Cove Cuts on the Table Saw

Cove cutting on a table saw is an advanced skill that can open up a world of possibilities. Perhaps you want to create crown molding for your home, or augment a piece of period furniture that you are working on. Regardless of the application, this a valuable skill to learn. George covers the basics of creating cove molding on your table saw here. When you have mastered the basics you will know how to set up your saw for cove cutting, how to choose the fence angle for the cove profile that you want, and how to choose the right blade for this operation. You will also know how far to advance the blade height with each pass, which is an important variable for both safety and quality.

The basics of cove cutting on a table saw can take you a long way, but there is an additional technique that can expand the possibilities of the molding profiles that you can produce. In the basics video George demonstrated the process while the blade was in a straight vertical position. What would happen if you tilted the blade a bit? This creates a new profile, with an eccentricity that can vary as you change the bevel angle of the blade. This variation in shape will further expand the possibilities of using this creative technique of producing cove cuts on your table saw.

Be sure to practice this process on scrap material before using it on your first project to be sure that you have mastered the technique. Once you have mastered the art of creating cove molding on your table saw, look for opportunities to incorporate it into more of your woodworking projects. You’ll be pleased with the reaction that people will have when they see this level of ornamentation.