Replies

1. 
   joinerswork | Sep 16, 2008 05:18pm | #1

    

   word,

   Don't know what the profile of the molding you are matching looks like.  But I have a pair of old Rockwell-Delta shaper cutters, # D-135, and D-136  left and right hand matching cutters, cove and bead profile, that are mated to a coping cutter which is unfortunately unmarked.  I've used the bead (quarter-round) portion of the cutters and its mate on the coping cutter to work the arrangement  you describe.  The coping cutter is used on a "stub spindle" on the shaper that takes the placeof the standard (1/2") spindle used for the sticking.

   If you only have a few doors to build, you can forego cutting the cope with a shaper or router bit altogether.  Run the sticking (molding) on rails and stiles, and miter the moldings at their ends, if the rails are are not too wide. (2-3").  The mold on the stile must be chopped away, along its fillet, from the miter to the end of the stile. For wider stock, or a truly traditional approach, it is easy enough to chop the sticking off square on the stile as before, but with no miter.  Then miter the end of the rail's sticking, and use the profile thus exposed to chop a shallow (1/4-3/8" deep) cope "pocket" into the rail's end to accept the end of the stiles sticking.  An in-cannel gouge was traditionally used for this, but a common carving gouge can be used if you are careful.  Note that the tenons are cut beforehand, with both these methods.  The tenons must have offset shoulders, to compensate for the offset created when you chop away the mold on the front side of the stiles, back to the fillet.  On the attached photo, the offset is not great, as this is a sash door, and has a rabbet on the back for glass, not a groove for a panel.

   Ray

   
   

   ---

   Edited 9/16/2008 10:19 am ET by joinerswork

   
1. 
   BG | Sep 16, 2008 08:17pm | #3

   Ray,I don't want to steal wordsmith's thread but perhaps you could elaborate on mitering the cove on the rail and stile pieces. I've been wanting miter corners for some time and just don't know how to set up and execute. I've seen Norm use the table saw, blade at 45 degrees, to make the initial cut. Do you register the saw blade from the end of the tenon? In other words, with a 2" tenon, on rails and stiles that are 2" wide, do you carefully measure over to the top outside edge of the blade 2 inches and make your cut? help! I've tried using a chisel, but with a cove already on the stock, I can't get a good mark on the stock with my try square. help ! thanks

1. 
   joinerswork | Sep 16, 2008 08:48pm | #4

   BG,

   I've seen someone, maybe it was Lonnie Bird, do that tablesaw thing. While I've no doubt it works, my approach is more direct and low tech.  I have made what I believe the old timers called saddleblocks for several moldings that I commonly use in doormaking.  And I have made a miter jig for cutting a 45* angle on various moldings where I want to lop the end off without a lot of fuss or set-up (beading and stuff like that).

   The attachmant shows both, laid on stock as if about to be used.  Of course, the jig would be clamped in place.  setup might be as follows:  Loosen the screw in center, slide the mitered bit back to a distance equal to the thickness of the stock, tighten screw.  Holding the square end of the backing block flush with the end of the stock puts the mitered end where it wants to be on the stock.  Use the mitered surface as a jig to guide a chisel's final pass trimming the mold to a 45* angle.

   The saddleblocks are simply used to scribe a guide line onto the molding wherever you want to cut the miter or carve the cove.  To make, you need to make a matching shape to the mold, (like a dropleaf table joint) and miter its ends back.  Easy enough to carve a short length in soft wood, if you don't have a matching molding cutter. Just cut or pare to the line.  In the case of mitering/coving a door frame, I index the saddleblock to the inner end of the mortise on the stile, or the shoulder of the tenon on the rail.  The rail is a matter of simply paring back to the line; on stiles, I make a series of chopping cuts with chisel and mallet, stepping 1/8-3/16" with each chop- rather like chopping a mortise- til I approach the depth of the fillet, and the end of the mortise.  Then a couple paring passes cleans up the surface well enough for a fit.

   For a pair of doors, this is fast enough that I don't bother setting the tablesaw blade to 45*, twiddling with its height, and setting a fence to limit the cuts.  Seems faster to me, to just do it at the bench, and move on.

   Ray

   edit:  I've crossed over the line-- now, this ought to be in the hand tools section, I guess:-)

   Edited 9/16/2008 1:51 pm ET by joinerswork

   
1. 
   BG | Sep 17, 2008 03:12am | #5

   Ray,Thanks, that helps quite a bit. I prefer not to attempt this on the TS, the jig is the way to go. I'll need to study your picture and instructions further and perhaps an experiment or two will help. It's a shame the edge of that workbench is all cut up, no doubt from slicing fruitcake....thanks :)

1. 
   oldusty | Sep 17, 2008 03:22am | #6

          BG , that old bench of Ray's was rather curmudgeonly if I do say so .

                       The articles David Ray Pine has had in FWW that I know of are very good sources of just the kind of info you need to know for this sash work and such .

                               regards     dusty

2. 
   joinerswork | Sep 17, 2008 06:05am | #8

   dusty,

   " The articles David Ray Pine has had in FWW "

   That son of a gun is always stealing my ideas!

   Ray

3. 
   wordsmith07 | Sep 17, 2008 04:31pm | #9

   Ray, I think your idea is a great one, Going to the shop now to try :-)

   Thanks to all for your input.

4. 
   joinerswork | Sep 17, 2008 06:04am | #7

   BG

    Glad to help.  The reason the edge of the bench is cut up, is that it is a workbench, and sometimes, I have been known to work at it.

   Ray

2. 
   AlanWS | Sep 16, 2008 07:34pm | #2

   Or you could use an inserted tenon.