Magic Molder or alternative.

[Larry Edgerton]

I picked up a job, a small laundry cabinet, and the lady wants beaded panels with a cove where the panel slips into the frame so there is no place for dust to collect. She further insists that it be one piece panels, so beaded ceiling is out. I can do beads on the shaper but that will not let me get to the middle of the panels so I am thinking I need a moulding head. Sears quit selling theirs, and LHR's is very expensive for such a small job.

Any ideas, or if you know of a used Magic Molder for sale....

I have saws with 5/8 and 1" arbors

Gotta run, Larry

[Cary Falk]

You can usually find a dozen of the Craftsmen ones on e-bay at any given time for $15-20. Corob sells one similar. You can find them on Amazon. They are pretty reasonable. The cutters are suppose to fit the craftsman heads.

[John TenEyck]

Why not use a router? They make beading bits with no bearings which would allow you to produce the beads you need in the panels.

[Dan Bowman]

http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/techniques/archive/2010/07/13/a-bead-in-any-board.aspx

[Larry Edgerton]

John, I have one of those bits and the groove in the bottom is too wide.

Dan, I thought about that approach but I ahve to run the edges with a cove raised panel cutter, so that trickery would show, unless I figure out how to cut a dowel in half.

I have a Stanley 45 and I thought about grinding a cutter for it, but economically buying a Majic Molder would be more expedient.

This is the fussiest woman that the world has ever known, and I wouldn't bother but I built her house, and the best customer to keep is the one that is already happy. Some days I really wish I was a stock broker that did this for a hobby. Today is one of those days. I just got back from a 110 mile trip to meet a customer and he did not show. Called him and he forgot. He forgot at $45.00 an hour.........

Thanks gentlemen, Larry

[John TenEyck]

You're right Larry. I thought for sure they made sharp pointed beading router bits but I couldn't find any when I searched just now. Sorry about that. With that in mind, yeah, a molding head on your table saw would be the best option. You should be able to find one on E-bay pretty easily, or maybe an ad in your local Craigslist. They often come with a blank knife in them which you could use to grind your bead profile into. I've used my chainsaw grinder to grind coves in those knives, and my bench grinder for the flat and beaded sections, and it's not very hard to do. Good luck.

[J.R. Rutter]

Magic Moulder is worth it. Great tool.

[Rick Lizek]

Magic Moulder is out of business. Have access to one and cutters are hard to get now if not impossible. Check out www.corobcutters (http://www.corobcuttersThey/).com They took over the moulder heads from delta and sears. I have a couple of the single knife heads Sears used to sell as well as a couple of the three knife heads. The single knife are best moulder heads ever and very inexpensive, plus I can grind custom knives fast. Corob knives fit and are cheap. At $18 for three knives I can run a single custom knife for $6 each. There is a formula to grind knives that was published in FWW many years ago so it's a piece of cake for me. Moulder heads are available for cheap at flea markets and on the web. Even new from corob they are cheap. The single knife heads are around as well. Most folks are afraid of them so they are pretty much unused. Nothing wrong with the heads if you use common sense.
http://corobcutters.com/

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Magic Moulder is out of business.

the beaded cutter was the only one i could find a use for.

[Peter Quinn]

[QUOTE=Larry Edgerton;1753435 She further insists that it be one piece panels, so beaded ceiling is out.
Gotta run, Larry[/QUOTE]

Larry, we have done plenty of beaded door panels where we spline boards that are matched as a regular door panel glue up, bead them on a shaper, then glue them up as a single panel (the splines are fit as a glue joint and match the species being used), unless the lady was sitting at my bench watching me work, she would not perceive it was anything but a single panel. If you are talking paint grade then perhaps that MDF bead board might work if their profile matches your needs. Our panels are typically double sided exterior or passage door sized but the same technique should work fine on cabinet doors. In our case clients don't want air or sound infiltration, and they don't want panels that rattle and move or gap seasonally.

[Tom Ewell]

Is it feasible to spin your shaper cutter on the tablesaw?

[Walter Plummer]

Hello Larry. Would one of these work? http://www.eagleamerica.com/product/v139-0202/ea_-_groove_forming Looks like a very small point on them. Good luck.

[david brum]

I have successfully used MLCS bits to make bead board. I used a router table attached to my table saw. I laid out the lines on the edge of the board, then used the table saw fence to hold the cut straight. It wasn't a big deal, although I was only using MDF.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/orderstatus/html/smarthtml/pages/bit_groove.html

(http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/orderstatus/html/smarthtml/pages/bit_groove.html)It's the second set of bits down the page. You can get a variety of radii, depending on how small you want your beads to be. I think I used 1/4" radius.

[Larry Edgerton]

Larry, we have done plenty of beaded door panels where we spline boards that are matched as a regular door panel glue up, bead them on a shaper, then glue them up as a single panel (the splines are fit as a glue joint and match the species being used), unless the lady was sitting at my bench watching me work, she would not perceive it was anything but a single panel. If you are talking paint grade then perhaps that MDF bead board might work if their profile matches your needs. Our panels are typically double sided exterior or passage door sized but the same technique should work fine on cabinet doors. In our case clients don't want air or sound infiltration, and they don't want panels that rattle and move or gap seasonally.

Peter, she wants 2 1/2" between beads and I did some checking. I can get two beads on a board with one full field and two halves, which would mean four pieces to a door, so I am going with this method, splines that is. I can fool her.......

Ballew Saw and tool still has moulders in stock, but I don't see myself using it much either, and if they are stopping production cutters will be hard to get anyway. I was ready to pull the trigger, but that is money out of my pocket and I already have a bead cutter for the shaper.

Thanks gentlemen, Larry

[Curt Harms]

I need a moulding head. Sears quit selling theirs, and LHR's is very expensive for such a small job.

Any ideas, or if you know of a used Magic Molder for sale....

I have saws with 5/8 and 1" arbors

Gotta run, Larry

I think it might be the other way around. Didn't LRH go belly up? In view of the fact that Sears doesn't make anything, I expect the Sears head is the Corob head with a different name painted on it. As I look on Sears site I don't see their wheel either. Cutters but no wheel. Corob might be the only game in town now.

[Jim Becker]

The Magic Molder is a really excellent system...my cabinetmaker neighbor has one and most of the time, it's used specifically for the task you are faced with. Yes, not inexpensive, but nearly zero vibration and excellent quality cuts. If you think it through, it might be a very useful piece of tooling to have in your bag especially given you do work for others. Given this customer is requiring you to make the beaded panels as one piece, I hope you're up-charging for the custom feature.

That said, another poster is correct...you should be able to find one of the older Sears type units, but do be careful with them. One of the nice things about MM is how the cutter tooling locks into the heavy and well balanced unit.

[Glen Butler]

I just installed this cabinet today. The bead board is from some cherry veneer, MDF core. It was glazed so the MDF was never found out. I used a bead board bit in a router. I think bosch makes it (could be amana). I happened across it while looking for something else at my local woodworking store. It it a rounded V shaped bit almost a double 1/8 roundover and no side cutting capabilities. I ran the first pass to a straight edge and rather than move the straight edge simply bumped out the router a 1/4" with a short stick. I was contemplating buying a magic molder as well until I happened across it. Let me do some research and I will get back with you. Maybe even tomorrow night after I get back from the shop. I will be able to look at the package and get the product number for you.
204230

[Peter Quinn]

Peter, she wants 2 1/2" between beads and I did some checking. I can get two beads on a board with one full field and two halves, which would mean four pieces to a door, so I am going with this method, splines that is. I can fool her.......Ballew Saw and tool still has moulders in stock, but I don't see myself using it much either, and if they are stopping production cutters will be hard to get anyway. I was ready to pull the trigger, but that is money out of my pocket and I already have a bead cutter for the shaper.Thanks gentlemen, LarryI've found as long as you keep the glue under control and use some cauls to keep the thing flat until it's set it's a pretty seamless way to go. I wouldn't want to make up huge panels that way but your average door panel is sure doable.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Why not run a dado down the length of the door? Then take a piece of stock that will fit into dado, profile the edge to needed bead. Then rip profile off and glue in dado. No splines, or other junk. If dado needs sides reliefed, just run a router against straigtht edge guide with suitable bit in it down length of dado..

[Jim Becker]

Why not run a dado down the length of the door? Then take a piece of stock that will fit into dado, profile the edge to needed bead. Then rip profile off and glue in dado. No splines, or other junk. If dado needs sides reliefed, just run a router against straigtht edge guide with suitable bit in it down length of dado..

This will certainly work to create the look. The downside is that the grain of the panel will be interrupted by the inlayed bead. It may or may not be noticeable, depending on the species and grain pattern of the panel, itself.