Mastering Compound Mitres: Professional Cornice & Coving Techniques for the Modern Tradesperson

Stop guessing. Start calculating. Get perfect cornice joints every single time.

If you have ever tried to fit large crown moulding or ornate cornice, you know the problem. Standing a heavy profile upright in a mitre saw, trying to hold it steady while making a clean cut — it is unreliable, unrepeatable, and with large profiles, nearly impossible.

This book teaches you a better way.

Written by Pindi Sahota — a master craftsman with 30 years of hands-on experience in kitchen fitting and construction — Mastering Compound Mitres introduces the flat-cut compound mitre method. Instead of wrestling with unstable material, you lay the cornice flat on the saw bed and use two precisely calculated angles — a mitre and a bevel — to achieve flawless corner joints on any size profile, at any wall angle.

What you will learn:

• What spring angles are and how to measure them accurately
• Why the traditional standing method fails on large cornices
• The exact mathematical formulas behind every compound mitre cut
• Complete reference tables for 38° and 45° spring angles, covering every corner angle from 15° to 165°
• How to set up, calibrate, and get the best from your compound mitre saw
• Step-by-step proof of concept cuts at both 45° and 90° corners
• Professional installation methods and adhesive techniques
• How to diagnose and fix the most common cutting mistakes

This book is for you if:

You are a professional tradesperson looking to add precision cornice work to your skill set. You are a kitchen fitter who wants perfect results on high-end installations. You are a DIY enthusiast who refuses to accept "good enough." Or you are simply someone who believes that craftsmanship still matters.

Includes workshop photographs showing every step, printable reference tables you can laminate and take to site, and chapters on the philosophy and legacy of precision craftsmanship — because the best tradespeople do not just build rooms. They build reputations.

"Precision is not a gift. It is a skill. And like every skill, it can be learned, practised, and mastered."

First Edition — 2026