How to Cut Door Trim with a Miter Saw (In 4 Simple Steps)

Are you looking for a step-by-step guide on how to cut door trim with a miter saw? Do you want to know the right way to cut your door trim without ruining it? If that is the case, then you are exactly in the right place.

In this article, together, you and I will cut door trim with a miter saw without getting bored or ruining the piece. I hope you will enjoy reading this article and learn some new, silly but efficient techniques. So without any further ado, let’s get started.

Tools You’ll Need to Cut the Trim Piece.

Before we start working on the project, here are some tools that you will need. Some of them are really necessary, while a few of them are completely optional.

My goal is to help you not only cut the piece of molding or baseboard but also fit it perfectly. Therefore, I will keep safety and perfection in mind while teaching you the process.

Here is the list of tools required to cut the trim piece

• A sliding compound miter saw
• finish nails
• A nail gun or hammer
• air compressor for the nail gun (if you are using a Pneumatic one)
• Fine woodworking saw blade
• A miter box (in case you can’t afford a miter saw)
• A measuring tape
• Combination square
• A woodworking pencil
• A utility knife
• A high-quality Trim molding
• Glue (for joining the 45 degree angle miter cuts

If you have got all the tools needed for the project, then you are good to go. Let’s assume that you are ready for the job so let’s start working on it and cut the molding.

Ensuring Safety Before Starting the Project

Safety is extremely important whenever you are working with power tools. Whether it be power saws or nail guns you need to handle them carefully to prevent accidents.

Unfortunately, I have seen most people even professionals don’t care too much about safety. This is one of the main reasons behind accidents. A study shows around 6800 annual injuries due to miter saws alone.

This shows how dangerous power tools can be if you don’t handle them correctly. Therefore, before you start working on any kind of project from trim cutting to crown molding, you need to stay safe.

Here are a few things I personally keep in mind while working with miter saws (power miter box).

• Using a miter saw stand
• Avoid wearing loose clothing
• Avoid wearing a wristwatch or any other piece of jewelry that can cause an accident
• Always wear work gloves
• Always wear safety glasses
• Use the correct saw blade
• Follow the correct approach to use the miter saw.

Once you have gathered all of the required tools and take safety measures it’s time to cut the trim piece. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to cut a piece of trim with your miter saw and install it perfectly.

Understanding the Miter Angle Required for Door Trim

The first thing you need to know before cutting the workpiece is the angle. You will need to cut the trim at a 45 degree miter so that when you join two pieces you’ll get the 90-degree angle.

However, things aren’t easier said than done. Especially when you are a complete beginner you need to be very careful while cutting the piece. It is because if you cut it slightly off of the mark then the trim piece will not fit perfectly and hence the project will lose its perfection.

The best way to make perfect 45 degree miter cuts is to measure the trim first and make sure to mark it accurately. You can use different methods to make 45 degree miter cuts. For your information, I also have covered a topic that will teach you how to cut miter angles without a miter saw. You can use a miter box for this purpose.

Let’s not go too deep about the angles and stuff for now because it is getting a little bit distracting. Our main task is to cut door trim and window trim using a miter saw.

Cutting the Trim Piece Using Power Miter Box

I know you must be excited and can’t wait to start working on the project but honestly, the above-mentioned things were necessary. I want you to know everything before you start working on the project and make some beautiful miter angle cuts.

Here is a step by step method that will teach you how to cut door trim with a miter saw. You can use this method to cut window trim as well. After reading this guide you should be able to cover your door frame with beautifully looking molding.

Watch A Video Guide

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZoKDvHEiUY”]

Step 1 Preparing the Tool (Power Miter Box or Manual Miter Box)

The first thing you need to do is to ensure that your tool is in the right working condition. If you are using a power miter saw for the project then things will get a bit easier. You don’t need to put too much effort into it because most of the miter saws come with additional features.

With that said, you still need to prepare the tool before you start working on the project. The first thing that most woodworkers even overlook is the miter and bevel angle of the saw. You need to ensure that the saw is perfectly zeroed and there are no instrumental errors.

It isn’t necessary that your tool will always be perfect and you shouldn’t fully trust the scale on your saw. I like to use a square tool to ensure that the blade of the saw is making an exact 90-degree angle with the table of the saw.

Oh! one more thing please don’t forget to place the saw somewhere secured. Make sure there is no wobbling motion during the process. The lesser the tool vibrates the better will be the outcomes.

Step 2 Install the Right Blade for the Job

Once you have completely ensured that the miter saw or miter box is perfect for the job the next thing you need to do is to select the right blade. This is a very important thing to keep in mind as it will directly affect the cut results.

Using an incorrect blade for the job will result in rough cutting and as a result, your pieces may not fit the door casing perfectly. We don’t want that to happen and this is why I wanted to tell you a few things that will help you select the right blade for the job.

First of all, is the tooth count of the blade. You don’t need to count them personally because the number is already printed on the blade. If you take a closer look at the blade it will have a complete specification section. For example, take a look at the picture.

Here the blade says 60 which means this blade has 60 teeth. Always keep in mind the more teeth the finer will be the result. The less the teeth and the coarse will be the output. Since we are working on door trim we need to select a blade with 80 teeth.

The next thing is the hook angle of the blade. For instance, in this example, the blade that I am using has a hook angle of 8 degrees. Hook angle is basically the angle at which the teeth of the blade are pointing from the workpiece.

If you are using a strong positive angle then there is a high chance that the blade will bind into the lumber and as a result, your miter saw may kickback.

The last thing that matters while selecting the right blade for the project is the kerf size. If the blade is thick then it may burn the wood and may cause some other issues.

Step 3 Measure the Trim Piece

The next step is to carry out the right and exact measurements before you start cutting the trim corners. Here is the right way to measure the corner angle perfectly without any issue at all.

The first thing you need to do is to establish where the short points of the trim will go. Make sure you keep the hinges in mind while taking the measurements. When you are measuring the trim angle put the trim on side of the door jamb.

Take a look at the margin which defines the distance between the edge of the jamb and the edge of the trim. Once you feel that the trim is perfectly placed then you need to take your pencil and mark a point on the door jamb.

Do this for both sides of the door frame and use it as a guide to mark the trim for cutting. Place the trim on top of the door frame and carefully mark it on both sides using your pencil and keeping the previous measurements as your reference.

This will give you the actual measurements for cutting the trim using a miter saw or miter box. If you are using a miter box you need to be very careful while making the corners.

Step 4 Cutting the Trim Using a Power Miter Box

This final step is to cut the trim for covering your door frame and hiding those door corners. This may sound a bit hard especially if this is your first time doing it. However, you just need to keep a few things in mind, and in the end, you will get beautiful 45-degree angle cuts that will cover your door frame.

One big mistake that most carpenters make while making a corner angle is they start cutting the piece right at the mark. If you make a slight mistake then this will ruin the whole measurements of the piece.

The best approach while making a 45 degree miter is to start cutting slightly away from the mark. Here is the best approach to cut the trim at a 45 degree angle.

• Set the miter saw to a 45 degree angle.
• Put the board on the table of the saw
• Press the button to power the blade and let it reach full speed
• descend the blade slowly on the cutting piece and make sure you hold them securely
• Start cutting the pieces a bit away from the cut mark
• Push the pieces towards the blade slightly each time you cut
• Make sure to keep your hands away from the blade all the time.
• Keep doing it until you don’t see the pencil mark.

Once you have followed all the steps as mentioned you will have cut your pieces of trim for the door casing. Having that said, we have completed the project and no we only need to install the cut pieces.

If you are interested in learning about how to install the cut pieces of trim on the door frame then keep on reading. I will teach you to install the pieces of trim that we just cut with our miter box or a miter saw.

How to Install Door Trim Pieces on a Door Frame

Here is a step by step tutorial that teaches how to do the job efficiently. So without any further ado, let’s get our hands dirty with the installation part of the trim and cover those corners on the door frame.

In this example, we will learn how to install casing on a six-panel door frame.

Step 1 Cutting off the Shims

If your door frame has a significant gap between the drywall and the doors then you need to use a shim. This is the most basic part and doesn’t involve any technical skills for its installation. Once you insert the shim inside the gap you can use a utility knife to put a cut mark on both sides.

If the shim is thick you need to do a couple of passes with a sharp blade. After that, you can snap the shim off with your hands. However, you will need to make sure that they aren’t projecting outwards. You can use a set square to confirm it.

Having that said, if the shim is projecting outside then the trim will rock on there and you will never get it flush.

Step 2 Installing the Top Side of the Trim

After the successful installation of shims, you will need to start installing the casing. Most beginners try to install the side casings first. However, I highly recommend installing the top pieces on the wall first. It will make the job easier as you can easily align the corners of the trim.

Make sure you have prepared perfect angles so that when you combine all the miter pieces you will be getting 90-degree angles on all sides. Place the door casing on top of the jamb and use your trim gun to secure the piece on the drywall.

Step 3 Install the Side Casing

The next and the last part is to install the side casing. After installation of the top part, you will find it very easy to put the other pieces of the molding together. All you need to do is to get one side of the casing and put it carefully.

Make sure to align the angles otherwise it will not look very appealing if there are gaps between the molding pieces.

Once you have aligned the pieces use a nail gun to attach them to the wall. If you do it carefully you will have trimmed the door beautifully. It will look professional and once you have enough practice you can easily cover different doors without any issue at all.

If you are a complete beginner and this is your very first time installing the trim then you need to work on your miters. I have seen a lot of beginners struggle with making miters but don’t worry it will take time and practice to master this skill.

Frequently Asked Questions

After reading the above article, I hope you will have learned how to cut trim with a miter saw. Apart from that, I hope you will also have a sound idea about how to install it the right way. However, sometimes people have some questions in their minds.

I have covered a few most frequently asked questions here that may help you.

How do you miter trim around a door?

I have explained everything in complete detail about this question in my article. You can miter trim around a door using a miter saw. Here is a quick, easy but effective way on how to do it.

• Place your compound miter saw on the stand
• Wear safety gloves, a dust mask, and glasses
• Fit the right blade for the job
• set the miter saw to a 45 degree angle
• mark the piece with correct measurements using a tape measure.
• Put the piece of trim on beneath the blade of the saw
• Start cutting the piece but make sure to keep your hands away from the blade
• Use a jig to produce other pieces of the same length accurately.

Can you Cut a Door with a Miter Saw?

Cutting a door with a miter saw isn’t really a possible thing. It is because doors are usually wide and miter saws aren’t that capable of ripping through wide lumber. However, you can use a track saw or a circular saw for this job.

Sometimes you can cut wide boards with a miter saw but that requires a specific technique to follow. You will have to flip the subject once you reach a certain length on one side. However, I would highly recommend using a sliding compound miter saw for such projects.

How do you Cut a Door Trim with a Miter Box?

if you don’t have a power miter box and still want to cut the trim then you can use a miter box. Although it is a bit cumbersome technique because you will have to put a lot of effort while cutting the door casing. However, it is still possible.

Here is a proper way to cut trim with a miter box.

• Set the miter box flat on the ground and make sure it stays firmly
• mark the angles on the casings
• Place the casing in the miter box
• Start cutting
• Follow the same technique for all of the molding.

Where do you Nail a Door Trim?

nailing the trim for your doors can be a bit difficult especially if this is your first time. It is because if you don’t do it correctly, you will split the molding and then you’ll have to start over. However, if you use the correct measurement you can nail the trim without splitting it.

For the bottom part of the trim, I recommend using 3d or 4d finish nails every 12 inches. While for the top part of the molding you will need to use 6d or 8d nails and about a half-inch away from the sides.

Final Words

Cutting door trim with a miter saw isn’t that hard. It can be a fun project if you follow the right method. In this article, I have explained a detailed method on how to cut door trim with a miter saw. Apart from that, I have also tried my best to teach you how to install the casing that looks beautiful.

There isn’t any rocket science behind this project but you will need to be careful while cutting the corners. A slight bit of error can ruin the project and you will have to start over. I have added some videos that can help you get the job done in the best possible way.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. If you find it helpful please share it with your friends and family. Apart from that, I love getting your feedback on my content. If you want me to add something to make it more helpful please let me know.