Cutting a 1/4 Round
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Does anyone know how to cut a concave quarter round by hand? I’ve looked at various combination plough planes and none seem to have a blade for it. It needs to be about 8″ long so a drill doesn’t seem to be the solution.
Thanks. -Jeff
Hey Dave. I’m sure that’s what I’m looking for but can’t seem to find any in production. That’s not totally true, as I found a pair for $425.
I was hoping that I was missing an easy technique like Paul’s “poor man’s router”. But maybe that’s a solution. Grind down a cheap chisel to round, sharpen it, then make a block clamp to hold it in??
Hi Jeff,
Is this to create a rounded groove/flute (The opposite of a bead)? Much depends on location, but the groove could be cut using a scratch stock or round tipped plough/plow plane cutter. Terminate each end of the cut using a gouge of the correct size or a shaped piece of timber wrapped in abrasive paper.
Another method would be to round an edge on a 4″ x 1/4″ wooden slip and edge it with sandpaper. The groove can be sanded – guided by a clamped fence- and ends terminated using this method.
Much depends on the number of grooves you need to carve/cut.
I saw molding planes at lee valley for around 25 dollars. They are wooden planes and come in various sizes, I think the largest one is 1 inch. But I would also like to know if there are any simple methods.
-Canada
For 8 inches, I think the simplest method would be to use a gouge of the proper sweep to finish the cut which has been established using a chisel to get you almost to depth and width.
I’d err on the side of caution in terms of free handing grooves using gouges unless well practised.
I made a gouge sharpener/stropper by gouging a groove in the edge of a 3/4 Inch board. It’s difficult to make a smooth looking groove.
-Canada
Sorry, I’m not explaining this too well. Think of a through dado (face up as if you are chopping it out on the bench) that’s about 2″ deep by 5″ wide, but with the two bottom corner edges 1/4″ radii. I’m thinking the molding planes Dave mentioned that Lee Valley carries might do the trick if the little extra width on the plane doesn’t contact the side wall.
I’ve got a power router but am trying to resist the temptation to go back to power tools.
Thanks Gary for the sandpaper idea. That holds some promise.
Paul would probably somehow use a screw, a paperclip and chewing gum to do it in 3 seconds. ; ) I keep waiting for him to chime in with an elegantly simple solution.
Hi Jeffrey,
Never a problem 😉
The solution to your dilemma is a simple one and I’ll see if I can find my boxes of combination/plough plane cutters and post a pic to illustrate my meaning regarding adapted cutters. Paul might introduce the use of double sided tape and a turkey wishbone (Totally kidding Paul 😉 ), but – from a retired cabinetmaker’s perspective – improvised tools are a reality when solving potential problems before they have a chance to rear their heads. 😉
Is your project a form of pen holder or troughed well of sorts?
Hi Gary. The 1/4 rounds are decorative elements on the rim and underside of a jewelry box lid. But, its still a fairly general question as a quarter round cove is common on a lot of furniture, etc. Thanks for your help.
I would most likely reach for a hollow from the hollows and rounds above my bench. These work both with or along the grain and across end grain. On end grain you would need a sacrificial piece on the outshoot to prevent breakout.
Another alternative: I’ve used round rasps for this too. Clamping a fence in place on the board being shaped and run the rasp along the fence to the depth required. To smooth, plane a corner of square stock to the profile and wrap with sandpaper to required smoothness.
As Gary P said, scratch stocks work well and are interesting to make too. Any old saw blade will make dozens of profiles and the same stock can usually be used for all of the profiles.
I wasn’t aware this was for an external edge and couldn’t agree more with Paul in terms of the use of hollows and rounds for work of this nature. 🙂 There are many work arounds for such challenges 🙂
Thank you all for your replies and suggestions.
Gary, I have two external edge coves and two internal as I gave in the dado example. I omitted the external ones in my description. Sorry for the confusion.
Thank you Paul, I like the rasp and fence idea as I don’t have any hollows & rounds. I have followed your rounding over edges with a plane technique on practice wood with success, so using that as a sanding block will work well.
Best to all and thanks again. -Jeff
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