Routing Window Casing Apron Return

[greg wood]

Looking for help or advice. I am pre-assembling window casing with extension jambs. I am making my own molding and stool. So far this has been pretty straight forward. I am wanting to route the return on the apron and my router bit's profile is vertical. So I basically need to hold the piece at a right angle to the fence. Something like the right angle fence that comes with Incra's LS Positioner except that it needs to come down flush with the table top and not come all the way in to the fence. Another way to look at it would be a coping sled in which the work piece is mounted up and down instead of flat.

I've searched and not been able to see any such type of sled on any of the usual wood working vendors site's but I don't exactly know what it would be called if such a thing exists.

Thanks

[Adam Herman]

would a modified tenoning jig work?

[George Bokros]

A return is usually done by cutting the apron at a 45 on the ends them cutting a return and gluing it to the apron.

[greg wood]

would a modified tenoning jig work?

It just might if I mount it on a piece of MDF. I rarely use my tenoning jig, I'll pull it out and see what my options are.

Thanks

[greg wood]

A return is usually done by cutting the apron at a 45 on the ends them cutting a return and gluing it to the apron.

Yes I know but it's time consuming to get everything to line up and all the gluing and brad nailing and filling holes, etc, etc. Plus I hate cutting such a short amount on my chop saw, some times it sends it flying.

[Jerry Miner]

A. Why rout the profile into the endgrain rather than cut a mitered return (the more standard approach)?

B. If you're set on Plan A, a simple back-up block in combination with a tall fence should get you there-- would function like a coping sled. I would clamp the stock to the block and run the copes first

[Jerry Miner]

Yes I know but it's time consuming to get everything to line up and all the gluing and brad nailing and filling holes, etc, etc. Plus I hate cutting such a short amount on my chop saw, some times it sends it flying.

Mitered returns: Easiest to cut the miter on the end of a long-ish piece, then lay the piece flat on the miter saw table and trim to release the small piece. With a temporary zero-clearance fence, the piece will not fly away.

I glue these on with no brads, using Collins clamps (https://www.collinstool.com/base.php?page=collins_miter_clamps.htm) and molding glue (https://www.amazon.com/Titebond-Quick-Thick-Multi-Surface-Glue/dp/B0002YXDWQ)

357308 357309

[greg wood]

I have some very similar to those. Still it's time consuming. Once router is setup I should be able to route the return in less than a min. I should be able to do 15 window aprons in about 15 mins and once done, they are ready to paint. No sanding clue joints, fillng holes. The clamps I have like those still leave indention's. I routed the returns on the stools and knocked them out in about 6 mins, maybe 10 total including the router setup.


Mitered returns: Easiest to cut the miter on the end of a long-ish piece, then lay the piece flat on the miter saw table and trim to release the small piece. With a temporary zero-clearance fence, the piece will not fly away.

I glue these on with no brads, using Collins clamps (https://www.collinstool.com/base.php?page=collins_miter_clamps.htm) and molding glue (https://www.amazon.com/Titebond-Quick-Thick-Multi-Surface-Glue/dp/B0002YXDWQ)

357308 357309

[Bob Michaels]

I agree with Jerry Miner, you'll be routing end grain and then painting end grain. Painted end grain just sucks up the paint unless you go through multiple steps of filling and sanding that little area of routed end grain. There's a reason why the norm is to cut the 45 and return it onto itself.

[Jim Dwight]

It would save some molding to do what you describe but I don't think the appearance of the painted end grain will match the long grain unless you sand it after the first coat. But you could make it work. Some of my returns (for double windows) are five feet or so long. I would hate to try and profile the end of them. But for single window returns, 3 feet or less long, it should work.

I fasten the mitered returns with wood glue and a few 24 gauge pins. I don't fill the holes, they don't show.

[Von Bickley]

A return is usually done by cutting the apron at a 45 on the ends them cutting a return and gluing it to the apron.

That's the way I would do it......

[Larry Edgerton]

Yes I know but it's time consuming to get everything to line up and all the gluing and brad nailing and filling holes, etc, etc. Plus I hate cutting such a short amount on my chop saw, some times it sends it flying.

Let the sawblade stop below the table. The pieces usually go flying when you bring the blade back up.

Buy a cheap micro pinner, best invention for trim since the chop saw.

This is what I do and have tried what you suggest. Its not that way to go.