Molding with hand planes

[Mark Rainey]

I am trying to reproduce a molding with this profile. I can do the fillet on top and using a hollow create the curve from the fillet. I am not sure how to create the deep concavity at the bottom front. Any thoughts?471444

[Jason Buresh]

Looks like a job for a Stanley 55 in my opinion.

That or you would have to cut a rabbet down to the middle transition point, and then run a round using the rabbet as a fence. Just a thought

[Tom M King]

No problem with a Round, as in Hollows & Rounds. If you use a table saw, take as much of it away as possible first, and just finish with the molding planes.

[Jim Koepke]

Another vote for using a round molding plane.

Do you have a radius gauge to measure the desired concavity?

471451

The metal one is a radius gauge. The plastic ones are radius guides available at many art stores and drafting supply stores if there are any left in business.

If you have a Stanley #55, with the standard blades you likely have rour fluting blades:

471450

The second from the left in the image is a #38 fluting blade. They will also work in a Stanley #45 but are not a part of the standard issue blades.

Here is a partial page from the Stanley #45 instruction sheet:

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They often come up as singles on ebay.

jtk

[Phil Mueller]

Mark, good suggestions above. As you know, I love hand tool work. However, I have not invested in molding planes. To share my transgressions for moldings, I confess I have a pretty decent router table set up. A bullnose bit and a custom scratch stock would make pretty quick work for that concave section. Yes, even with that, it would take a few finicky set ups, but it would get done.

I do love the idea of hand made moldings and look forward to seeing how you go about it.

[mike stenson]

Basically you groove out the bulk of the stock, just as if you were using a tablesaw, then follow with rounds.

[Tom M King]

When I need to reproduce something that I don't want to cut a sample of, I make a mold using plumbers epoxy putty. It comes in tubes in the plumbing aisles of box stores. The two parts are in the tube together, you knead them together to activate it, and it takes a few minutes to dry. I use thin Saran wrap as a release.

Once you get that negative mold, you can cut it to have a smooth end with a miter saw or similar, and see what profiles you need to make it.

You can also make a positive the same way using that negative mold.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Mark it looks to me that you are going to need a side round to make that transition from the the upper bead to the lower cove, in addition to the normal hollow and round planes.

[Mark Rainey]

Thanks for all the good advice! I did talk to Matt Bickford, molding plane maker, who was quite helpful. I have some of his planes and they are beautiful. The deep concavity is a challenge because the body of a round plane to produce that area would get in the way. He suggested, as many above have, to remove the bulk with a rabbet plane ( or table saw ) and use a #4 round to get close to the curve - it would be small enough to use in the concavity. There would be some scallops that would have to be cleaned up with a carving gouge, chisel, or sandpaper. He surmised that in 1760 they used side round planes. I love molding planes and have used hollows and rounds. I have not ventured into side round or snipe bill planes. The area fascinates me. Any neanders cranking out moldings using side rounds and snipes bill handplanes?

Robert, you posted at the same time I was posting. Yes, a side round would be helpful.

[mike stenson]

I was thinking side rounds might have been involved.. but it's hard to tell from a drawing :)

[Tom M King]

For just a few feet of molding, I'd finish with sandpaper around some appropriately shaped backing blocks.

[Warren Mickley]

Mark, I did not get to see the moulding, but I deduced the problem from the discussion. I don't have any side rounds either. I sometimes use a plow to get up to the edge of the bead, then use round planes next to the plow groove to complete the curve.

Alternatively, you could make the moulding in two pieces, with a cove at the bottom of the upper piece and then a smaller moulding butted up against the cove. This was very common in the 18th century.

[Mark Rainey]

For just a few feet of molding, I'd finish with sandpaper around some appropriately shaped backing blocks.

I think that would be a practical solution Tom, thanks.

[Mark Rainey]

Mark, I did not get to see the moulding, but I deduced the problem from the discussion. I don't have any side rounds either. I sometimes use a plow to get up to the edge of the bead, then use round planes next to the plow groove to complete the curve.

Alternatively, you could make the moulding in two pieces, with a cove at the bottom of the upper piece and then a smaller moulding butted up against the cove. This was very common in the 18th century.

The idea of making the moulding in two pieces is creative. As always, your expertise is appreciated Warren.

[Tom M King]

One thing I left out about the epoxy mold is that the positive one is very helpful in setting the tablesaw. You can leave almost nothing left for the molding plane to do but take off the little ridges, and finish up.

I thought I had a picture, but don't. I had four large nine light sash to make, which is not enough to order special cutters for. They were the ones the epoxy molds in the pictures are for.

This picture is the styles, rails, glazing bars, and muntin material, before I started cutting away waste with the tablesaw, so it was a fair amount of lineal feet. It didn't take long at all for each piece to be finished up with the molding plane that I modified to work, after only leaving little ridges with the tablesaw.

[Jason Buresh]

What is the moulding for? It's an unusual profile, at least in my opinion. Curious what it is being used for

[Mark Rainey]

Jason, it is part of a Queen Anne side chair. It is called the shoe, and the back splat it mortised into the top of it.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Mark, for such a small piece of molding like the shoe, sounds like a date with some carving gouges is in your future..

[Mark Rainey]

Mark, for such a small piece of molding like the shoe, sounds like a date with some carving gouges is in your future..

Good advice Robert! If I can use carving gouges to make a serpentine molding in figured cherry, this should be easy ( it is in straight grained mahogany ).