Andy Hall wrote:
On 20 Nov 2005 02:58:40 -0800, wrote:
mouldings. I'm not going to screw up a job like that by letting a router
or a spindle moulder near it!
Spindle moulder is the best possible tool for accurate repro of period
mouldings especially if large quantity is involved - as long as you
make your own cutters to match, easier than it sounds.
So how do you, Jacob?
People seem to have different ways of making them......
I'm interested in the cutting, shaping and sharpening methods used.
Do you bother to make limiters for example?
Start with pair blank HSS plates big enough for the moulding you want.
You make a pair but only one cuts the other is for balance i.e. doing
it by hand and eye is difficult to make them both cut - not not
necessary anyway.
Next transfer the design to the plates - I'm usually copying existing
so I simply trace around a cleaned up sample with a pencil on to the
plate previously paint-aerosoled to take pencil marks.
Next rough out the waste with an angle grinder.
Then grind out the profile with a bench grinder and various sizes of
wheel as necessary - checking by offering up the original. This is all
square-on so far.
Next back off the profile to make a cutting edge.
Then fine adjust the edge by offering up the original sample piece - AT
THE ANGLE OF CUT as near as possible - i.e. the hollows will be made
deeper etc. Grind away until there is a perfect fit and a sufficiently
backed off cutting edge. This sounds imprecise as it depends on hand
and eye but the results can be perfect with a bit of practice. Do it in
front of a good light so you can see where the cutter doesn't meet the
sample.
You could make limiters if you really want to but I use the old
Whitehill blocks (pre-safety regs) as these permit very fine adjustment
and alteration of the angle. You just have to be more careful and not
allow anyone else to use the machine.
The other advantage of the old blocks is that you can cut more profiles
around the other 3 sides of the plates. Forget about exact matching
pairs but just aim at balancing the block enough to stop it vibrating
or humming too much.
I now have hundreds of profiles in my box for very little outlay -
would cost thousands in router cutters which would be crap anyway as
they don't match old joinery - not to mention the noise, dust and
inconvenience. Many of them get modified slightly as new jobs come in,
but HSS doesn't seem to need much sharpening.
You could do it with safety cutters the same but you'd loose the fine
adjustability I imagine, but a tilting arbor might solve the prob.
cheers
Jacob
PS wear goggles - always start the machine with a large block of wood
in front of the cutters in case you have forgotten to tighten something
- use push sticks or power feed - put all guards in place, etc etc