Magic Molder or alternative.

[Jim Becker]

The Magic Molder is a really excellent system...my cabinetmaker neighbor has one and most of the time, it's used specifically for the task you are faced with. Yes, not inexpensive, but nearly zero vibration and excellent quality cuts. If you think it through, it might be a very useful piece of tooling to have in your bag especially given you do work for others. Given this customer is requiring you to make the beaded panels as one piece, I hope you're up-charging for the custom feature.

That said, another poster is correct...you should be able to find one of the older Sears type units, but do be careful with them. One of the nice things about MM is how the cutter tooling locks into the heavy and well balanced unit.

[Glen Butler]

I just installed this cabinet today. The bead board is from some cherry veneer, MDF core. It was glazed so the MDF was never found out. I used a bead board bit in a router. I think bosch makes it (could be amana). I happened across it while looking for something else at my local woodworking store. It it a rounded V shaped bit almost a double 1/8 roundover and no side cutting capabilities. I ran the first pass to a straight edge and rather than move the straight edge simply bumped out the router a 1/4" with a short stick. I was contemplating buying a magic molder as well until I happened across it. Let me do some research and I will get back with you. Maybe even tomorrow night after I get back from the shop. I will be able to look at the package and get the product number for you.
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[Peter Quinn]

Peter, she wants 2 1/2" between beads and I did some checking. I can get two beads on a board with one full field and two halves, which would mean four pieces to a door, so I am going with this method, splines that is. I can fool her.......Ballew Saw and tool still has moulders in stock, but I don't see myself using it much either, and if they are stopping production cutters will be hard to get anyway. I was ready to pull the trigger, but that is money out of my pocket and I already have a bead cutter for the shaper.Thanks gentlemen, Larry

I've found as long as you keep the glue under control and use some cauls to keep the thing flat until it's set it's a pretty seamless way to go. I wouldn't want to make up huge panels that way but your average door panel is sure doable.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Why not run a dado down the length of the door? Then take a piece of stock that will fit into dado, profile the edge to needed bead. Then rip profile off and glue in dado. No splines, or other junk. If dado needs sides reliefed, just run a router against straigtht edge guide with suitable bit in it down length of dado..

[Jim Becker]

Why not run a dado down the length of the door? Then take a piece of stock that will fit into dado, profile the edge to needed bead. Then rip profile off and glue in dado. No splines, or other junk. If dado needs sides reliefed, just run a router against straigtht edge guide with suitable bit in it down length of dado..

This will certainly work to create the look. The downside is that the grain of the panel will be interrupted by the inlayed bead. It may or may not be noticeable, depending on the species and grain pattern of the panel, itself.