# How fast can YOU run crown?



## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

:laughing:


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

mmike032 said:


> I dont understand why some think it is so hard to install 1 room of crown in 15 minutes.
> it takes more time measuring and walking to the saw then it takes to cut and install.
> I cope with a jigsaw so coping takes all of 4 seconds per piece.



Oh and I forgot to mention, I grow the trees to make the crown in that time as well :whistling (how's that cdat? :laughing


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

So 48 feet of crown at $5 per ft in 15 minutes? 
Then what? You go home since you've made a days pay?


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

I'd like to see a national competition (maybe jlc live) where they did just this...one 12 x 12 room like with a set-up like I posted. 

I'll bet there would be some guys doing it in 10 minutes, maybe less.


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

Do you use a collins coping foot mike? I've had one for about 6 years, on a jigsaw, just collecting dust. Tried it once and put it away until I had more time to goof around with it....:whistling

I know some guys can fly with those things.


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

Warren said:


> So 48 feet of crown at $5 per ft in 15 minutes?
> Then what? You go home since you've made a days pay?



hmmm, there's a certain part you've missed here...I'll give you a hint...it's a BIG part of the equation....see if you can figure it out.


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## willworkforbeer (Mar 7, 2009)

I only spent a few years doing production trim, mostly under a sub. We (two of us) were banging out 1200 sq ft condo units (for example) in a day and a half. Trim, doors, luon but we were ahead of the pack on quality. He made money, I didnt. And we werent hustling that hard either.

I have a healthy hatred for production work now (willing to take any necessary pay cut too). But it comes out in the wash I guess. In tile for example. I'm expensive but some HO's are willing to shell it out, I dont do slop. Same with trim but tile seems easy picking. I'm not big on moving fast these days. Perfect I can handle, speed sucks.


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

I'm pretty much the same, but was glad to get the experience back then. I don't see much production trim work coming back this way for awhile, at least not _anywhere_ near what it was, just won't need that many new homes for a looong time. :no:


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

JF:

Dude you have just set the record for the most replys in any post!!

38!! So FAR!


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

well...I did start the thread :whistling, kinda rude not to reply :blink:

so, how many am I up to now?


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

..and now?


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

what about _now_?


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## JLTrim (Mar 12, 2007)

I usually blow through crown jobs pretty quickly too, especially with a helper. And we do take the time to make every corner and splice perfect, if there's more than a hairline gap we re-cut or shim it to make it tight. 
There's really nothing to it, I don't understand why it pays so well and so many people have trouble installing it.


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## willworkforbeer (Mar 7, 2009)

JLTrim said:


> There's really nothing to it, I don't understand why it pays so well and so many people have trouble installing it.


I've done mainly stain grade crown, yeah dont understand the fear of it. And I dont cope.


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

willworkforbeer said:


> I've done mainly stain grade crown, yeah dont understand the fear of it. And I dont cope.


blasphemy...now you've gone and done it...:laughing:


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## willworkforbeer (Mar 7, 2009)

J F said:


> blasphemy...now you've gone and done it...:laughing:


I know I'm a bad person, I dont cope :sad:


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## mmike032 (May 30, 2007)

J F said:


> Do you use a collins coping foot mike? I've had one for about 6 years, on a jigsaw, just collecting dust. Tried it once and put it away until I had more time to goof around with it....:whistling
> 
> I know some guys can fly with those things.


never used a coping foot, It would just get in my way.
could almost do it with my eyes closed now. muscle memory takes control and I dont think about it anymore


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

you are absolved my son, go forth and sin no more...

this is of course, for wwfb


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

mmike032 said:


> never used a coping foot, It would just get in my way.
> could almost do it with my eyes closed now. muscle memory takes control and I dont think about it anymore


I need to break mine out, as I know people online who swear by it. 

Like anything, once you've done it a 1,000 times it becomes second nature...except for women of course, still don't quite have 'em quite figured out. :w00t:


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## mmike032 (May 30, 2007)

Warren said:


> So 48 feet of crown at $5 per ft in 15 minutes?
> Then what? You go home since you've made a days pay?


$5 a ft for spec houses:laughing:
more like $5 a corner:blink:


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## lawndart (Dec 3, 2006)

J F said:


> That would be the day from hell, all that baseboard, ugh :shutup:. My knees and back hurt just reading that. :laughing:
> 
> And yeah, it's most efficient to have one guy cutting everything keeping ahead of the installer, (which was me) that's what we did on the second floor (where we started). As we moved down to the first floor we'd have 2 saw stations set-up, I'd do the pediments and 2 rooms of crown then start installing all the crap that was cut.
> 
> ...


Have you ever seen a split jamb interior door? I would be able to install 100 of those a day. The builder stopped using them 1/4 of the way through the job, because they were "too expensive"

PS.. I cope all my joints like ARI and Sky, but can see your argument for pressure on the joints. There really is now wrong way to do it IMO.


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

Yeah, these were all split-jamb, pre-cased. That's why I could place all the doors myself (except for the double doors), and install them in 5 hours or so (21-22 doors).

As far as the coping on the baseboard, I would do it the same as those guys if the sides weren't outside miters...whenever possible, I _always_ want some pressure on the cope. I didn't have an issue with them until being called a bs'r about the trim times.

Like I stated somewhere above, it would be interesting to see what the fastest guys in the country could do in a competition. I'll bet you'd see some sub 10 minute times.


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## Cdat (Apr 18, 2007)

J F said:


> how many feet a minute can you spit out with those bad boys, say on some oak, out of curiosity?


I've never tried oak but may have to with the exotics business so slow right now but 25 feet per minute.


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

Nice. Do you have to take more than one pass with sharp cutters or just run it through and you're done? How many hp?


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## mmike032 (May 30, 2007)

J F said:


> Yeah, these were all split-jamb, pre-cased. That's why I could place all the doors myself (except for the double doors), and install them in 5 hours or so (21-22 doors).
> 
> As far as the coping on the baseboard, I would do it the same as those guys if the sides weren't outside miters...whenever possible, I _always_ want some pressure on the cope. I didn't have an issue with them until being called a bs'r about the trim times.
> 
> Like I stated somewhere above, it would be interesting to see what the fastest guys in the country could do in a competition. I'll bet you'd see some sub 10 minute times.


you cant install a dbl door by yourself?:sad:


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

I installed them by myself, just didn't carry 'em up the stairs by myself ya goober :w00t:


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## mmike032 (May 30, 2007)

J F said:


> I installed them by myself, just didn't carry 'em up the stairs by myself ya goober :w00t:


 yer arms to short to reach across a 4'er and pick it up:laughing:


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

If it wasn't pre-cased, but the casing tends to get a little fubar'd....don't ask me how I know :shifty:


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## mmike032 (May 30, 2007)

same here, dont tote them unless I have too, 
and than the casing is about to fall off and I bang up every wall I pass by.
on the occasional custom job we get solid core 8' doors.:blink:
have pulled quite a few nut muscles trying to lift them by myself


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

:laughing:


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## lawndart (Dec 3, 2006)

mmike032 said:


> on the occasional custom job we get solid core 8' doors.:blink:
> have pulled quite a few nut muscles trying to lift them by myself


LOL :thumbsup:


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## Cdat (Apr 18, 2007)

J F said:


> Nice. Do you have to take more than one pass with sharp cutters or just run it through and you're done? How many hp?


Depends on which machine I'm using and which head it is. Some of those things get pretty big (20 hp). Rarely do I have to make more then one pass and then the adjustment is so small, it is more because it's a wood I've never tried before and I'm doing a test run. With sharp knives and the right feed rate, you don't EVER need to do more then one pass. Also depends on if your knives are HSS, carbide or diamond. Ever run a diamond head? No touch up sanding required at all. Smooth as glass.


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

damn, now I have to go down and kick my router table. :laughing: My most expensive bits are $120 amana raised panel bits....which I normally will make 3 passes with.


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## Cdat (Apr 18, 2007)

J F said:


> damn, now I have to go down and kick my router table. :laughing: My most expensive bits are $120 amana raised panel bits....which I normally will make 3 passes with.


That's a router. That's expected. I went from a router to a shaper, to multipule shapers, to moulders. BTW, Amana are good. I've bought/ still do, stuff from them. Just recieved their catalog 3 days ago. 

Just an FYI, with the current housing slump, all the *BIG* furniture and moulding people are going down and you can buy their equipment at rock bottom prices.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Depending on how much crown I am carrying I can run about 100 yards in 20 seconds. I waited a while before I posted that :laughing:


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

:w00t: :laughing:


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

Cdat said:


> That's a router. That's expected. I went from a router to a shaper, to multipule shapers, to moulders. BTW, Amana are good. I've bought/ still do, stuff from them. Just recieved their catalog 3 days ago.
> 
> Just an FYI, with the current housing slump, all the *BIG* furniture and moulding people are going down and you can buy their equipment at rock bottom prices.



Wish I had the need (and space) for it....I'm packed to the gills with a 24x40' shop.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

My shop isn't much bigger @ 25 x 50, but I have another one (bay) right next to it that is 25 x 60. My working space is the smaller of the two and the storage and spray room are on the larger side.


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## lawndart (Dec 3, 2006)

To answer the original question.

These days I do strictly remodeling work. I can run about 600 linear feet of basic crown a day with a good helper.


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

Today, I could probably run about 60 feet....a day. Just had carpal tunnel surg. 3 wks ago...the other hand will soon be next on the chopping block :shutup:


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## Cdat (Apr 18, 2007)

J F said:


> Wish I had the need (and space) for it....I'm packed to the gills with a 24x40' shop.


With all the auto shops shutting down around here, you can get warehouse or factory space pennies on the dollar. Wanna' sub-lease the other 70,000 sqft in the shop I'm moving my machines into?:clap:


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

No frickin' way man.....I'm trying to lease my shop to my grandmother....:laughing:


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

...and she's in NY


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

J F said:


> Today, I could probably run about 60 feet....a day. Just had carpal tunnel surg. 3 wks ago...the other hand will soon be next on the chopping block :shutup:


A carpenter friend of mine had both wrists done a few years ago, has been good ever since. You should be fine :thumbup: He did one at a time also, so he could wipe his butt. :laughing:


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## J F (Dec 3, 2005)

katoman said:


> A carpenter friend of mine had both wrists done a few years ago, has been good ever since. You should be fine :thumbup: He did one at a time also, *so he could wipe his butt.* :laughing:



:laughing: That was my exact conversation with the surgeon....my_ lovely_ fiance volunteered, but I'd rather wait for 30-50 years of marriage first...

Thanks for the info though, it's appreciated.

J


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