We’ve talked about scribing here before, and the basic technique is pretty straightforward. In the photo, we’re using a compass to draw a scribe line on one beam where it butts against another beam. You hold the compass flat and straight, and slide it up so the point follows the beam’s contour while the pencil draws a line. You do this around all sides of the beam and then cut along the lines. Finally you test-fit and use a saw or file to fine-tune the fit.

The catch is that you’ve got to place the beam you’re scribing in exactly the right position relative to the thing it’s butting against. That’s easy when you can lay out a couple of beams on the floor before installing them, as we’ve done here. But when you’re scribing against a rock wall ten feet off the floor, it’s a bit more of a challenge.

The key to success is that you’ve already attached all the mounting blocks for the beam to the ceiling. (You have, right?) So with a helper or two, you can fit the beam over the mounting blocks and hold it in place — or even temporarily screw it in place — while you do the scribing.

So here are the steps:

1. Cut the beam a little longer than its final length. Allow enough length for the beam to extend into the deepest cranny of the wall it’s butting against, plus another inch or two for tweaking and final fitting.

2. With a helper, slip the beam over its mounting blocks. Have the helper hold it in place, or temporarily drive a few screws to hold it, so you’ll have both hands free to do the scribing. Because the beam is oversize at this point, the far end might be bumping against another beam or surface. Do the best you can to hold it so the end you’re scribing is properly aligned.

If you do use temporary screws, position each screw near the far end of the mounting block, away from the wall you’re fitting against. Then, when the beam is in its final position an inch or two closer to the wall, you’ll be able to re-use the same screw hole through the beam and still hit the mounting block.

3. Scribe lines using a compass around all sides of the beam. Make sure to hold the compass straight as shown in the photo, so the point properly follows the irregular surface as you draw the line. Also make sure your scribe line won’t leave the beam too short!

4. Take the beam down and cut along the lines with a jigsaw or coping saw. Angle your cut inward by 20 or 30 degrees so the cut edge is well-defined and a little “sharpened.” This will allow the edge to deform a bit for a tighter fit as you press the beam into place.

5. Test the fit, and use a saw or coarse file to make adjustments as needed. Resign yourself to several trips up and down the ladder to get it right, and don’t rush it. Keep in mind that you can fill small gaps with matching caulk.

6. When the fit is nice and tight, cut the other end of the beam to its final length.

7. To ensure that no raw polyurethane will ever show at the ends of the beam, stain the cut ends to match the beam’s finish.

8. Mount the beam in place with screws and adhesive, and carefully fill any gaps at the scribed end with matching caulk.

9. The usual: La-Z-Boy, cold drink, self-congratulation, good night’s sleep.

Click here for more tips, videos and instructions on installing faux wood ceiling beams.

Two of the newest panels at FauxPanels.com are Woodland and Raised Grain, and they’re each part of a larger family of faux products. The Woodland family includes custom beams, corbels and mantels. The Raised Grain family includes beams, corbels and scrolled-end beams.

When you combine solid beams and accessories with flat panels in a single project, you can get really amazing results. The photo below shows what one of our customers did with Raised Grain beams and panels to transform a high ceiling into an architectural feature that defines the entire room.

So today’s tip is simple: When you’re thinking about using faux beams for your project, think beyond the beam. Think about the flat stuff as well.

With smooth beams, you can just cut the butting beam square, and it should fit against the main beam without a problem. It’s a different story with rough, distressed beams.

Sure, you can cut the beam square, butt it to the main beam, and fill the gap with caulk. But you’re likely to have a lot of gap to fill, and the result can look messy and unprofessional.

To do it right, you should scribe the end of the butting beam to match the contours of the main beam. All you need is a simple circle-drawing compass and a jigsaw or coping saw.

1. Lay the beams together as shown in the photo, at the exact position where they’ll meet.

2. Spread the compass an inch or so. Hold it flat and slide it up along the beams as shown, so the point follows the surface of the main beam while the pencil draws a line on the butting beam. Do this all the way around the top and the other side.

3. Tilt the jigsaw shoe to an angle of 10-15 degrees, so that you’ll cut away more material toward the center of the beam and make a sharper outer edge. Carefully cut along the scribed line on all three sides of the beam. You can also use a coping saw.

4. Test fit the beam, and remove any high spots with a coarse file until you have a perfect fit.

5. Stain the cut end of the beam to prevent any possibility of raw polyurethane showing through a crack in the joint.

Now you’re ready to install the beams and have the satisfaction of seeing a perfectly invisible joint.

But how do you know what size corbel to use? The answer depends on the kind of beam you’re using.

Suppose your beams have well-defined edges that are square and straight or just slightly rounded. These include our Raised Grain, Woodland and Sandblasted beams. In this case, choose corbels that are the same width as the beams or just slightly narrower.

The first photo shows a corbel slightly narrower than the beam it supports. An equal-width corbel would also look great with this beam.

On the other hand, suppose your beams have irregular edges that are distressed and significantly rounded. Our Timber beams are like this. In this case, choose corbels that are at least a couple of inches narrower than the beams. This lets the corbel rest against the flat part of the beam and avoid overlapping the rounded edges.

The second photo shows corbelsnarrow enough to rest against only the flat part of a heavily distresssed and rounded beam.

Here’s how you do it.

1. Follow the steps in part 1  for installing the beams using double-mitered joints. As you do — no matter how careful you are — you’ll find that not all your joints are perfect. Some joints will have small cracks. Some will be uneven, with one beam a little lower or higher than the others. These imperfections don’t show with rough, distressed beams, but they do with smooth beams.

2. Fill those inevitable cracks and irregularities with auto body filler. Apply it with a flexible putty knife, making each joint as smooth as you can. Then carefully sand the filler so each joint is silky smooth. Be careful not to sand down the surfaces of the beams themselves.

3. Prime the filled areas with the primer recommended by the manufacturer of your finish paint.

4. Apply the finish paint to all the beams.

5. Admire.

6. (Optional) Show off.

To make a coffered ceiling with irregular beams such as our Timber or Rustic styles, use the butt-joint method shown in the photos.

1. Choose the beam style you like, and order it in two different sizes. Order the larger beams to run along the entire length of the room, and the smaller beams to bridge the short spaces between the larger beams.

2. Install the large, long beams in the usual way, following the standard installation instructions . Be sure to use adhesive along the top edges.

3. Let the adhesive set for a day, so the large beams are fully stable before you start squeezing the smaller beam pieces between them.

4. Cut pieces of the smaller beams slightly oversize, to fit snugly between the larger beams, and install them following these tips:

• Usually you can install a single support block at the midpoint of each piece. Use more supports if the piece is longer than 5 feet or the ceiling isn’t quite flat.

• Do use adhesive along the top edges of each beam piece.

• Don’t apply adhesive to the ends of the small beam piece, because it will smear all over the large beam when you squeeze the small piece into place. The snug fit will keep the joint tight.

5. If needed, fill any gaps with matching caulk or filler.

Next week we’ll have one more look at coffered ceilings, with tips for using smooth, elegant, painted beams.

1. Carefully plan, measure and lay out the grid pattern of the coffers. Snap a chalk line on the ceiling along the center line of each beam to make a checkerboard with perfect right angles.

2. For each intersection on the checkerboard, make a crossed mounting block from two pieces of 2-by lumber. Rip each piece to the exact width of the inside of the beam, and make its length about three times its width. Screw and glue the two pieces together at right angles. Then anchor each crossed block to the ceiling aligned with the chalk marks.

3. Take time and care cutting and dry-fitting each beam. At each four-way intersection, miter each beam in a V using a precision miter saw.

4. Stain the mitered edges to match the finished beam. This helps hide any imperfections in the joinery.

5. Mount the beams to the blocks. To lock everything together as a single unit, use adhesive on every mating surface: the mitered edges, the inside of the beam where it slips over the mounting block, and the edges of the beam that touch the ceiling. Apply a light bead, slightly back from exposed edges to avoid squeeze-out. Screw through the sides of each beam into the mounting blocks as usual.

6. Carefully wipe away any excess adhesive that squeezes out.

7. Step back and admire the perfect joints that will stay that way for a long, long time.