Compound miter calculator

Calculate blade tilt and miter angle for crown molding and other compound cuts.

°
38° or 45° most common
°
90° for square corners
Cross-section — spring angle
wallceiling38°spring angle
Plan view — corner & miter
miter joint90°corner
Miter angle
31.6°
Set on fence/turntable
Blade tilt
33.9°
Bevel from vertical
Common crown molding setups
Profile
Miter
Tilt
38° @ 90° corner
31.6°
33.9°
45° @ 90° corner
35.3°
30.0°
38° @ 135° corner
14.0°
39.8°

How Compound Miters Work

Crown molding sits at an angle between the wall and ceiling — the spring angle. To cut a joint at a corner, you need two angles set on the saw simultaneously: the miter angle (turntable/fence setting) and the blade tilt (bevel setting).

Most crown molding is either 38° or 45° spring angle. The most common corner is 90° (square). For non-square corners (bay windows, angled walls), measure the actual corner angle and enter it here.

Tips

  • Check the spring angle on the molding profile — it's printed on the back of most stock
  • Always cut test pieces from scrap before cutting the real material
  • For outside corners, reverse the miter angle direction
  • Measure actual corner angles with a digital protractor — walls are rarely exactly 90°
These calculators are provided for estimation and educational purposes only.