How do I make Dentil Molding?

[Matthew Curtis]

How do I make Dentil Molding? Wanting it for a bookcase.

[Peter Quinn]

that depends on your tools and the size of the teeth you seek. A RAS works well with a dado, a TS with a cross cut sled can do it, a router table can too with the right table set up. Its a lot like making a box or finger joint, but longer and purely decorative. You can also make it simple by ripping the teeth off a wider strip, cutting the teeth to length and gluing them back on, which takes only a small TS and a chop box, plus some clamps. You can drum sand or belt sand them flush, but the glue ups have to be pretty well aligned for this to work well, and a gauge block will help keep the spacing regular.

[Frank Drew]

I've done it in crosscut mode on the table saw with dado blades and a fence with a stop that each cut registers on for the next cut. I like to have a full "tooth" at the corners, if there are any, so you sometimes need to play around with the spacing/sizing of the last however many teeth so you end up where you want.

Pretty straightforward operation: If you want, say, 1/4" teeth spaced 1/4" apart, I'd plane my material down to about 1/4" or 5/16" thick by maybe 1" to 1-1/4" wide and of course longer than you need. Most of the full width of the piece will end up covered by another molding.

[Karl Brogger]

Whether you do it on a tablesaw or a radial arm saw, if you want it to be say 1-1/2" wide, make it out of a board 3-1/4" wide so you can get a couple of rips out of it.

[Van Huskey]

I did some one time that was much more complex than just square teeth. I had a neat little router bit with a sorta ogee pattern ran it down both sides of the molding then set up something similar to a box joint jig on the router table and cut the middles with the same bit and used a nail to index into the teeth I had just cut. Made a gorgeous pattern where the teeth were profiles all the way around. I just looked around our new house since I thought I used some here but it appears I was wrong.

To do a standard square or rectangular tooth pattern I use the RAS and as Karl mentions I use wider stock and rip multiple pieces out of it, which allows me to clean up the tearout on the "nasty" side. That is nice since you can do it much faster without having to worry so much about your blade exit speed.

[Karl Brogger]

I did some one time that was much more complex than just square teeth. I had a neat little router bit with a sorta ogee pattern ran it down both sides of the molding then set up something similar to a box joint jig on the router table and cut the middles with the same bit and used a nail to index into the teeth I had just cut.

huh. Interesting idea. Another use for a magic moulder me thinks...

[Matthew Curtis]

So I would be able to use a jig similar to a Box joint jig on the table saw? Anyone have pics of there table saw gig?

[Van Huskey]

huh. Interesting idea. Another use for a magic moulder me thinks...

Actually, while making that moulding I thought a magic moulder would be PERFECT for the purpose but never needed any more. I have been waiting for a retailer to clear out the MM stuff at a big discount (since they are out of business) but I haven't seen any deals so I am still without one.

[Karl Brogger]

I have been waiting for a retailer to clear out the MM stuff at a big discount (since they are out of business) but I haven't seen any deals so I am still without one.

Don't hold your breath. The Magic Moulder stuff got bought up by another company and is supposedly still available according to my blade guy. Although I have not tried to order anything since they closed the doors.

[Frank Drew]

So I would be able to use a jig similar to a Box joint jig on the table saw? Anyone have pics of there table saw gig?
Yes to the box joint jig or similar; sorry, no pics, though.

[Van Huskey]

Don't hold your breath. The Magic Moulder stuff got bought up by another company and is supposedly still available according to my blade guy. Although I have not tried to order anything since they closed the doors.

That may be good and bad news for me, I wouldn't mind paying full price if they stay around but would only pay close out prices if they are not.