Making Fluted Faceframes

[Tim Plantz]

I am planning on creating 3/8" fluted faceframes to be incorporated onto a cabinet but can't think of a way to rout the flutes with a plunge router or router table so the ends (of the flutes) gradually recede. Any suggestions or jigs that have been made??

Thanks in advance! Tim

[Casey Carr]

Put some wedges on each end that taper to a sharp point. That way when the edge of the router hits the pointy end of the wedge, it will taper out the flutes. Probably have to play with the angle of the wedge a bit to find what you're looking for. But you could also put a curve in the wedge to give it a different look.

[Dave Bureau]

Ya, use a legacy mill like I do!:D
Dave

[Michael Panis]

I just finished some bookcases with trim that had the flutes like you want. Here's how I did it:

1. I used a tripple fluting router bit from Freud.
2. I used a router table.
3. The general technique is to rest the right side of your workpiece against the router table fence with the left side angle closer to you. Then slowly and carefully ease the left side of the workpiece until it is against the fence.
4. You'll need to use some scrap to figure out where you want the left edge of the workpiece to be so that the flute starts where you want. Draw a line on the fence at that point.
5. Once you've eased the workpiece so it is flat against the fence, route as normal, moving the workpiece to the left.
6. As you get close to the end, gently pull the right side of the workpiece away from the fence. I found the best way to do this was to position my left hand on the piece, a little to the left of where the fence ends, such that pushing on the piece used the fence as a fulcrum and caused the right side of the piece to angle away from the fence. At the same time, your right hand makes sure the piece remains down on the table.
7. Similar to step 4, you use some scrap to figure out exactly where you want to end, and you draw a line on the fence. When the right side of the workpiece is lined up with that line, you know it is time to pull the piece away from the fence.

Even thought you are more or less abruptly stopping where you are routing, it will look like the flute gently stopped.

It takes some practice to get it right, and you won't want to cut the full depth of the flutes in a single pass.

Good luck!

---Mike

[Michael Panis]

Here is a picture of the bookcases showing the stopped flutes.

[Alister Orme]

Another train of thought/rambling.

If trim work originates from the five orders and the fluting is supposed to mimic the stopped fluting of ionic /Corinthian/composite orders then the profile of a plunged router bit is .....more correcter....:)

The trailing off came about by trying to mimic the fluting on table saws and spindle molders with large diameter cutters.

[Tim Plantz]

Thats one option I was considering. Thanks for the input Casey!

[Tim Plantz]

Michael,

Nice work! Thats the look I am aiming for. I will try your method on some scrap first since I'm a little weary of my skill in reproducing the same look 4 X's. What size are the flutes on your project??

[Jamie Buxton]

I use Casey's wedge approach, but rather than planting a wedge on the face of the stock, I make a little fixture which has sticks flanking the stock. The face of router travels first on the stock, and then up the sticks. The sticks provide the same wedging action as Casey's wedge, but there isn't the issue of the router base "stubbing its toe" as it hits the tip of the wedge.

[Michael Panis]

Thanks.
Definitely practice a few times, including at least once on a long piece. I required several do-overs :eek:

I used the Freud triple beading bit, and that sets the size:

http://www.freudtools.com/p-149-triple-beading-fluting-bits.aspx

Remember--If anything in the final project will overhang the trim, you need to stop cutting based on that, not the edge of the board.

Alister--I agree that different techniques would give "more correct" looks. The look I was really after would have worked better with a hand beading tool. I'm not familiar with the term "from the five orders." Can you explain?

[Alister Orme]

Wikipedia does it better


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_order


Imagine columns and entablature wrapped around a doorway in a house or around the front of a cabinet.

Adams brothers had some great interiors.