Flutes questions
 

Using a 1/4" diameter round nose bit to make flutes, should the depth be
set to 1/8" and the spacing between the flutes be equal to their width
(1/4") for best appearance?

Any recommendations for fading stopped flutes to a point if I don't have
gouges? I know how to fade beads on my moulder, but not how to
accomplish the same thing with the router table for consistency across
all the flutes.

dave

Flutes questions
 

I'm not sure what the appearance issue is -- maybe something on the
order of the golden rule-(or golden mean) -
(hand held router method) You can run the ends to a point with a hand
held setup if you use a ramp under the router for the last inch - a 0"
to 3/16" ramp will work--with a stop on the ramp to control where the
router stops. You will have to play with the length. If the piece
will be painted, you can use small brads to attach the ramp & fill them
later. If your piece is hardwood, hot glue the ramp in place or use
thin double-sided tape to attach the ramp. If you are doing this on a
router table as your post suggests, you can build a small auxillary
table to go over the bit -So the piece of wood will start high, go down
off the ramp to cut at full depth then end high and stop. -
You didn't say how wide your piece is, nor how long.

Flutes questions
 

I saw Norm bring an end to flutes on a router table by marking (on the
fence of his router table) the distance from the end of the board to
the beginning of the flute. Then marking the distance from the end of
the flute to the end of the board. He started his cut by aligning the
start mark, dropping the board onto the bit and running the board to
the ending mark and lifting the board off of the bit.

He never faded a flute on TV that I know of.

Tom in KY, With an idea how to do it, but not the guts to try it.

Flutes questions
 

On Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:40:59 -0800, David wrote:

Using a 1/4" diameter round nose bit to make flutes, should the depth be
set to 1/8" and the spacing between the flutes be equal to their width
(1/4") for best appearance?

Sounds good to me, although the diameter should be proportional to the
overall width of the workpiece. I've designed a few bars with fluted
columns using similar measurements, usually 3/8"R. I usually leave 2x
the flute width on either side of the flute field and the corners, in
this case 1/2" or 3/4".

Any recommendations for fading stopped flutes to a point if I don't have
gouges? I know how to fade beads on my moulder, but not how to
accomplish the same thing with the router table for consistency across
all the flutes.

Thinking out loud, I'd probably do it with a handheld router, and fix
a jig with two small ramps to the end, on either side of where the
flutes would end. Run the router up the ramps to fade the flutes
evenly every time.

- Matt

Flutes questions
 

Flutes questions
 

Thu, Jan 5, 2006, 2:40pm (EST-3) (David) stumbles in
and mumbles:
Using a 1/4" diameter round nose bit to make flutes, should the depth be
set to 1/8" and the spacing between the flutes be equal to their width
(1/4") for best appearance? snip

This is probably an extremely racical concept, but, why don't you
figure out how YOU think it would look good, and do it that way?



JOAT
You'll never get anywhere if you believe what you "hear".
What do you "know"?
- Granny Weatherwax

Flutes questions
 

On Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:40:59 -0800, David wrote:

Using a 1/4" diameter round nose bit to make flutes, should the depth be
set to 1/8" and the spacing between the flutes be equal to their width
(1/4") for best appearance?

If you want the flutes to be adjacent, then you _must_ have a sharp and
straight arris (the ridge) between them, or else it looks terrible.

You can't do this by routing to one radius depth. This would leave the
top edge impossibly thin. You're better off routing to 1/2 or maybe
2/3rd of radius at most. You can't tell visually how deep a flute is -
you certainly can tell what its edge looks like.

Depending the stability of your router fence, you might even find this
best achieved with a tiny gap in routing, then using a rebate plane to
slightly cant the edges so that they meet exactly.

Classically, flutes generally met at this sharp arris. In
furnituremaking though, it was more common for them to be slightly
separated, by around 1/3rd diameter.

It's also fairly unusual for flutes to "fade". Reeding and chamfers
fade, but not usually flutes. If a flute does fade it's more like an
oval flute that's maybe twice the length compared to the diameter, not
at all a gradual tapering. This is a job for a gouge, which you
certainly ought to get hold of - a couple of gouges are always handy.

You'll be wanting to prototype these cuts in similarly coloured timber,
just so you can see what they look like, as well as how they cut.

Flutes questions
 

Andy Dingley wrote:
On Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:40:59 -0800, David wrote:


Using a 1/4" diameter round nose bit to make flutes, should the depth be
set to 1/8" and the spacing between the flutes be equal to their width
(1/4") for best appearance?


If you want the flutes to be adjacent, then you _must_ have a sharp and
straight arris (the ridge) between them, or else it looks terrible.

You can't do this by routing to one radius depth. This would leave the
top edge impossibly thin. You're better off routing to 1/2 or maybe
2/3rd of radius at most. You can't tell visually how deep a flute is -
you certainly can tell what its edge looks like.

Depending the stability of your router fence, you might even find this
best achieved with a tiny gap in routing, then using a rebate plane to
slightly cant the edges so that they meet exactly.

Classically, flutes generally met at this sharp arris. In
furnituremaking though, it was more common for them to be slightly
separated, by around 1/3rd diameter.

It's also fairly unusual for flutes to "fade". Reeding and chamfers
fade, but not usually flutes. If a flute does fade it's more like an
oval flute that's maybe twice the length compared to the diameter, not
at all a gradual tapering. This is a job for a gouge, which you
certainly ought to get hold of - a couple of gouges are always handy.

You'll be wanting to prototype these cuts in similarly coloured timber,
just so you can see what they look like, as well as how they cut.

Thanks Andy. After a bit of experimentation, I can see that "fading"
the flutes isn't necessary aesthetically. I agree practicing should be
on the same lumber; I used fir which requires some imagination during
eval. I ended up cutting to 1 radius depth, separation of 1 diameter.

dave