Coping

[charley1968]

Hi, y'all..
I do have a question: What is coping?

 

[#Tee]

normally referring to removing the back materials off mitering crown or base boards for a tight miter fit.

 

[Rob Z]

Charley

Depending on the context, coping is also the name of the course of brick, concrete tile, or other similar hard material around the edge of a swimming pool.

Here is a picture of a coping saw, which is what tee was describing.

http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=32914&cat=1,42884,42902&ap=1

 

[charley1968]

Thanx, @ #tee

 

[charley1968]

..and @ Rob Z..

 

[AlexThePalex]

Coping is the technique of cutting one piece so it (almost) seamlessly fits another.

It is very often done to make crown molding fit perfectly where two pieces meet in a corner, or when a piece of wood meets the wall.

Some examples:

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=4]

 

[mike_aa]

Coping is the technique of cutting one piece so it (almost) seamlessly fits another.

It is very often done to make crown molding fit perfectly where two pieces meet in a corner, or when a piece of wood meets the wall.

Some examples:

[attachimg=1]

[member=23615]charley1968[/member]
I just want to add more clarification to what [member=5277]Alex[/member] said about the first photo.  The reason for coping a molding joint on an inside corner is it can easily accommodate angles that are not an exact 90 degrees.  If the wall inside corner is not 90 degrees, which is often the case, a coped joint will stay tight even if the wall is off by a few degrees.

Mike A.

 

[tjbnwi]

Coping is the technique of cutting one piece so it (almost) seamlessly fits another.

It is very often done to make crown molding fit perfectly where two pieces meet in a corner, or when a piece of wood meets the wall.

Some examples:

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=4]

Picture 2, 3, 4 would be called scribing here. Picture one is what we call coping.

By the way, picture 3 is a terrible scribe.

Coping can be putting up with/dealing with comments/responses like this one [big grin]

Tom

 

[bkharman]

If you are referring to my other thread, copes on cabinet doors refers to the horizontal parts that are also referred to as "rails".  'Cope and stick' and 'rails and stiles' are two terms for making cabinet doors.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[teocaf]

Coping is "making do" with an inferior tool, while you're saving up to buy a Festool...

 

[AlexThePalex]

Picture 2, 3, 4 would be called scribing here. Picture one is what we call coping.

I do have a hard time coping with this comment, Tom.  [smile]

OK, could you please explain, because now I myself don't understand, aren't all 4 photos the same thing? Or is it only called coping if you do it with crown molding? I thought scribing was the process of transfering the shape to the piece that needs to be cut. While the whole process is called coping, and scribing is a part of it.

 

[Stephen B]

[size=13pt]Scribe - Mark with a pointed instrument

Coping - is the action of cutting of contours, corners and curves, ie with a coping saw.

However if you Google these terms as I just did to confirm my general agreement with Alex here, there are many responses that interact the act to scribe with coping. However if we look at the original meaning of scribe it was a record keeper, one who made a mark or scribe with a pointed marker. In wood working this came to mean scribe a point to mark a drill point or to scribe a line to cut along.

[size=8pt]
[member=5277]Alex[/member]

 

[peter halle]

Alex,

I can see why you are asking.

I use the word "coping" when it is involved in cutting a matching profile to meet the same profile in another plane.  i.e. matching trim.

"Scribing" to me is cutting a material to meet & match a different material.  I.e a piece of trim that meets a stone fireplace or part of a cabinet that needs to meet a way.

Peter

 

[tjbnwi]

Picture 2, 3, 4 would be called scribing here. Picture one is what we call coping.

I do have a hard time coping with this comment, Tom.  [smile]

OK, could you please explain, because now I myself don't understand, aren't all 4 photos the same thing? Or is it only called coping if you do it with crown molding? I thought scribing was the process of transfering the shape to the piece that needs to be cut. While the whole process is called coping, and scribing is a part of it.

Coping here is to match the face profile of a piece of trim on the end of a like piece of trim. Chair rail as shown in your photo, crown, base, base shoe,  a cabinet door rail to a stile....

Scribing is fitting a piece of material (board, edge of trim, counter top......) to an existing condition (stone, out of plumb wall, any other regular edge). If you placed a cabinet plumb against an out of plumb wall, transferred the difference to the cabinet, set the track saw on your transferred marks and cut the cabinet to fit the wall, we would say you scribed the cabinet to the wall. The same term would be used if you fit the cabinet to a stone wall.

I believe the difference in terms comes from how the mark on the pieces being cut is achieved. For coping trim you cut a 45º angle on the end of the piece exposing your cut line, on a scribed piece you use some type of transfer device to get the marks to cut/shape along.

The RAS is a great tool to cope or scribe (cut) with.

Again picture 3 is an awful unacceptable scribe.

Tom

 

[mike_aa]

Again picture 3 is an awful unacceptable scribe.

Tom

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]
Tom, I agree with you about photo 3.  I know I don't like the way it looks, but I'm not sure how to make it look right.  I've done scribing before, but never in a situation this drastic.  What would have been a better way to approach it?

Thanks, Mike A.

 

[tjbnwi]

Again picture 3 is an awful unacceptable scribe.

Tom

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]
Tom, I agree with you about photo 3.  I know I don't like the way it looks, but I'm not sure how to make it look right.  I've done scribing before, but never in a situation this drastic.  What would have been a better way to approach it?

Thanks, Mike A.

It is the execution of the scribe and fit. A good scribe leaves no discernible line/joint. If the fit was correct I'd have no issue with the scribe.

Tom

 

[mike_aa]

Again picture 3 is an awful unacceptable scribe.

Tom

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]
Tom, I agree with you about photo 3.  I know I don't like the way it looks, but I'm not sure how to make it look right.  I've done scribing before, but never in a situation this drastic.  What would have been a better way to approach it?

Thanks, Mike A.

It is the execution of the scribe and fit. A good scribe leaves no discernible line/joint. If the fit was correct I'd have no issue with the scribe.

Tom

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member]
Tom, Thanks!  Now I see what you mean.  That picture on my screen is smaller and I didn't see the problems at first.  So looking a little closer, I can see the gaps and poor fit.

Mike A.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Tom, Peter, thanks you both for your explanation, I now understand the difference better. It still seems like the exact same thing to me, but apparantly the material you do it on is important and I didn't know that.

 

[Daver]

Tom, Peter, thanks you both for your explanation, I now understand the difference better. It still seems like the exact same thing to me, but apparantly the material you do it on is important and I didn't know that.

Alex,

This may clarify (or make less clear) the distinction.

For me, coping involves 'joinery' in a sense.
When I cope I'm joining 2 similar parts... 2 pieces of crown (or baseboard, etc.), a stile and rail, etc.
Specific to moldings, I was taught coping can provide a superior to joint to (even perfect) miters on an outside corner.

Scribing is fitting 2 'dissimilar' pieces... a cabinet base to a floor, a door casing to a wall, etc.

Hope this helps.

Dave

 

[AlexThePalex]

Yes, thank you Dave. I hope I get it now.

Coping  = shape similar stuff for seamless fit
Scribing = shape different stuff for seamless fit.