Fig. 9. - Moldings.

Those in most common use are shown in Fig. 9. The band molding (a) is used for the finishing member on the outside of a mitered casing: b is used sometimes for a band molding to form a rabbet upon a window frame, against which the siding is cut, to form a very tight joint.

The base molding (c) is nailed into the angle formed by the baseboard and the plastered wall, and the lip molding (d) is for the same purpose, though rarely used. The molding should be nailed to the top of the baseboard, and not to the wall, as otherwise the shrinking of the baseboard will open the joint between it and the molding. The outside corners of the base molding should be mitered, and the inside corners coped, as at A, Fig. 10.

The cap molding (e) finishes the top of a dado, or some such place.

The bed mold (/) is used to fill a corner or as part of a large cornice. In cutting the miters upon this type, the molding should be held in the miter box as shown in Fig. 11, using care that the edge (a) is, throughout, the same distance from the back of the box (6).

Fig 10. - Coped Joints of Base and Picture Moldings.

Fig. 11. - Cutting the Miter of Crown or Sprung Moldings.

Panel moldings are raised, as shown at g, Fig. 9, or sunk, as shown at h, and nailed to the frame of the panel work, as shown at j; if nailed to the panel, which may shrink, the molding would be pulled off the rails, making an unsightly place upon the face of the panel work, while if properly done, the panel will shrink independently of the frame or molding.

The distance between the back (n) of the lip molding, and the under side of the lip (l) should be 1/32", or less, smaller than the panel "sinkage," or the distance between the face of the panel work (l) and the face of the panel (o). This will allow the lip of the molding to fit closely against the face of the panel work, and will compensate for any slight inaccuracy. In mitering a lip molding, a small piece the size of the sinkage of the panel (l, o, Fig. 9) should be used as shown at c, Fig. 11, to allow the molding to be sawed at just the angle at which it finally lies.

A panel sometimes is laid out upon a flat surface by means of an astragal molding, shown at k, Fig. 9; it is used also to cover an open joint in a flat surface, and is valuable for a variety of uses.

The crown molding or sprung molding (m) is used as the highest or crown member of a cornice. Moldings of this type are suitable for the cornices of cases of shelves, closets, etc., and should be cut in a miter box as shown at a, b, Fig. 11.

The quarter round (n) is used, especially upon the cheapest work, to cover the joint in a corner, if the pieces which form the angle do not come together. It also is used as in Fig. 12, to put up partitions; one piece (a) is laid first and the ceiling partition (b) nailed against it; the quarter round (c) is afterwards nailed into the corner to cover the joint.

The scotia or cove (p, Fig. 9) is used for purposes similar to those of the quarter round, and with other small moldings for the purpose of building up large cornices. It is also placed under the nosing of a stair tread, as at r, under a dado cap, or wherever a finish under a cap or a molding is needed.

Fig. 12. - Use of the Quarter Round.

The nosing (r) is generally the edge finish of a stair tread, to round the edge of a board, a cap, or for similar purposes. The half round (s) is applicable to many of the same purposes as the astragal. The bead, shown at t, is used upon ceiling, and wherever it is necessary to hide a joint. Stop beads (u) are used upon window frames to hold the lower sash in place; they are not confined to that design, as they may be shaped like v, or w, or any other desirable form. Room or picture molding, as shown at x, Fig. 9, is fitted around a room near the ceiling, forming the lower edge of the frieze, or border. Its use is to support picture hooks, as shown. Its outside angles should be mitered, but the inside angles should be coped, as shown at B, Fig. 10.

(B.) Most of the moldings above described are mitered at both the inside and outside corners, except the base moldings, the room moldings, and other small moldings which should be coped at the inside angles, as described above, and shown in Fig. 10.

(C.) Specially designed cornices are frequently built up, as shown in Fig. 13. They are made of ogees (a), fillets (b), hollows (c), dentils (d), and quirks (e). Different combinations of these details will furnish a great variety of larger moldings. They may be made of narrow pieces and fastened to the face of the work if desired, as indicated by the dotted line.

Fig. 13. - A Built-up Cornice.

(D.) Nearly all of these moldings are modeled from those used by the architects and builders of the temples and public buildings which the Greeks and Romans erected.

There are eight distinct types of these moldings capable of great variation without losing their distinctive form. These forms are shown in Fig. 14; at a is seen the ovolo or echinus, which is the parent of the quarter round; at b the talon and quirk, or bird's beak molding, which should be used where it seems to support something as the shape suggests; at c the cyma recta; at d the cyma reversa or ogee moldings; at e the cavetto, hollow, or cove. The last three appear weak and should be used where they will seem to support no weight, as the upper member of a cornice, for instance.