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Are you like me; do you retain scrap trim?  If so, before filing away — grab somewhere around a 1-foot length, a Sharpie,  and place identifiable markings on the back of each unique strip. Do this and over time you will build yourself, and your house, a wood molding library.

A Bucket of Wood: molding scraps become a wood molding libraryJot down the Wood Molding Profile, aka WM#, number (if you have it), add the sample’s species and/or construction too (if you know it): FJ for Finger Jointed, PP for Primed Pine, and so on.

Other options for what to write might be — “base in back hall bedroom 2; fuschia room — southeast ” or if you profile your own, use something like “1/4″ beading bit” or “3/16″ cove.”

At minimum, measure the width of the profile (the bigger number) and the height/thickness (while lying flat or using a point on a rule or tape other than 0).  Measurements are, as far as I know, always recorded at their largest point. In other words, if the thickest part on the fat side of a colonial door trim is 11/16″, your trim measures at, and is 11/16″ thick.

Important: Demand this too from people you hire — the exact sample from a job with information could come in handy in a few years.  And the funny thing is . . . they may be the ones that need to access this information then.

Take these steps and future matching at home centers and/or ordering from supersites will be easy.

I use 5-gallon buckets to store my wood molding library, but I think you probably could come up with one or two certainly suitable solutions for storing your collection.

Thanks and BMoxieBMore!

More Moxie:

There is a little confusion for me on where exactly the WM# index originates from and who now maintains it. If you know, please feel free to comment below.

A Moxie Box essential — The Sharpie.