cove cutting jig

[Bluekingfisher]

For one of my forth coming projects I need to make some large cove moulding.

After a bit of searching on the web I came across a Cove Cutting Jig sold by Rockler Woodworking in the US for $89.99

I haven't looked a postage costs but wondered if anyone on this side of the pond has one or has made something similar. I should imagine the postage will be about £30-£40 + the price of the jig would take it to about £100 all in. Seems a lot to pay for what appears to be some laminated MDF and some knobs.

If not, how do you guys make large cove mouldings without the use of large moulding machines?

Thanks fellahs

David

 

[adidat]

it can be down with a table saw i think, but this involves removing the crown guard and the riving knife. so not very safe.

adidat

 

[Bluekingfisher]

The procedure does require that the crown guard is removed on the TS to use this jig but as this is a hobby exercise the H&S police don't need to be told

 

[adidat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOEdWrBQa_g

adidat

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Nice one adidat, cheap and cheerful and not to dangerous if you take your time.

I liked the little push block device too, again something that could be knocked up in the work shop for a fraction of the store bought price.

Cheers

 

[adidat]

nothing to do with me that block, you could use anything to push it. i would not advise doing this, with the riving knife off it becomes very unsafe. up to you in the end.

adidat

 

[Harbo]

Years ago I made a mitre jig from some ply and scraps of wood for cutting plaster coving with a hand saw.
Something similar would work with wood too?

http://www.diydata.com/decorating/coving/cutting_cornice/cutting_coving.php

Axminster also sell one for £14

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-coving-and-cornice-mitre-jig-prod362775/?src=froogle

Rod

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Thanks Harbo but was actually looking for a jig to make the moulding rather than cut the angles, useful info all the same.

 

[BelgianPhil]

http://woodgears.ca/cove/

This any help?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Cove-cutting on the tablesaw is a hazardous technique, and I speak as someone who has done it. IF you decide to do it (and I'll give you a safer, albeit slower option in a mo), you should have support on both sides of the workpiece and take very shallow cuts (1mm max)

For a one-off project, a router table and a cabinet scraper is the way to go. Simply keep adjusting the height of your cutter and the fence to remove as much of the waste as possible. It's not as tedious as it sounds.

Then, when all your pieces are roughed out, sharpen a goose-neck scraper and clean up.

Yes it's slower than using a tablesaw, but it's faster than using a tablesaw, spending half a day in A&E, sitting about for a couple of months while it all heals and then cleaning up with a gooseneck scraper!


S

 

[JoinerySolutions]

The video addidat posted first is almost there, it had the correct info, ie. taking small cutting passes and incrementally raise the blade.
What is missing is use as thick a blade as possible so it resists bending/flexing sideways, ensure it is sharp, use an angled fence either side of the workpiece, use a hold down that covers the exposed blade when no timber is passing over it.
The riving knife is not used because firstly it would get in the way and second the timber will not close up behind the blade to cause kickback or jamming of the blade, all the timber in the way of the blade is removed.
It is a safe way to make coving in solid wood albeit a slower process than using a spindle moulder.
When I have done this in commercial workshops there has been one person feeding the timber, using push sticks and such as required and one person at the take off end to slowly pull the last few inches past the blade.
If you get burn marks the blade is blunt, the depth of cut is too great or your feeding it through too fast.

Rob.

 

[WhyDi]

Good morning,

Of course cove-cutting on the table saw is much hazardous than usual cuts but under condition of getting rid of the bulk waste before coving and also not taking more than one millimeter each pass (related to the angle between the saw blade and the workpiece) machining coves on the table saw widens the range of available mouldings. My main technique is here and an instance there but this one does not raise much concern. Here is how machining raised panels.

Best Regards

 

[xy mosian]

I too have used this technique, coving with circular saw that is. I'm pleased to have done but would avoid it in future if possible. If you're not doing this commercially how about tracking down a Wooden rounder, or is hollow, plane.
xy

 

[gwr]

Hi try searching a project by brad naylor i'm sure he made mdf coving to finish of the built in units a few weeks ago

 

[gwr]

Forget that i just found it and he used a small S M

 

[Dodge]

When I have had to make up some large coving in the past I have done it on my Radial Arm Saw.

Still not the safest thing to do but a darn site safer than doing it on a table saw.

How longer length of coving do you need to make up?

Rog

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Thanks for all the input gents.

Indeed it is a hazardous exercise as one is more exposed to the blade. I have undertaken the operation once in the past by using just two straight edges clamped to the saw table top. I must admit it did give me the willies hence my interest inn the jig From Rockler with the featherboard which acts as a sort of guard or at least protects the hands a little.

having said that, any operation undertaken on a saw bench is dangerous if the relevant respect and caution is not practised.

I only need about 6' but intend to cut twice that incase I get my angles wrong on the project and have more to play with as getting the exact same same set up is near impossible I should imagine.

David

 

[AndyT]

David - if you only need 6', have you considered doing it by hand? It could take less time than making a jig and experimenting with it.

One of the best descriptions - with real-life photos, not theoretical diagrams - is on Pedder's blog - I'm sure he'd be pleased to answer any further questions:

http://www.sihistin.fi/en/woodwork/moldings.html

 

[WhyDi]

Good morning,

I think the AndyT's proposition may be a real option, not only due to the needed length but also the wood species and rough surface resulting from milling on the table saw. Actually every cautious woodworker may cut a cove with a saw blade and suitable guards as well as more or less sophisticated fixtures but the hard work remains if you, as I am, do not like spending much time to sand the cove. A tight grain might ease the sanding operation but others are time consuming and really tedious.
I used to smooth the cove with the sharp top and bottom sides of steel knives otherwise locked on an universal cutter head of the spindle moulder but that technique was not very convenient and annoyed me so much that I made the decision of making a drum sander with the ability of sanding coved surfaces, as ever described in the previous message about raised panel making.
So if I had to make a large cove without a mechanical way of sanding, I would probably consider the andyT's option or a compound one. Something like removing the main wasted wood on the table saw then straightly finishing with a plane or a dedicated scraper or whatever means able to smooth. It could be easier or much pleasant and time saving as well.

Best Regards