Picture Rail Blues ?

Anonymous · 6 Dec 2005

I have this picture Rail and need some more.

Square Edge 35mm - Height 26mm (sitting flat) - Width 48mm

It's an unusual profile and I can't see any stock bits to rout it and have not found any of it in any reclamation yards locally. It dates from about 1900-20.

How can I go about getting some more or better still knocking some up myself ? I hear you can have a cutter knocked up but it is very expensive. I assume that I'd need to do two sets of routing. One for the top profile and one for the long curve ?

Any help/advice much appreciated.

Newbie_Neil · 6 Dec 2005

Hi Clarky

Welcome to the UKW forum. Good to have you onboard.

This thread has examples of what you need to do.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... 7278#27278

Cheers
Neil

Chris Knight · 6 Dec 2005

I think the big question is how much do you need? It is not a complicated profile and could be made with simple hand tools fairly easily but if you want a long run of it then more specialised hand tools would be desirable and costs would start to mount to the point where custom cutters for a spindle or router might start to enter the equation

Anonymous · 8 Dec 2005

Cheers Fellas. The problem I have is I have removed some built in cupboards and the previous swine cut out small sections of the picture rail when fitting the cupboards. I have stripped the rail but cutting pieces to match isn't easy as the profile varies slightly around the room. If I can't ge a satisfactory finish plugging the gaps then I'd sooner replace the whole sections. At most I'd need about 12m. In redecroating the house I'd possibly add the picture rail in several other areas so my needs might then justify the price of having a cutter made from the profile.

Any idea how much these things cost ?

Chris Knight · 8 Dec 2005

Their site seems to be down at the moment but try http://www.wealdentool.com they are very helpful and reasonably priced.

Scrit · 8 Dec 2005

clarky":q72c4qyg said:
At most I'd need about 12m.....
....so my needs might then justify the price of having a cutter made from the profile.

A cutter set would cost £40 to £70 for a spindle moulder (and you'd need two sets for the job) plus the cost of the materials and running the job. However, if you can find a joiners shop who've been at it for a while in your area they may well have a set of cutters near enough to the original. Alternatively a saw sharpener should be able to help.

For anyones benefit a pair of blanks cost me about £10 and each block needs TWO (cutter and limiter pairs), alternatively Armadillo block blanks run about £15 to £18/pr, but don't require limiters (however, Armadillos are pretty expenbsive blocks...). Then you have to add the cost (time) to make the template, to grind the cutter pair and hone them and to grind the limiters and deburr them. All plus VAT, of course.

Scrit