Creating mouldings using oscillating multitool & sandpaper

[Windows]

I believe that I recently read a comment online or saw a video where someone mentioned creating a moulding using an oscillating multitool attached to a wooden sandpaper-covered template. Has anyone heard of this technique or have a link to a description? Or did I imagine the whole thing?

 

[duke]

I have never seen it done, saying that doesn't mean it hasn't been done. Must take awhile to make the wood profile then add sandpaper.
Did some browsing, not seen it yet.

 

[Eric the Viking]

A common way the US finish carpenters cut scribes (i.e. not complete mouldings) is with an angle grinder, sometimes with a flap wheel or sometimes just a grinding disc.

I've not heard of doing what you suggest with a multi-tool, but it sounds somewhat slow, and I'd think consistency would be an issue, if it was more than a couple of inches long.

My friend Rafezetter (of this parish) and I both have multi-tools, but there's a big difference: mine is a Bosch 10.8V (3-cell) batery tool. His is DeWalt and 240V mains powered.

The DW is a beast - very agressive, fast and chews through blades pretty fast also. The Bosch is far less powerful, but has some subtlety to it. If I have to cut a pipe notch in a flooroard it will take a while, and I might dull the blade through overheating, Rafe's one just cuts it.

Applied to mouldings, I think the big issue would be the abrasive clogging up. I use my Bosh for detail sanding a lot, but it only takes seconds to destroy a sanding sheet, if I'm not using extraction, or don't frequently stop to clean the sandpaper. It's worse the more power that's used.

So I think it's technically possible, but probably unproductive.

 

[RogerS]

I would have thought something like a Dremel would have been easier and better. If you did go down the Fein route (I’m selling mine,) then get the narrow blades. …about 10mm wide

 

[Cabinetman]

How long a piece do you need to recreate?

 

[Windows]

The stuff I need to do in the near future, I’ll probably do with a router or moulding plane. My question is more storing up info for the future in case I need it. I understand that many people create scratch stocks, but cutting a wooden template and covering with sandpaper sounds slightly easier given limited tooling if only a short piece needed. Doesn’t seem like many people do that though based on searches.

 

[Eric the Viking]

scratch stocks aren't complicated, and you can make them from all sorts of thinn-ish steel, old hack- and disposable saw plates being favourite. I'd go there first, or use a router table (in preference) if you have one.

 

[Trevanion]

I personally can't see how that would work, an oscillating tool obviously oscillates and the oscillation angle varies from machine to machine. @Eric the Viking's Bosch has an oscillation angle of 1.4 degrees, @RafeZetter's Dewalt has an oscillation angle of 1.6 degrees, and a Festool equivalent has an oscillation angle of 2 degrees, it doesn't sound a lot but it does make a difference to how aggressively they cut.

The point being that as it oscillates side to side, whatever moulding negative you attach to it will become wider than intended and I would imagine would be very tricky to control, not to mention very time-consuming compared to something more suitable like a moulding plane or scratch stock.

 

[Ovaloe]

A common way the US finish carpenters cut scribes (i.e. not complete mouldings) is with an angle grinder, sometimes with a flap wheel or sometimes just a grinding disc.

I often cut them with a body grip.jigsaw and an appropriate jigsaw blade (T244D). Frightens the s*** out of some of the guys I work with, but 3 times faster than using a coping saw and a lot less tiring if you are doing multiples all day long

In terms of productivity I think it's a non-starter to sand a length of moulding from scratch, not to mention the results would be soft and mushy, and lacking and semblance of distinct edges.

For short reproduction pieces which are to be painted and are above eye level I have occasionally resorted to roughing out the shape using a rebate plane, planing to approximate shape using a combination of block plane and bull nose plane then finally sanding. It works, but it is a bit time consuming and you can't deal with hollow shapes that way.

Home-made scratch stocks work well on short lengths of smaller profiles, but they aren't much good on softwood IMHO.

For a fuller set of options you may need to start looking at wooden moulding planes, principally rounds, hollows and side beads supported by other planes such as a plough, rebate planes, side rounds, side snipes and snipe bills. With the right combination of those you can reproduce most mouldings - but the learning curve to take these on can be a bit steep

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

Or, a Stanley 45/55 or Record 405. I have the latter and it is a sweet tool - in reasonable hardwood. Soft pine can be a bear.