Cockbeading vs. hand beading with a beading plane?

[David Kuzdrall]

I have always admired beaded drawer fronts but never done any cockbeading due to the amount of time involved. I recently noticed that veritas has a beading plane that could be used to cut a bead (and other profiles) in a drawer front.

has anyone here used that tool? How well does it work on the cross grain and how well does it work overall?

thx

[Zach Dillinger]

Never used the LV plane you referenced, but the low-rent alternative to real cockbeading is to mount a wood screw in a block of wood, file the head of the screw to sharpen the edge, and scratch the bead into the work. Works very well and costs nothing.

[Chris Griggs]

I don't have that beader, but I do have the little Hock wooden one. Different as they are they are both scratch beaders, meaning they work via a scraping action. I've never tried using mine cross grain, and though it might work with care, these are really best suited for long grain work. If I remember I'll give mine a go on some cross grain, see what happens and report back.

[Sean Hughto]

I use my 66 for beading. It works great. Easier with the grain, but across is doable. Here are some pics:





Other beaders would likely work as well.

[Mel Fulks]

This seems like a good place to notice how differently we see old designs from the way the original owners did.The applied bead is seen more on higher grade pieces than the scribed. Probably because it covered dovetails and gives a much higher relief. Not much interest in covering dovetails now.

[Brian Ashton]

WOW you really have to be careful what you type into google images for that one LOL

[Chris Griggs]

WOW you really have to be careful what you type into google images for that one LOL

Ha. Its funny because its true!

[Brian Ashton]

The lee valley beader looks from the pictures that the blade is oriented 90 degrees to the work - is that true? Where as the 66 beader looks like it's leaned over some what. Does anyone know how much? Over all I would suspect that a beader would work better if the blade were at an angle of anything more than 90 degrees to the work.

[Chris Griggs]

The lee valley beader looks from the pictures that the blade is oriented 90 degrees to the work - is that true? Where as the 66 beader looks like it's leaned over some what. Does anyone know how much? Over all I would suspect that a beader would work better if the blade were at an angle of anything more than 90 degrees to the work.

Basic hand beaders work by tilting them in use to a point where they are making an ideal cut (like a card scraper). I guess the 66 is mounted at an angle since its a got a decent sized sole and isn't meant to be tilted. I'm not sure how the LV was meant to be used. It has some sole and in the pics its being shown used flat but I'd imagine than in actual use you would want to tilt it. I'm curious to find out what someone who has it says.

Personally, I like the sound of Zachs method and kinda wish I tried it before I dropped $30 on the Hock (which though it works really well is really no more than a chunk of bamboo with a couple of screws in it to hold the beading blade in place).

Something like the LV is probably pretty nice if you are doing a lot of beading, long lengths, or more complex flutes and such, but for a simple 1/8" or 1/4" single bead on the occasional F&P door or drawer front the screw in chunk of wood method seems pretty tough to beat. Not that I want to discourage you from buying a fun new tool, just saying the thing Zach mentioned sounds like a good deal.

[Will Boulware]

I've got the Lee Valley beading tool and I like it a lot. Caveat - I haven't used the Hock tool, the LN #66, or a Stanley #66, and I can only compare it to a homemade scratchstock or 3 that I've tried from friends. Also, I'm definitely not what one would call a professional woodworker. That being said, I can answer the angle question. The LV beader does pretty much hold the cutter 90* to the wood you're working. It may or may not be bad/improper technique, but I angle mine to get it started. It cuts just fine after you get it going, and I've had good results in a variety of North American hardwoods and even junky BORG pine, the latter being the most difficult to work with due to the obvious issues with quickly grown pine construction lumber. Never used it on crossgrain, but I'd assume similar results to the pictures above given that there was a competent pair of hands holding the tool.

As for your reference to the time involved, these tools work well and work quickly. They are easy to set up and relatively easy to use. Try one! I think you'll like it!

Edit: I like the LV tool quite a bit due to the fence, but if you're questioning a purchase, build one from some scrap and try it first. They're really cool once you figure them out.

[David Kuzdrall]

All good replies, thanks! I may look at the hock tool as its price seems reasonable for an "experiment" but this method seems like it is going to be a challenge when beading an entire drawer front. I assume that great care will have to be taken where the beads meet or I will really mangle it up.

[glenn bradley]

I don't use it much so I go cheap

scratch-stock-001.jpg

Sawzall blade shaped and sharpened in a bandsaw kerf in a scrap of wood. Held with two panhead screws.

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

I tested the Hock scratch stock and it works quite well (as does any scratch stock, really) with the grain; a much lighter touch and more time is required to use it across grain. But if you're cutting a lot of beads (e.g. on tongue-and-grooved backboards...my new favorite treatment), you might look for an old side bead moulding plane...or (if you're profligate (like me), buy a new one: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wo...oulding-planes).

[Frank Drew]

This seems like a good place to notice how differently we see old designs from the way the original owners did.The applied bead is seen more on higher grade pieces than the scribed. Probably because it covered dovetails and gives a much higher relief. Not much interest in covering dovetails now.

I sometimes like the look of screw beading but I agree with Mel that applied cock beading is usually reserved for higher end work; I believe it was originally used mostly on veneered drawer fronts to protect the veneer from chipping at the drawer edges. On the examples of older work that I've seen, and every time I've done cock beading, the beading applied to the drawer sides is rather narrow in width, only about half the drawer thickness, so that the dovetails aren't completely covered.

[Brian Ashton]

I don't use it much so I go cheap

Sawzall blade shaped and sharpened in a bandsaw kerf in a scrap of wood. Held with two panhead screws.

I can be a bit frugal at times with money but usually not with time. I had a few pieces of brass laying around and two knobs left over so I put this together. Had to buy the blades. Draw back is I cant angle the blade forward.