View Full Version : Tool for puzzle-piece lap joints?
James Carmichael
12-30-2009, 5:51 PM
I need to cut some puzzle-piece lap joints.
I can hog out most of the wood with a router, however, the piece will have curves (concave and convex) as small as a 1/4" radius, too tight for template routing.
Do I need to be looking at sweep gouges? If so, any suggestions for an inexpensive couple to start with, it looks like you could spend a fortune on those things pretty quick?
Chuck Nickerson
12-31-2009, 1:44 PM
I'm having trouble picturing the requirement. Is the sweep relative to the face, like a flat jigsaw puzzle piece, or something else? Gouge sweeps aren't as uniform as you might wish. You'll probably need to take a full-size pattern to a store that carries the gouges and check-fit to the pattern. You can drill out the concave sections.
Jacob Mac
12-31-2009, 6:06 PM
James:
I made a puzzle piece lap joint picture frame a month ago. I bought gouges corresponding to my pattern. Pretty easy with the right gouges.
Chuck Nickerson
01-02-2010, 12:36 PM
Ah, now I understand: like the Hall brother's picture frame. Yes, use gouges. Don't be afraid to changes the curves to match the gouges.
Jacob Mac
01-02-2010, 1:47 PM
Ah, now I understand: like the Hall brother's picture frame. Yes, use gouges. Don't be afraid to changes the curves to match the gouges.
That is what I made. Actually I made two. for the first one, I did not have any gouges, I just used an ice pick, very carefully. The gouges made the second one go much faster.
Chuck Nickerson
01-03-2010, 4:07 PM
for the first one, I did not have any gouges, I just used an ice pick, very carefully.
An ice pick? Wow, that's really wanting to build the project.
Jacob Mac
01-03-2010, 6:43 PM
An ice pick? Wow, that's really wanting to build the project.
Ya, I just ground it down so it had a flat face and then went very slowly. The problem is there are a lot of small ridges along the sweep of the curve. But you have to get pretty close to to it to see. The gouges made life much simpler.
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