On Mon, 24 Oct 2005 16:41:56 -0700, "Key Bored"
wrote:

Hi All,

I need to curve some door trim and molding to fit an opening with an arched
top. The arch is the eyebrow type and has a radius of about 20". The
finish door opening is 32" wide. The molding is the standard colonial
design, about 2-1/4" wide by 3/4" thick. The trim for the door opening is
4-1/2" wide by 3/4" thick, and the door stop is 1-1/4" wide by 1/4" thick.
I want to use MDF stock.

What are some methods to fit the door frame and casing to the arch? Should
I make a series of cross cuts (but not all the way through) so that the
stock will bend, and then spackle and sand? Or should I rip the stock into
thin strips, bend them on a form, and glue together? Other ideas???

Thanx,
Key Bored



the header jamb you will probably want to laminate from 3 or so layers
of bending ply. it'll take a form to get it right, but that form can
(sometimes) be the wall framing. you might get decent results with 3
or 4 layers of masonite, but I doubt that kerfing 3/4" mdf is going to
get you a smooth curve at 20" radius.


for the arched head casing you'll probably want to strike the arc with
a router and trammel base. profiling that piece will be a hairy
operation unless you have access to a moulder. it can be done safely
on a router table. fortunately 3/4" mdf is cheap...