kreg beaded face frame jig

[Virgil Johnson]

Anyone have any experience with this?

Virgil

[keith ouellette]

But out of curiosity I looked at the video. I never even thought of a beaded face frame before and now I want all my face frames to have beads.

was it just me or did it seem like that unit is a great new way to make face frames even if you don't want a bead. I liked the way it made joints for the rails and stiles of the face frame. It looks sturdier and seems like it would make alignment much easier.
I think it would be a good tool just for that purpose.

And I just noticed this you may want to look at
http://www.familywoodworking.org/for...ad.php?t=17095

I had to register with them to look at the pictures( off course) and haven't seen them because I have to wait for them to review my app.

[Virgil Johnson]

It seems to me the beading would add so much nice detail without all the work.

virgil

[John A langley]

Virgil - Last summer I was a judge for the Sequoia Award at AWIF in Vegas. One of the entries judged was the Kreg Jigs Beading System. I found it to be very innovative and it would be very useful for somebody who only does an occasional beaded faceframe. The man who demonstrated it to me was well versed in it, of course. I thought there might be a little bit of a learning curve. In our shop we have only done 3 or 4 jobs with beaded faceframes - so if you are wanting to do the beaded faceframe look, the least expensive and involved way is to build your faceframe, use a bead bit and run a bunch of beaded stock, rip it off on the table saw, and apply it to the inside edges of your faceframe.

The one remark about lining up the faceframe - you will spend more time setting up the jig. The most important part of the system was the router bit to cut the notches.

I hope this answers your questions.

[Virgil Johnson]

One thing that troubles me with the Kreg jig is that you would need several notching bits - since the top rail and bottom rails - especially with doors - are often different widths.
Not only the expense but more set up time.

Virgil

[John A langley]

Virgil - Not necessarily true. Your top and bottom rails are usually open on one side. Center rails need to be at least as wide as the bit, however if you make it wider you only need to slide the faceframe stock either way to get the wider width. The biggest problem I saw is, you have a series of faceframes to make, you need to make all of one like cut at one time.

[Alan Bienlein]

But out of curiosity I looked at the video. I never even thought of a beaded face frame before and now I want all my face frames to have beads.

was it just me or did it seem like that unit is a great new way to make face frames even if you don't want a bead. I liked the way it made joints for the rails and stiles of the face frame. It looks sturdier and seems like it would make alignment much easier.
I think it would be a good tool just for that purpose.

And I just noticed this you may want to look at
http://www.familywoodworking.org/for...ad.php?t=17095

I had to register with them to look at the pictures( off course) and haven't seen them because I have to wait for them to review my app.

You mean these pictures.
12-29-09 001.JPG12-29-09 003.JPG
I can only allowed upload two pictures so thes are what I picked. It took me about 45 minutes to make the jig from stuff I had lying around the shop. The only bit I had was an old 45 chamfer bit that was dull hence the burnt edges but it worked like a dream for about $500 less.

[John A langley]

Alan - That's very much the way the Kreg Jig works. Really the only thing you would need to buy from them is the notching bit because it does cut on the flat top part of the bit and gives you a nice flat surface to put your rail into. There are two or three ways of doing the beaded faceframe without spending a lot of money.

[Alan Bienlein]

I know and have done them with the bead milled into the parts and with the bead applied seperately. I'm doing my kitchen cabinets and this time I decided to do it with the bead as part of the stile and rails. I came accross Kreg's jig while I was working on it and was interested in it till I saw the price . Thats when I slapped mine together.

[Virgil Johnson]

I got onto the Familywoodworking site and wow - I can make that.

Just get the bits from Kreg and away I go.

Thanks for saving me $500.

Virgil

[Peter Quinn]

Virgil, A guy I work with described a series of shop made jigs at a place he was at in the past for cutting the notches in the beaded frames with integral bead. He said it was pretty much a couple of templates and a few dedicated PC trim routers. You had to notch the inside corners with a chisel, but he felt it was pretty quick and easy over all. Their jigs had some way of adjusting to the width of the center rail on the FF's so you nailed the exact width in the stiles. Sorry I have no pics except a vague mental picture of what he was describing.

At work we use an applied bead, but it can be a problem with some woods like cherry where the bead ages to a different color than the frame and looks a bit like racing stripes. I too like the machined jack mitered idea but can't see spending the money on the Kreg jig unless a lot of frames per year are involved. By the time you add the jig, the router table, the bits, that adds up quick.

I'd love to see pics of what you come up with.

[Virgil Johnson]

Peter

It might be a little while before the pictures. I am skipping away to (Ocala) Florida for a bit to escape the New York (State) winter.
Back in 3-4 weeks. I have work to do down there.

Virgil

BTW the Laguna slot mortiser worked out great.

[Karl Brogger]

At work we use an applied bead, but it can be a problem with some woods like cherry where the bead ages to a different color than the frame and looks a bit like racing stripes. I too like the machined jack mitered idea but can't see spending the money on the Kreg jig unless a lot of frames per year are involved. By the time you add the jig, the router table, the bits, that adds up quick.

I'd love to see pics of what you come up with.

Just out of curiousity Peter, how do you guys mount doors when using an applied bead? Mount the plate to the partition, or use a plate that screws into the back of the face frame?







I have yet to do a decent sized job with beaded frames. I finally bought a cutter to run rail+stile material through the shaper to cut the bead more consistantly than with a router. For the mitres I cut the "female" end on the tablesaw with a mitre gauge and just use the fence as a stop for openings. Once you know where its cutting its pretty easy and repeatable. If its on an end stile the top & bottom rails I just cut the square part on the table saw as well. For mid rails+stiles, a sharp chisel makes pretty quick work of those. Even if it tears out a bit, thats not so bad as long as the top is clean, (which it will be because its already been cut with the bead), then the pocket screws will pull everything together nicely.

A router set up for cutting the mitres on the "male" ends would probably be slick though. Curently I just cut them on the chop box, its time consuming and easy to screw up when just doing it by eye. Makes me think I should get a 45* cutter for the shaper and use the coping clamp/sled.

[John Lucas]

I have been reviewing the Kreg system for just over amonth. I like it a lot.



Here is the story: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/Kreg%20...Ig%20-%201.htm

[Brian Peters]

I will pass, applying bead is a much better way to go with beaded face frames IMO.