Well (almost) done! Someday someone else who works with wood is going to
look at it and say, "Wow, this guy was a real maniac!" I've seen lots of
jobs done by pros where they just gloss over details like that. Their work
looks okay, even good, and they're done in 1/10th the time it would take me.
But I'm not getting paid by the hour, so I end up doing all the fiddly bits,
too. The result looks just that tiny little bit better so you'll always
know you couldn't have bought what you got.

- Owen -

"David F. Eisan" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

I have been working on the flooring at my house for the last few weeks and
I have come upon a very challenging section. I have a stone fire place
that needs to be floored up to. The flooring needs to be scribed to the
stone, a task in itself, but add to that that the flooring is being laid
on the diagonal.

At first I tried scribing with a compass, that didn't work. Then I tried
an expensive stainless steel fine wire profile gauge, didn't work well.
What worked the best was an inexpensive Samona plastic profile gauge. This
was because of it's "low" profile that allowed me to take a profile at the
correct position/height easily.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe1.jpg

Even with the profile gauge, I found it was best to transfer the profile
from the profile gauge to a piece of cardboard and test fit the cardboard
template. Trimming cardboard with a pair of scissors is much easier than
running to the bandsaw in the garage with a piece of flooring. And,
cardboard is cheaper than flooring...

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe2.jpg

Once I was happy with the fit of the cardboard template I transferred the
profile to the flooring. The flooring I am using has 10 coats of finish on
it, and I cannot see a pencil line on it for the life of me. What I ended
up doing was colouring in the end of the board with an old school grease
pencil/marker, and then when I transferred the profile, the normal pencil
removed the grease pencil marking my line. The grease pencil wipes off
with a paper towel.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe3.jpg

I cut the profile on my little 14" bandsaw using a 1/4" blade. I have been
meaning to get a magnetic lamp for my bandsaw, but a Makita flashlight
does a great job.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe4.jpg

Think it will fit?

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe5.jpg

Good Enough for me!

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe6.jpg

This has been one of the hardest things I have done in a while. Twenty One
boards scribed, three more to go....

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe7.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe8.jpg

Thanks for looking,

David.

Every Neighbourhood has one, in Mine I'm Him

"David F. Eisan" wrote:

The flooring needs to be scribed to the stone, a task in itself, but add
to that that the flooring is being laid on the diagonal.

Want to build a boat?grin

What you are trying to do is an every day challenge for the boat builder.

Rather than use cardboard, consider making a template from 1/4" hardboard
complete with registration marks to get the correct angle for the flooring.

Use a disc as well as a spindle sander to get correct profile.

Once finished, use template and a router to trim floor ends to size.

Final fit may still require sanding and a some files.

I hope you have a good back brace as well as a good set of knee pads.

You're going to need them.

Have fun.

Lew

Hello everyone,

I have been working on the flooring at my house for the last few weeks and I
have come upon a very challenging section. I have a stone fire place that
needs to be floored up to. The flooring needs to be scribed to the stone, a
task in itself, but add to that that the flooring is being laid on the
diagonal.

At first I tried scribing with a compass, that didn't work. Then I tried an
expensive stainless steel fine wire profile gauge, didn't work well. What
worked the best was an inexpensive Samona plastic profile gauge. This was
because of it's "low" profile that allowed me to take a profile at the
correct position/height easily.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe1.jpg

Even with the profile gauge, I found it was best to transfer the profile
from the profile gauge to a piece of cardboard and test fit the cardboard
template. Trimming cardboard with a pair of scissors is much easier than
running to the bandsaw in the garage with a piece of flooring. And,
cardboard is cheaper than flooring...

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe2.jpg

Once I was happy with the fit of the cardboard template I transferred the
profile to the flooring. The flooring I am using has 10 coats of finish on
it, and I cannot see a pencil line on it for the life of me. What I ended up
doing was colouring in the end of the board with an old school grease
pencil/marker, and then when I transferred the profile, the normal pencil
removed the grease pencil marking my line. The grease pencil wipes off with
a paper towel.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe3.jpg

I cut the profile on my little 14" bandsaw using a 1/4" blade. I have been
meaning to get a magnetic lamp for my bandsaw, but a Makita flashlight does
a great job.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe4.jpg

Think it will fit?

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe5.jpg

Good Enough for me!

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe6.jpg

This has been one of the hardest things I have done in a while. Twenty One
boards scribed, three more to go....

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe7.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe8.jpg

Thanks for looking,

David.

Every Neighbourhood has one, in Mine I'm Him

On Jan 14, 12:16 am, "David F. Eisan"
wrote:

At first I tried scribing with a compass, that didn't work. Then I tried an
expensive stainless steel fine wire profile gauge, didn't work well. What
worked the best was an inexpensive Samona plastic profile gauge. This was
because of it's "low" profile that allowed me to take a profile at the
correct position/height easily.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe1.jpg

yep. that's the one I end up using the most too.



The flooring I am using has 10 coats of finish on
it, and I cannot see a pencil line on it for the life of me. What I ended up
doing was colouring in the end of the board with an old school grease
pencil/marker, and then when I transferred the profile, the normal pencil
removed the grease pencil marking my line. The grease pencil wipes off with
a paper towel.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe3.jpg

a piece of wide masking tape is faster and probably less messy.

You might have titled this fearless or foolish. As usual, you start
with "difficult" and then move right to "really challenging". My
vote is for FEARLESS. Did you realize the fun and games you'd
be facing because you went diagonal?

Thanks for documenting a solution to a "challenge" I hope I never
have to face.

charlie b

Looks good David, besides the contour gauge you can also use a round disk
with a pencil point sized hole in the center. Lay the piece of wood as close
as possible, lay the disk on top with a pencil in the center and roll the
disk against the surface that you want to trace. The pencil will scribe the
contour.



"David F. Eisan" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

I have been working on the flooring at my house for the last few weeks and
I have come upon a very challenging section. I have a stone fire place
that needs to be floored up to. The flooring needs to be scribed to the
stone, a task in itself, but add to that that the flooring is being laid
on the diagonal.

At first I tried scribing with a compass, that didn't work. Then I tried
an expensive stainless steel fine wire profile gauge, didn't work well.
What worked the best was an inexpensive Samona plastic profile gauge. This
was because of it's "low" profile that allowed me to take a profile at the
correct position/height easily.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe1.jpg

Leon said:

"David F. Eisan" wrote in message
m...
Hello everyone,

I have been working on the flooring at my house for the last few weeks and
I have come upon a very challenging section. I have a stone fire place
that needs to be floored up to. The flooring needs to be scribed to the
stone, a task in itself, but add to that that the flooring is being laid
on the diagonal.

At first I tried scribing with a compass, that didn't work. Then I tried
an expensive stainless steel fine wire profile gauge, didn't work well.
What worked the best was an inexpensive Samona plastic profile gauge. This
was because of it's "low" profile that allowed me to take a profile at the
correct position/height easily.

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/fpscribe1.jpg


Looks good David, besides the contour gauge you can also use a round disk
with a pencil point sized hole in the center. Lay the piece of wood as close
as possible, lay the disk on top with a pencil in the center and roll the
disk against the surface that you want to trace. The pencil will scribe the
contour.

Good idea, but you'd better take a second look at the profile he cut
on a coupe of those planks. And they call me anal...


Greg G.

"Greg G." wrote in message
...
Leon said:

Looks good David, besides the contour gauge you can also use a round disk
with a pencil point sized hole in the center. Lay the piece of wood as
close
as possible, lay the disk on top with a pencil in the center and roll the
disk against the surface that you want to trace. The pencil will scribe
the
contour.

Good idea, but you'd better take a second look at the profile he cut
on a coupe of those planks. And they call me anal...


Greg G.

Yeah, like anything, there are limitations and especially where the piece
needs to rap around a corner. It works well when going basically in the
same direction.