How to Cut Baseboard Corners without Miter Saw? Best Alternatives in 2023

If you are running a wood workshop or renovating your house, you may need baseboard corners to cut down. You may need them for building a connection between two erect walls.

Cutting a baseboard corner is surely a sensitive task. Generally, you are suggested to keep a miter saw for this job. It would make your work much easier and flawless.

In either case, if you don’t have a miter saw on hand, you should be trained enough to use other ordinary tools.

Miter saw would assist you in measuring as well as cutting. On the contrary, you have to measure and cut the board corner separately from other gadgets.

Without further ado, let’s move to the point and discuss some awesome alternatives. I’m here to provide you with a detailed guide.

How to Cut Baseboard Corners with a Circular Saw?

If you are choosing a circular saw for this critical task, make sure to get everything in your hand before starting the process. You may need a baseboard cutting kit, a level tool, and some scrap wood chunks.

After you have brought all the above-mentioned items, you are ready to begin the trimming. Let’s start the procedure.

● First, mark the length of the cut with level by utilizing the measuring tape and a pencil. Then, mark a visible miter line to know the stuff left on both sides after trimming one side.

● Start cutting along the marked lines. Space available in corners would ensure accuracy. One most important things are to use a freshly sharpened blade.

● This time, you will be done with one corner. Make another cut, matching the first cut, from the opposite side. Further, adjusting the angle brackets would compensate for any mistake made during the initial line marking.

● Continue the same marking and cutting for all other sides of the baseboard. However, you may do this procedure for all baseboard pieces at one time for your ease.

● Construct a line across the long cut to develop two bisecting lines on both sides of the corner to make an “X” shape. It would ensure ample room for cutting. Additionally, it would eliminate mistakes made during measurements and alignments.

● Cut one side of the “X” by using the circular saw. You may use this piece for marking and cutting both pieces of baseboard in one go.

Cutting Baseboard Corners with a Hand Saw

A hand saw can be a preferable alternative to a miter saw for this task. Although it’s pretty tough to use a hand saw in baseboard cutting, I’ll make sure to guide you correctly with step-by-step instructions.

You would certainly get perfect cuts by following every point carefully. Let’s begin the main procedure.

● First of all, place a baseboard on a table and turn the cutting side up.

● The second step is the most crucial one, it’s time to make the first cut. All you need is to develop a diagonal cut on the outer boundary of both sides. This cut may measure up to one inch from the corner along the cutting line.

● This time you have to estimate one-half in between both these lines for sequencing.

● After you have done perfect measurements, pick your hand saw and make another diagonal cut closest to the previous ones. It would result in two perfectly matching pieces like those of puzzles.

Moreover, you need to cut down on scrap wood pieces as well. Five scraps would be enough for a four-cornered baseboard. One is being placed between the former cuts. Place the second one on the point where both sides meet at the right angle.

Furthermore, take the next scrap and fit it into the corner in the process and glue it properly. Proceed the same steps until all corners are done and let them dry overnight.

Once they are dried, trim the rough edges and paint them the way you want.

How do Trim a Baseboard Corner with a Table Saw?

Source: Youtube

If you find it pretty messy to work with a hand saw, you may go for a table saw. It’s a bit compact to use. You may follow the below-mentioned steps to get perfect cuts.

● Let’s start by placing the board on your table saw with its one side’s bottom facing the fence. Line it up right next to the blade of the saw.

● Turn on the saw and check if it’s spinning or not.

● Once the saw is set to be on, start pushing the baseboard carefully. Be sure to align one side of the cut with the blade.

● Turn on the slow-speed feed and apply a little pressure to push the aligned side of the board. The other side would come out simply perfect.

● You may use a small square to mark lines for trimming the corners to fit them snugly on the wall’s edges.

● You may use the miter saw to cut along the marked lines at a specific angle. A correct angle would allow both sides to fit together perfectly when back to their position.

This method would certainly cause some mess around you but you may clean it later after completing your task.

Trimming Baseboard Corners with a JigSaw

A jigsaw is also a suitable substitution for a miter saw. Although it’s not as perfect as a miter saw, it still works great. You would get excellent cuts just by following the step-by-step guide consciously.

● First of all, measure the thickening of your baseboard. You may use a measuring tape or any other measuring device for this purpose.

● Next thing is to trace the center of your cuts. In this regard, you may place one side of the board with something straight and label at least one inch back to each side, ¼” away from where you will cut the board.

● It’s time to pick your jigsaw and place its blade to cut down two lines between those three labeled points.

● You would have two pieces now on each side and one in the center. By using the jigsaw, take them to size and get to the final position.

● Yet, it may have a rough surface or small gaps, you may overcome them with sandpaper or wood filler.

Although it’s pretty good to work with baseboards, it may not be able to cut the board at the 45-degree angle.

Pro Tips

Some of the tips are listed down to help you out in working with baseboard corners.

● Always wear eye protection and gloves while working with an electric tool.

● Go for a saw in which the base is adjusted already. However, you won’t need to adjust the angle by taking measurements.

● Whenever you are working with such tools, make damn sure to measure twice and cut once. It will surely reduce the chances of any error.

Final Verdict

Finally, you have a pretty vast knowledge of cutting baseboard corners. Although it’s preferable to cut these corners with a miter saw, you may do so with some other tools too.

If you are going to use an alternative, you have to be enough choosy to select a suitable tool. I hope you must have great exposure to the above-mentioned substitutes in the article.

Choose the right one and work with great care!