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Crown molding

4K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  cabinetman 
#1 ·
I want to make some cherry crown molding. What router bit do I buy to make the design in the picture?
Nick
 

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#3 · (Edited)
#5 ·
A consideration should be concerning how many feet of moulding you need. It can be machined with several types of bits, but if you only need a limited amount, it may be worthwhile to get it made, or buy something off the shelf at a millworkers shop, or a good lumberyard that caters to the trim trades.

Making moulding on a table router can be done but is not a preferred method for any degree of quantity. One of the problems encountered is having enough space, for infeed and outfeed. Next is the ability to get smooth passes. For any length, there may be (or will be) changing hand and foot positions. Every time that is done there is the possibility of having a "glitch" in the machined profile.

Next, when using vertical bits to profile, it's necessary to have featherboards to keep the stock against the bit/fence. The resistance given from featherboards makes getting smooth passes more difficult. A powerfeeder would help in getting a continuously smooth pass. Mouldings like that are best run on shapers with a power feeder, or a moulder.

So, here's my line of thinking. I'm not saying that using the TS to do the coves and using a few bits to do the rest of the profiles can't do it, it still may not look as good as a moulding done on a single pass method . If you needed say 1000 feet of moulding, or are going to be making crown with the same profile in the future, the cost of tooling up and the time and labor of correcting all the little starts and stops, may not be worth the expense of just finding it somewhere. Of course, you can't beat the bragging rights of having done it.






 
#9 ·
Yes, you can make this on a table saw and some shaper/router bits but you would not be happy with the results. The problem with making any multiple pieces of the crown is that when you try to mitre either outside or inside corners the molding needs to be so perfect (if you want your joints to look good) that you really can't expect home made molding to work. The piece you are showing is a very common style molding and most any mill works will have it in stock.


Bandman
 
#10 ·
Yes, you can make this on a table saw and some shaper/router bits but you would not be happy with the results. The problem with making any multiple pieces of the crown is that when you try to mitre either outside or inside corners the molding needs to be so perfect (if you want your joints to look good) that you really can't expect home made molding to work. The piece you are showing is a very common style molding and most any mill works will have it in stock.


Bandman
Thanks, I'm going to go to the mill next week and see what they have in stock.
 
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