Scratch stock question - lateral thinking

[RogerS]

If I've got a spindle moulder cutter and make a holder with screw holes to match the holes in the cutter then, I think, I've got myself a scratch stock that might just come in handy carrying the moulding along a twisty curve?

Or am I missing something?

 

[Trevanion]

Or am I missing something?

Cutting Angle.

Run a moulding of the desired knife, then take the knife out of the block and put it edge on 90-degrees to the moulding for scraping and you'll see the knife is a completely different shape to the moulding.

 

[novocaine]

Depending on the size of the moulding i normally just grind the profile in to a stanley knife blade and use that instead.

 

[RogerS]

Or am I missing something?

Cutting Angle.

Run a moulding of the desired knife, then take the knife out of the block and put it edge on 90-degrees to the moulding for scraping and you'll see the knife is a completely different shape to the moulding.

Oh rats. Knew I was missing something. Wonder if the clever chaps who make these cutters can tweak one ? Probably not.

 

[RogerS]

Depending on the size of the moulding i normally just grind the profile in to a stanley knife blade and use that instead.

Nice idea but it's much larger that a knife blade.

 

[DaveL]

Depending on the size of the moulding i normally just grind the profile in to a stanley knife blade and use that instead.

Nice idea but it's much larger that a knife blade.

Do you have an old hard point saw that is nolonger sharp? Use part of these plate to make the scratch blade.

 

[Trevanion]

A page taken from Modern Woodworking Machine Practice by J.Raymond Foyster, 1963.



Because the knife isn't hitting the timber square on with its face (A french head cutter does though) and is cutting at an angle, the knife needs to be a slightly deeper profile than that of the moulding required to make the cut properly.

 

[RogerS]

I've come to the conclusion that the cutter will be a damn sight closer to the required shape then my feeble efforts ! Will do a dry run, methinks.

 

[Mike Jordan]

I have used a spindle moulder cutter with a handle as you suggest. It was used as a lathe tool to make a semi circular section of moulding using a large face plate. It was used initially at 90 degrees and then for final shaping as a trailing scraper to get the profile right.

 

[AndyT]

When handrails were made by hand, specialised shaves and planes were sometimes used, but only on popular profiles as each one needed a set which would only make that shape.
The other approach was to use a variety of chisels, gouges and short planes, often with a tailed grip, sometimes adapted to curves to suit the job, and a template of the cross section to check against.

Scratching any shape wider than a few millimetres doesn't sound like fun to me.

 

[RogerS]

When handrails were made by hand, specialised shaves and planes were sometimes used, but only on popular profiles as each one needed a set which would only make that shape.
The other approach was to use a variety of chisels, gouges and short planes, often with a tailed grip, sometimes adapted to curves to suit the job, and a template of the cross section to check against.

Scratching any shape wider than a few millimetres doesn't sound like fun to me.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Andy..I was planning to do exactly what you're suggesting and rough it out as best as possible and then use the scratch stock to finesse it towards the end.

I've also been looking at power carvers as I'm a wimp. And Arbortech stuff...which looks like a very easy way to convert American Walnut into matchsticks and sawdust with very little end result. :lol: