Mantle stile fluting

[Bill Antonacchio]

I just registered after lurking for a few weeks. All of the members seem to be helpful and patient with questions and I hope to be able to add to the forums in the future.

But right now I have a question.

I am new at this so maybe my terminilogy won't even be correct but here goes.

I am trying to make a fireplace surround (electric fireplace in south Florida, mainly for the appearance from the lighting) and am planning ahead for when I get to the mantle stiles.

I have looked through the internet using Google and found only a few references to jigs for this process. I would like to do them small and close if possible but when doing a test piece based on just layout marks on the piece of wood I find it a little nerve racking to get them stopped, started and smooth throughout the length of the flute.

The stiles are to be 5 1/2" in width and 34" in length with either a plinth block or possibly a rosette top and bottom. The flutes could all be the same length or vee angled.

I had emailed Pat Warner and discussed his fluting as pictured on his site but he only said that it was "dicey" and wanted to sell me his double fence.

I have a DW625 and will be using a 3/8" bit for the flute.

The idea that is floating around in my head involves a brass bar (I have a set of brass bars from Whiteside 1/8" to 1/2") to index the distance between each flute for accuracy. Using a jig to align the router on the board and then possibly another jig on top of the first to register the flute using the brass bar to index to the next location, but can't quite get the combination sorted out.

Can anybody help?

Regards,
Bill

[Peter Stahl]

Bill,

When I did the flutes on the surround at my last house what I did was to make a mark on the back of the board as to where they were to start/stop. Made marks on the router table fence as to where the edges of the bit were. I used a core box bit and made 5 flutes. I had a scrap piece of wood so I could make test cuts to see if I liked the spacing. The first one was in the middle, then the 2 on either side of that then the 2 outside ones. I would do the middle one, move the fence, do the one on one side then flip the board to do the other. Same procedure for the outside ones. I also used a feather board so the board could not move away from the fence. For the test piece I did straight through flutes, but I did stopped ones on the fire place pieces. I plungged it into the bit, pushed it to the other end then lifted it off. On the initial plung I would stay off the line a hair, move it back to the line slowly then go through to the end. Depending on how fast you go, how sharp your bit is or the type of would you can get a little burning. Try not to stop for too long. I also made some shelves for my brother too around this time. All these were made with a old craftsman router in one of those little craftsman table top router tables. Sorry but I don't have pictures of either of these projects, at least not digital ones.

Pete

[Jim McCarty]

I do this for a living (I'm a gen'l contractor but I specialize in finish carpentry and cabinetry) and I do it just like Pete said. Use a clean and sharp router bit and don't pause or you'll burn the wood. A router table or a router set up in your extension table of your table saw works great. If your work is going to be painted, burning isn't that big of a problem, but if it's going to be stained, it's a lot of work to sand out the burn marks. Good luck. Jim

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bill....what Pete said. BTW....Welcome to the 'Creek!

[Frank Lopez]

I concur with Peter and Bill. One thing that might help is to use stop blocks on your router fence and boar being fluted. Set the blocks on the fence so the board will pass under the blocks. On the back side of the board you can tack a reference blocks for the beginning and end of the flutes which contact the stop block. Just leave enough room/height with respect to the stop block and reference block heights so you can plunge the flute. I plunge the beginning of the flute near the beginning and back cut to the first stop block, then push the rest of the way to the stop block at the end. The stop blocks ensure the flutes all stop at the same point without having to slow down and stop at a reference line. This might help eliminate any burning.

[Doug Shepard]

A router table would help, but it's not a must. I did the ones for my brother's fireplace at his place (w/out my router table) and just used a good router edge guide and some stop blocks. I think I used a 5/8 core box bit, but I could be wrong on the size. Getting the edge guide set so that the center flute is exactly centered on the board is pretty critical. Doing that with the core box bit in the router isn't very good as the bit fades away at the tip. If you've got one of those router bit centering pins or even just a 1/4" straight bit, it will be easier to get the edgeguide and router centered on the board. The outer flutes aren't quite so critical, but you need to be close enough that the spacing from the center flute doesn't look off. Just route from the opposite edges for each pair of the outer and mid-outer flutes. For the stop blocks, you can just take a block of wood and attach another scrap to the edge of it so that it juts down on the back edge of your stile for something to clamp to. Make layout lines on the ends of the stile where you want your flutes to stop. Then set your router on the stile and line the bit up to stop at the line. Push the stop blocks up against the router and clamp them in place. I also think it helps to lightly clamp the edge guide to the board with a quick-grip clamp until after you've plunged into the cut, then hold the fence snug to the board, release the clamp and proceed through the cut. The initial plunge cut can shift the router slightly and the clamp will eliminate that. Like the others said, don't stop during the cut.

[Bill Antonacchio]

Thanks to all who replied to my question. Not sure if I want to try dropping a 5 1/2" x 34" board on to the router table just quite yet!

I still think a jig could be made to index each flute with precision once the location of the current location of the bit can be set and the brass bar "index" is inserted to register the next location.

Anyway, I have a lot more parts to cut and join before that becomes an issue so maybe it will be solved in the meantime.

Thanks again for looking at my query.

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

Bill
One last critique:
You do not have to make the flutes 3/8 deep.
They can be 1/8 or 1/4 or 5/16 - use a test board to see what looks good to you.
Also you don't have to make the flutes in one pass through. Do an 1/8 or 3/16 and then make your second passes deeper.
I start with the outer most flute and work toward the middle.
Definitely use stop blocks
Definitely use finger board to hold piece to router fence.
Daniel

[Ted Shrader]

Bill -

First, Welcome to the Creek! A great place to hang out.

Second - Spacing the flutes - When I do those, I start in the center of the board with the first cut. Then index the "fence" with a spacer for the next cut. Flip the board around and cut the mirror flute. Add the second index spacer and make two cuts, etc.

It is easier (for me) to do on the router table than moving the router on the board. I end up thinking about the cut too much while it is being cut and screw it up. With it on the router table, all you have to watch for is the start and stop marks.

Good luck and welcome,
Ted