Abmition vs. Skill, Scribing to stone on the diagonal (w/pics)

[David Eisan]

Hello everyone,

I have been working on the flooring at my house for the last few weeks and I have come upon a very challenging section. I have a stone fire place that needs to be floored up to. The flooring needs to be scribed to the stone, a task in itself, but add to that that the flooring is being laid on the diagonal.

At first I tried scribing with a compass, that didn't work. Then I tried an expensive stainless steel fine wire profile gauge, didn't work well. What worked the best was an inexpensive Samona plastic profile gauge. This was because of it's "low" profile that allowed me to take a profile at the correct position/height easily.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe1.jpg

Even with the profile gauge, I found it was best to transfer the profile from the profile gauge to a piece of cardboard and test fit the cardboard template. Trimming cardboard with a pair of scissors is much easier than running to the bandsaw in the garage with a piece of flooring. And, cardboard is cheaper than flooring...

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe2.jpg

Once I was happy with the fit of the cardboard template I transferred the profile to the flooring. The flooring I am using has 10 coats of finish on it, and I cannot see a pencil line on it for the life of me. What I ended up doing was colouring in the end of the board with an old school grease pencil/marker, and then when I transferred the profile, the normal pencil removed the grease pencil marking my line. The grease pencil wipes off with a paper towel.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe3.jpg

I cut the profile on my little 14" bandsaw using a 1/4" blade. I have been meaning to get a magnetic lamp for my bandsaw, but a Makita flashlight does a great job.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe4.jpg

Think it will fit?

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe5.jpg

Good Enough for me!

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe6.jpg

This has been one of the hardest things I have done in a while. Twenty One boards scribed, three more to go....

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe7.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe8.jpg

Thanks for looking,

David.

Every Neighbourhood has one, in Mine I'm Him

[Glenn Clabo]

Great solution David. Nice job on the floor!

[jim tracy]

If it had been me, I would have put a border around the fireplace and only had to scribe three boards. But that's because I would have gone insane doing that many boards. My hat if off to you, GREAT job!!!!!

[Todd Bin]

I probably would have undercut the stone a little and placed the ends of the boards under the stone.

But the pictures look really nice and professional.

[alex grams]

Great work.

Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. I find most projects are more about having patience than anything else.

[Matt Schell]

very impressive scribing and fitting. I know that professional flooring guys use router like undercut saws (very dangerous and expensive) equipped with diamond blades to undercut fireplace like yours. Installing a border around the fireplace could have been another solution. Your job came out spectacular though!!! You only get one chance to get it right and I would say you nailed it.

[Bob Aquino]

David
Very nice work, but the one thing that would concern me is that by scribing right up to the stone, you havent left any place for the wood to expand. Sure, it's on the end so the expansion will be less, bit it will still move. I take it you are doing this in the middle of winter, so come spring or summer, it may get a little tight up against the stone. Hope you wont have that problem, but that is one of the reasons it is recommended that you leave a gap around all sides of the floor.

[Jim Becker]

EXCELLENT work!