatively straight forward to cut crown molding at 45 degrees. I like that you don’t have to tilt the saw blade. You only need to rotate the saw blade to the angle corresponding to the corner of the walls, allowing a snug finish.
It’s pretty versatile tool with an accurate cutting guide that takes the guess work out of precisely placing 52 – 38 degree crown molding. Those who want to use a smaller miter saw (7 1/4″ sawing) will be able to do so with this gem. Some find trouble with the instructions – but there is a handy You Tube tutorial on it. Pity also that the Ogee cut adapter is sold separately. Still, for the low price point, it’s worth checking out.
To check out the price of the Fuller Tool 320-0755 Ogee Cut Crown Molding Cutting Guide Moulding Jig, click here.
THE GOOD:
- Works in conjunction with a range of saw models
- Simplifies the cutting process into five easy steps
- Great for any home carpentry, renovation or repair projects
- Creates snug-fitting 45-degree cuts without having to tilt the saw blade
- Small and compact design for easy operation
THE BAD:
- Ogee cut adaptor sold separately
Best Crown Molding Cutting Jig (How to choose a good one)
The best crown molding cutting jig will be one that you can use (eg the instructions make sense) and you have the right size tool that works effortlessly with the jig and the size of the molding you plan on cutting. For example, if you have long crown, the jig should be long as well. Therefore the jig’s size needs to be proportional to the crown.
Consider these 4 factors:
Ease of Use – if the design and assembly time are causing headaches and too much of a steep learning curve, then you’ll know that the jig is not the right choice for you. Read reviews, check return policies and perhaps watch some You Tube tutorials for products that peak your interest. Many will require some assembly out of the box, so if this concerns you, opt for one that doesn’t require this, but still allows for accurate cuts.
Compatibility With Saws – it’s crucial that the jig you purchase, will sit on the saw to secure your workpiece in place while you cut it. Jigs fit a wide range of saws, but some are only designed for 10″ and over powered miter saws. Check the labels for compatibility before buying.
Cutting Angles – General crown moldings are angled between 30 to 60 degrees and 45 is the most common. Between these values, some crown molding jigs can offer only a limited angle capability. Others will give you room for creativity, supporting a wider range of angles. Consider with what angles you’ll most likely work with, before purchasing one.
Price – Affordability is important so if an inexpensive options does the job – woo hoo! Having said that, you should never settle for low quality because that’ll just make your work harder than it should be. Tools are meant to make your job easier, not harder!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Best Tool for Cutting Crown Molding?
Crown molding implies working with corners, and because perfect molding angles are required, a power miter saw is your best choice. A miter saw allows you to cut fast and easy on any required angle, to the right or to the left, just as you need it.
What Tools Are Needed to Install Crown Molding?
A compound miter saw is crucial, and a brad nailer is also necessary. A spirit level and tape measure will also make life easier. A stud finder, jig and even some sandpaper will assist in the installation process.
What Angle to Cut Crown Molding?
You normally cut a crown molding to combine it with a second piece, at an angle. Most corners are set to the standard 90-degree, which means each of the two molding pieces that will be joined must be cut at 45 degrees. The rule is that you must measure the angle of the corner where you’ll install the crown mold, and divide that value by two.
What is Crown Molding?
A crown molding is a special type of molding that serves as decorative finishing anywhere a wall meets a ceiling. Also, notably, this molding is used only at a room’s top, not the bottom, hence the “crown” term – it sits up, and it acts as an embellishment for a room.
Still looking For More Crown Molding Advice, Tips and Tricks? Check out our comprehensive guides:
how to install crown molding and keep it flat.
the best rope lights for crown molding.