Rotary Shapping Attachments? (for a drill press)

[Mike OMelia]

I have seen rotary attachments for making door framing medalions, so I know tools exist. I wand to be able to "carve" out ( relief) a hemispherical shape, maybe 1"-1.25" in diameter. It's really not "hemi", more like "semi", but round none the less. I have thought about modifying paddle bits. Surely, someone makes "bits" for this application?

Mike

[Josiah Bartlett]

Something like this, perhaps?
http://us.microplane.com/rotaryshaper.aspx

Otherwise clamp a sacrificial piece on and use a forstner bit.

[glenn bradley]

I think he is talking about rosettes(?) (http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/rosette.htm).

[Mike OMelia]

Yes Glenn, something like that. But, I only want a 1" diameter "semi-sphere" so the blade would be small, convex and not at all complicated.

At the bottom of this link http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/bargainbits.html#rosettes if I could just get the center shape, I would be set.

Something like this http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2004979/5995/2-34-Diameter-Rosette-Cutter--Style-C.aspx only with the concave part and only 1" in diameter (give or take).

Mike

[Mike OMelia]

Well, you all got me thinking about it in the right direction.

Since I have been unable to find a suitable blade, could I grind the wings off of the one I linked to?

Mike

[harry strasil]

just regrind a spade bit.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Mike -

Since I have been unable to find a suitable blade, could I grind the wings off of the one I linked to?
Doubtful.
I have a similar cutter & the steel is fairly thick.
Maintaining a perfect balance between the two sides would be extremely difficult.
Any imbalance between the two is going to result in excessive vibration.
Heck, the things vibrate enough as is - from the factory - w/out possibly compounding the problem - there's quite a few threads dealing with it here.

IMHO - Harry's suggestion would be a lot easier, not to mention cheaper to try.

[Mike OMelia]

Thanks all.

Here is an interesting source including blank blades.

http://magnate.net/catalog/2008%20Misc%20p85-89.pdf

(page 88)

I am going to do something different for now, but I will order that rosette head and blank stock. I have a machinist friend who I will task to shape the cutter.

Mike