My old way of cutting trim was costing me time and material

For a long time, I would just measure and cut each piece of crown molding for a room one at a time. I'd end up with a bunch of short leftovers and it took forever. About six months ago, I started laying out all the cuts for a room on a single long board before making any cuts. I use a story stick for the wall lengths and mark everything with a pencil. This lets me nest the angles and use the board more efficiently, saving about 15% on waste. It also makes the whole process faster since I'm not running back to the saw after each measurement. Has anyone else switched to a similar cut list method for trim work?

3 comments

3 Comments

drewr157d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah that story stick trick is a game changer lol. I'm with @the_christopher though, I still use an app to double check my layout before I mark anything.

the_christopher7d ago

Your story stick method is brilliant for saving scraps, but have you tried a digital cut list app to plan it all first?

keith_bennett7d agoTop Commenter

Ever try just doing the layout on the board itself? I find the pencil and stick method is faster for me than messing with a screen, keeps my head in the real space of the cut.