Good way to cut this curve?

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot]

I'll be fabricating some towel racks for our bathroom. The "arms" that hold the bar will be made of 3/4'' stock -- MDF or something easy to work -- and painted. They are pretty simple.

The pattern is at

'll be making four of them. I want the curvy part to be nice and clean, and I could use suggestions on how to cut that curve so it looks "professional."

The tools I have are a router, a handheld saber (jig) saw, some sandpaper, and a tin of Cloverdale brand Elbow Grease.

[paul_bilodeau1]

Hey Mike,

I have a couple of suggestions here.

First, trace this pattern onto a small piece of luan plywood (it's approx. 1/8" thick) and use it as a pattern to trace onto all of the pieces of material that you need. Next, cut them out with the sabre saw and be prepared to spend some time sanding.

Second, trace this pattern onto the luan as mentioned above, and then place a router bit into your router. With the router turned OFF, slowly trace the outside edge of the router base as you move the router along the edge of the pattern's profile. This will give you a template to use so that you can clamp it to the material and cut out the pieces using your router. You may want to use a large enough piece of luan to give you room to clamp.

Hope this helps, Paul

[john_manly]

Hi Mike:

I suggest you make one piece by cutting it out with your saber saw and sanding to shape. Then, use a bearing-guided router bit in your router to duplicate that shape on other pieces after roughing them out with the saber saw. You may want to start with a pattern made from something thinner, like 1/4" plywood to reduce the time spent sanding to final shape, and use this pattern to make all the pieces. If you think you'll be making more of these later, having a pattern already on hand will save you lots of time.

Regards, John.

Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:

[Guess who]

I was going to suggest "carefully" ...and that's still true.

Cut away most of the material in a rough-cut. if oyu feel it's necessary make further straight line-cuts up to the mark [well, real close.] All the material stress is gone, and you just have to have a steady hand to finish with a final clean no-stress cut by jig-saw to the line [or *really* close]. Then finish by sanding by hand and sanding block. The block keeps the paper straight. otherwise you see slight bends here and there as the hand/finger pressure changes.

Or, you can make a jig and use a router.

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot]

As John and Paul have helpfully suggested, the pattern/router approach can give good results. I like the idea of making the template from thin stock, to make sanding easier. I reckon a "pattern bit" for the router

-- a straight bit with a guide wheel that sits between the business end and the router motor -- will work just peachy. The tricky part, as I see it, will be sorting out how to clamp the template and work piece prior to routing. After that, it appears to be a fairly straight-ahead procedure.

[Lowell Holmes]

I'd make them out of real wood. I'd cut the curves with a saber saw or a coping saw. I would clean up the curves with a spoke shave. A spoke shave can be purchased in the neighborhood of $30.

Just my 2 ¢. :-)

[Guess who]

My main point, Mike was to remove the bulk of material with a jigsaw/scrollsaw/bandsaw, then attend to the remainder. With little to remove, and a steady hand, the jig saw with a good blade will get close enough to allow for little sanding. I'd do a template if I was fitting together as in a jig-saw puzzle or doing a larger length, such as the S-curved sides and front of the oak sofa-table I did. Like they say, nobody will see the difference in that short length and its location when driving by at 40.

I'll get smoked by the people with their complete set of computerised micrometers, but the best advice I was given a long long time back by an old craftsman who built the bedroom furniture we enjoy to this day was, "You can cut a line too straight.". He meant, without going overboard about it, it can have a little character that adds, rather than detracts.

[Lew Hodgett]

I like to make patterns using 1/4" hardboard for this kind of job.

It's low cost, easy to work, and holds a good edge for the bearing of a router pattern bit to follow.

BTW, don't have a pattern bit, use a collar and a straight bit.

Layout the pattern on the hard board, then trim proud with the saber saw.

The easiest way to clean up an inside radius shown on the piece would be a drum sander, say 2" dia, and a drill press, followed by some hand sanding.

Don't have a drill press, maybe a neighbor might be able to help.

HTH

Lew

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot]

You speak as someone who obviously has better skills with a jigsaw than I! Despite that I was taught how to use one when I was a kid by my father, and despite that I've always owned one and have it for for various projects my whole adult life, I know better than to try to cut four curves like that by hand -- I'd have to spend the next several years looking at my lousy jigsawmanship at close range every time I went into the bathroom to use the facilities.

Nope. I know my limitations.

But with a clean template, a sharp router bit, and enough clamps to keep everything in one place, even I will be able to do a job that will pass close inspection.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"

18" Laguna (or equal) bandsaw. Maybe, just maybe, you can squeak by with a 14" Delta with riser block.

But the bandsaw. Your wife will appreciate the towel racks. Honest, you can trust me.

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot]

LOL! You know, if there is ONE thing I don't need to be encourage to do, buying new tools is it!

Hi, my name is Rocky and I am a toolaholic.

-- Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott

71 Type 2: the Wonderbus 84 Westphalia: "Mellow Yellow (The Electrical Banana)" KG6RCR

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot]

"George, can you give me a hand here?"

"Well, I guess so, Rocky. What do I need to do?"

"Turn this little drum sander thingy around real fast for a few minutes."

(Thanks for the suggestion on how to clean up the inside radius. I do have a drill press. Sounds like a good way to go.)

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot]

I've seen folks use those tools. They appear to be fast and efficient. The tools, I mean. I can't comment on the folks.

[Mike Marlow]

Mike:

Lots of other folks have suggested good techniques for making and using a pattern so I won't repeat them, only echo them. I will however, suggest a better material than MDF. My opinion of MDF is rather low and I consider it to be good for nothing more than kindling material. It is not hard enough to stand up to typical knocks and bumps, does not really take screws or other fasteners in such a way as to be strong once screwed together, and it's really nasty about soaking up moisture. I consider MDF to be a curse upon the woodworking world. Having said that, for what you're doing a nice hardwood will not break the bank and you'll end up with a much nicer piece.

Just my two cents worth.

[Guess who]

I doubt it. Perhaps I don't expect as much? As my aged father used to tell me, "Son, always let the tool do the work." Most people push way too hard; same when sawing with a hand saw. Same with sex, I hear as well.

[Mark Jerde]

Just lie back and let the tool do the work.... ;-)

-- Mark

[bridger]

never tried to burn it, have you?

[Lew Hodgett]

You have it made in the shade.

You made a comment about your capabilities with a saber saw.

I consider a saber saw strictly a "roughing" tool. Cut out each piece allowing about 1/4" of material for the router to clean.

BTW, IMHO, you are totally wasting your time and money trying to use MDF for this application.

MDF for the shelf, well OK, but not the supports.

Consider using something like 3/4", 13 ply, cabinet birch ply. which would look good natural, if you decided not to paint.

HTH

Lew

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot]

Good points. While I'm waiting for the pattern bit to arrive from Rockler I can hunt wood. Nearby, no one sells much in the way of hardwoods. At HD there is a selection of maple or poplar*. Painted, would either of these woods fill the bill? Yah, there are less-expensive places than HD but not around me, near as I can tell (San Diego [California] coastal north county). I could range out farther if neither of these two woods are good-to-great choices.

*Which is more than my Lowes has -- if it ain't douglas fir or redwood, they ain't got it.

[George]

I'm with Lew, though I think that the 1/4" floor underlayment made with five pieces of birch veneer is a better template material than even tempered masonite. Use of the collar allows trimming with a spiral bit, with the extra smooth that shear cutting can bring.

Not that it will work for you, but after years of using the kids as my drill-press oscillators, I had SWMBO help me on a project with a lot of curved pieces. After an hour, she gave permission for purchase of my JET spindle sander....