"Tim" wrote in message

Well, actually what seems to happen is that every now and then it binds on
the curve and leaves a mark that is hard to get out. If I had more power
I
expect it wouldn't bind like that; but since that's not an option... I
was
actually going to try it with a 1/4" blade thinking it would be less
likely
to bind.

My experience is just the opposite, but I do have a well tuned, 14" bandsaw,
and use an excellent quality resaw blade for this purpose.

Yeah, but my pattern bit is 2" and the rail is 2.5". I thought about
having it way out of the collet for the first pass, but that doesn't seem
particularly safe. I also thought about reducing the rail to 2".

That is exactly why I intially designed my crest rail to be 2", instead of
the 2 1/4" that is on the original chair I was reproducing.

Designing the project around the capability of your tools is a time honored
path to sucess in woodworking, and is something that should paid more
attention to, IMO.

As it turned out, using a ROS to "fair the curve" and sand out the marks was
so easy during the prototype stage on this last chair project, that I went
back to the original dimension.

Someone above suggested a drum sander with a template, but the only place
that seems to have 3" drums like that is Woodcraft, and they are out of
stock for weeks.

While I do have a large oscillating drum sander, I didn't use it because the
ROS, with the proper technique, was so much faster.

If you don't try things you don't know how to do, you don't learn
anything!
Or so I tell myself.

That's true ... but the more time spend thinking/planning/jigging up insures
me a higher rate of success, and is why I "prototype" these days when I
venture into new territory, whether it be in the realm of joinery, or
design.

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Last update: 10/01/06