There are several alternatives to using a cove mitre. Which you should choose is likely to depend on your budget, how much coving you are likely to be cutting and whether or not you have any other jobs that require parts be cut with a mitre joint.
Printable paper template
If your budget is very tight and you do not need to cut many mitres on your coving, the cheapest alternative to a cove mitre is a printable paper template.
These can be found free of charge on the internet. Simply print them out, cut out the template and stick it to your coving using some tape, then follow the appropriate edge of the template with the saw to cut the mitre joint you require on the coving.
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Cheapest guide for cutting a cove mitre
Does not have a solid edge to guide the saw when cutting
Not suitable for repeated use
Can only be used on coving that does not have a raised pattern
Mitre boxes
Mitre boxes are used as guides for cutting a range of mitre joint angles, not just the 45 degree joint used to make right-angle corners that a cove mitre can do.
Mitre boxes are available for a similar price to cove mitres, from ones which only guide for 45 and 90 degree angles, to ones which cost several times the price but can be used to cut almost any angle required.
Mitre boxes can also be used to cut mitre joints for jobs other than fitting coving, for example cutting skirting boards. For more detailed information see our pages on Mitre Boxes.
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Guides the saw blade more accurately than a cove mitre
Models available for guiding mitre cuts for corners other than 90 degrees
Can be used to cut any patterned cornice or coving
Models available to suit most budgets
Can be used to cut mitres on items other than coving
Models that cut mitres for different angled corners will cost more than a cove mitre
Grooved saw guides in the mitre box wear with use so might not last as long as a metal cove mitre
Mitre saw
A mitre saw is a circular saw that can be positioned and locked at different angles to the workpiece it is cutting. This makes a mitre saw more versatile than a cove mitre, or even most mitre boxes.
Being a powered tool, a mitre saw will cost far more than a cove mitre but can be used to cut many other objects, some of which may be hard or tiring to cut by hand, such as decking boards.
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Can be used to cut any corner angle mitre
Can be used to cut many other objects and materials, not just coving
By far the most expensive tool for cutting a mitre
Requires a power source
Preformed coving corners
You can now purchase preformed coving corners that take all the work out of accurately cutting a corner mitre joint on coving.
Preformed corners are not always the magic solution to fitting coving though, as they are usually only available for 90 degree corners and are available in a limited number of cornice designs.
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Easiest way to fit coving corners
Inexpensive if only a few corners are required
Only available as 90 degree corners
Only available in limited number of cornice designs
Requires butt joint with straight section of coving, which maybe more visible