WAINSCOTING-109 Part 2: Installing the Rail Cap & Edge Molding

Note: Installing the bed molding under the rail cap will be covered in Part 5.

[This is part of our WAINSCOTING-109 Installation series.]

Installing the Flat-Stock Rail Cap

The width of your rail cap will be determined by the projection of the crown molding you use under the cap, and how much overhang you want.

We wanted to keep the proportions as close to Andre Palladio’s, and so that was the primary consideration after the crown projection.

If I had all of my dimensions figured out in advance I would have mad the pilasters as one unit and then installed them on top of the pedestals.  But this was the first time I’d ever created this design, so I was figuring things out as I went along.

Pedestal Top Depth

If I could do this over again, I’d make my pedestals a bit thicker — perhaps by another 3/4″.  That would have required I make the pedestal tops deeper as well.

Below  Don’t get too caught up in the exact dimensions here.  Your dimensions may be different depending on all the materials and design elements you incorporate into your wainscoting.

Below  The small molding I used on the edge is a bit fragile, so make sure you have some extra on hand if the wood splits while cutting your various 45 degree miters.

Let’s step back a bit and see what we’ve got so far.

Installing the Edge Detail on the Rail Cap

When wrapping moldings with multiple inside and outside miters, I like to start with those inner pieces first and then work my way around the pedestals.

23 Gauge Micro Pinner

I’ve said it before, that if you don’t have a 23 gauge micro pinner, stop what you’re doing and go buy one.  Senco and Accuset are my favorites.  It makes nailing those delicate pieces of molding so easy.

Cutting Very Small Pieces of Molding

If your wainscoting has pilaster pedestals integrated into them like ours does, then you’re going to have to wrap the small panel molding around them.  Here are a few tips.

It takes practice, but it’s not difficult.  Like anything else, just get in there and make some mistakes.  It’s just wood.  You’ll get better at it.

I’m glad I had to put a halt to the project for a few days while we had company.  It gave me more time to think about how I wanted to make the pedestal boxes.

This is the end of WAINSCOTING-109 Part 2: Rail Cap & Edge Molding

Posts in This Series

1.  How to Install WAINSCOTING-109 Part 1

2.  WAINSCOTING-109 Part 2: Installing the Rail Cap & Edge Molding

3.  WAINSCOTING-109 Part 3: How to Make the Pedestal Boxes

4.  WAINSCOTING-109 Part 4: Wrapping the Bed Molding

5.  WAINSCOTING-109 Part 5: Wrapping the Baseboard

6.  WAINSCOTING-109 Part 6: Prepping for Paint

Related Posts & Molding Patterns

• Our Molding Makeover: The big picture of what we’re up to.

• Our Kitchen Molding Makeover series.

• PILASTER-104: Step by step installation post.

• PICTURE RAIL-108: Step by step how to install.

• BASEBOARD-110: Step by step how to install.