add a return on rectangular profile trim?

[Ken Klingman]

Trimming out in Arts&Crafts style using rectangular-profile trim. Head casing on doors and windows is 5/4 x 4 stock which extends beyond the side casing by 1 1/2". Window stools and aprons are also squared off. Any trim carpenters out there with an opinion as to whether or not butt ends should have a return, or can be left squared-off. Trim will be painted, but even so I imagine the end grain will look different and maybe not as nice as a return. But it's a lot more work... Anybody have any actual experience one way or the other?

Ken

[George Bokros]

IMHO a return always looks best. It may not be period correct however.

[Jason Roehl]

When I'm painting trim and the carpenter leaves exposed end grain, I simply fill it with caulk while I'm doing the rest of the caulking. Makes it practically unnoticeable. (I'm a painting contractor by day.) In this case, I would say that return would be a lot of extra work for no real added benefit in terms of quality, and if not done consistently well, the mitered corner could look worse than not having a return.

[Todd Burch]

I just did a house with 31 built-up headers.

DSC_8022.jpg

The top rail is 5/8" x 5" x 1" wider than the vertical casings.

At the bottom of the top rail is a 1" x 3/8" bull nosed flat, with returns. (tiny returns).

The top of the 2 3/4" cove is flush with the top of the top rail. I returned these as well.

The top cap, however, (chamfered on the underside) I did not do returns. I just made bevel cuts on the end grain and sanded it well. I could have done returns, but my limit for a door/window header is 8 pieces of wood, and doing returns would have bumped it to 10 pieces.

They look fine.

If you sand your caps well, and it's not bowed or twisted, you should be fine. Just sand it good. If you have access to horizontal belt sander (or a belt sander clamped in the horizontal position) so you can sand them with 120 grit, you should be fine.

Todd

[scott vroom]

I return the header cap and bull nose stop moulding but not the top case...just sand and paint.

[Justin Ludwig]

Last house I trimmed we put a 4/4 plinth block on the leg casing then trimmed around it, building a capital look. Each head casing took an hour to complete.


IMG_2439.jpg

We've also done headers like Todd's above and then stop-routed a small profile with a classical or chamfer bit into the end grain for both stain and paint applications.