Tool for puzzle-piece lap joints?

[James Carmichael]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.