grooving curved door rails ??

[Stocksy27]

making some curved draw fronts and curved doors, 5 piece tenoned together, normally id use the router with a bearing guide on the fence to groove the rails, unfortunately I've lost the bit for router wondering if any one else has any ways of doing it different? have various routers but can't find the copy follower bearing guide I'm after.
thanks

 

[thetyreman]

steam bending???

 

[ColeyS1]

Depending on how big the curve is, could you just use a flute cutter and fence. Leave the curvy one rectangular/square and do the groove extra deep. Then cut the curve out afterwards.

Coley

 

[undergroundhunter]

Scratch stock? depending on how deep the groove is.

Matt

 

[Stocksy27]

its a 400mm radius curve, made from 3mm mdf vacuum formed section is 75mm high 24mm thick groove needs to be centre of the 24mm and 15mm deep

 

[DiscoStu]

Sounds like you just need to buy a new router bit?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Doug71]

Can you fix some kind of template to your router fence that is the same shape/radius as what you are grooving and it will just follow the curve?

Doug

 

[RobinBHM]

Can you fix some kind of template to your router fence that is the same shape/radius as what you are grooving and it will just follow the curve?

Doug

That would work and maybe a bit of wood with 2 bales catches in for the other side to put some spring pressure on it so it wont run off.

 

[Brentingby]

If you use a template fixed to the fence, it'll work nicely as long as your rails match the curve of the template. Another option that would work for any curved rail as well as the straight stiles is to use some bearings set up like this. You probably don't need four, though. Just one on either side. If the distance between the bearings is the same as the rail thickness and if the bit is centered between them, the groove cut by the bit will have to be centered on the rail.

 

[Eric The Viking]

That's a nice and neat and simple - filed for future use under "get out of jail ideas"!

 

[SteveF]

If you use a template fixed to the fence, it'll work nicely as long as your rails match the curve of the template. Another option that would work for any curved rail as well as the straight stiles is to use some bearings set up like this. You probably don't need four, though. Just one on either side. If the distance between the bearings is the same as the rail thickness and if the bit is centered between them, the groove cut by the bit will have to be centered on the rail.

so many clever people on this forum

Stolen

Steve

 

[Wildman]

likewise filed away, cheers

 

[Brentingby]

Thanks, gentlemen.

It's worth noting that the wood will contact the router bit just before getting in between the bearings and will exit the bearings shortly before leaving the bit. You could add two more sets of bearings if you wanted to make it more complex or just leave the rails long enough so you can cut off the ends after the groove is made.