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Best way to add a groove to a table apron

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3K views 19 replies 12 participants last post by  JoeLyddon 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi gang - I'm currently working on a table for my oldest son and his wife. The table apron has a groove detail roughly 1/2" above an arch at the bottom of the apron. Maybe I'm getting old, but I'm drawing blanks on the best way to accomplish that. The radius of the arch looks too tight for an edge guide. Thoughts and ideas? See the pic below for an illustration of what I want to do.

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#3 ·
The way I've done it was before you glue the rails on, make another rail for the pattern, use hot glue or clamp or two sided tape to attach to the rails you want the accent flute, use a small hand held router with a pattern bit such as a "90 degree V-Groove pattern bit" like the Grizzly #C1659. or a the "Core Box pattern bit" like the Grizzly #C1661. If you have a bearing set, you could put a 1/4 inside diameter bearing onto a "Engraving Bit" with a 1/4" shaft, such as a 30 degree or 45 degree engraving bit that Whiteside offers #SC71 #SC76 #SC41 #SC39.
 
#5 ·
I was thinking what LeeRoyMan said. However, another way also comes to mind. You could cut the bottom profile of your apron on a band saw minus the strip below the groove. Round over the edge and then cut the 1/2" strip to fit, round over the edge and glue it on.

You could also do it with a router and grooving bit but, you would need a very accurately made template and a top bearing guide on the router bit or a guide bushing like what is typically use with a dovetailing jig.
 
#9 ·
scratch stock for sure, an old piece of saw blade or card scraper and a scrap of wood will do the trick. cut a kerf in the end and round over the wood so it can follow the profile. You can see in the one Rich posted above the blade can be moved to the end. That's the idea.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
I think his question though is how is the scratch stock going to get around that tight curve? Unless a different design like the veritas model or the Lie Nielsen beading tool style?

- SMP
As GrantA pointed out, the Hock scratch stock is designed so that the blade can be mounted either on the side, as pictured, or out the front, where it can be used inside curves.

It only costs $32. Pretty much a no-brainer in my book.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the ideas guys. You're all pretty much confirming that there's not an easy trick for doing this. We'll figure out something…leaning towards the scratch stock at the moment. Will let you know how it ends up. Thx!
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
I think I might have a solution. After playing around with all my router pieces parts for a while, I took my Milwaukee edge guide, turned it upside down and backwards, removed the thread adjust knob, and added a bolt through the adjuster hole and a crown nut to act as the guide. The test run went pretty well. I have four pieces of apron to do that will cover around 160 linear inches with 8 arcs. Hopefully the real thing goes as well as the test.

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#15 ·
Scott,

I think I would do what you came up with… EXCEPT, I would use a GUIDE around the bit… s large as it takes to get the proper distance from edge… In a Router Table… <=====

Then, merely route all edges required… changing depth per Pass until done.

Would be much easier to control around the curves… Hope I'm not too late.

Looks like it's going to be a COOL table!
 
#16 · (Edited by Moderator)
Too late Joe! I tried the collar guide around the bit earlier, but it prevents the bit from reaching the wood….I need the far edge of the guide to contact the wood. The collar method would have need a template….which is a good approach too, but I was concerned about getting the template just right.

My adapted jig worked, but it was a bit difficult to navigate the curves….I did mess up one of them a little, and going to need to fix it, but otherwise it worked out pretty well….not perfect, but pretty well. These will all get cleaned up and painted.

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#17 ·
Alright!

Yes, the curves is where I thought you'd have trouble…

It would have taken a LARGE collar Guide to get the desired distance…

You didn't go as deep as I thought you would go… Looks good… nice curves… being super careful! :)

Looking good…
 
#18 ·
I'm getting in here a little late.The picture below is table aprons I made almost 30 years ago. The table unfortunately got left out right after the build and it rained on it thereby causing stains on the Red Oak. I disassembled it, and put it in my attic. Pigeons got up there and you know what they can do.

Anyway, for future reference, what I did was make a template for the groove. I actually used my pin router, but a top bearing bit would do just as well. The template was 1/2" narrower than the pieces you see. A groove was routed on a test piece until the shape was satisfactory. These pieces were still straight boards when the grooves were routed. After routing, I traced out one board keeping my pencil line 1/2" from the center of the groove. I cut it on my band saw as close to my line as possible. After sanding it along the contoured edge to get a clean look, I used double sided tape to attach the finished piece and the straight boards, and routed them to final shape with a flush trim router bit. It was pretty easy, and there were no mistakes and no tearouts. ... It's a shame it never got rebuilt. It was a pretty nice looking table, and then later I lost one of the apron pieces.

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........... Jerry (in Tucson)
 

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#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
Followup - The apron grooves are cut, and the pieces are painted. They should be fine when it's all finished up. My method worked, but I will say there was plenty of risk to goof up the grooves. If I had it to do over, I'd do something more goof proof like a template and bearing or collar, or the scratch stock.

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