Just realized I was overcomplicating scribe cuts for baseboard

I was fighting with scribe cuts on some old uneven walls in a 1920s house in my city. Spent like 2 hours per corner trying to get that perfect fit with a coping saw and a ton of sanding. Then a older guy at the job site showed me to just use a sharp utility knife and score the back of the trim instead. You basically cut through half the material and then snap it along the line. The fit was damn near perfect on the first try. Saved me probably 30 minutes per corner after that. Has anyone else tried this method or do you still stick with the coping saw?

2 comments

2 Comments

evand651d agoMost Upvoted

Huh. I heard a guy on a podcast mention that trick. Said it works great on modern MDF trim too.

rowanp1523h ago

Wait, have you guys seen that old This Old House segment where Norm showed something similar? I swear it was like season 12 or something. @evand65 is right, it works on MDF too. I heard a trim carpenter on a forum say he does the knife trick even on primed pine and it cuts down on dust for him too. For those old plaster walls that are never actually straight, I bet that would save a ton of frustration compared to chasing the line with a coping saw.