Side bead plane usefulness?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Curious how often you all use your side bead molding planes? I've been working on making my rack of planes more ready to use, and have determined that I have some really crappy side bead planes. Trying to decide whether or not to assemble a set of better ones. My gut instinct is that a set of hollows and rounds, and a pair of snipes bills, and I should be able to do most anything. Am I way off?

Only thing I can come up with is cock beading around drawers being a problem.

[paul cottingham]

I am no expert to be sure, but some hollows and rounds with a couple snipes bill planes and a couple of side rounds and you can make just about any moulding, at least according to Matt Bickford. I don't think a couple side bead planes will hurt, I know I use mine a ton.
Seriously, Bickfords book is fantastic. Pick it up if you have even a passing interest in making your own mouldings.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Found it on Amazon, $84.00, it must be good. Wonder if there is a better place to find it, will look around. Thanks for the lead.

[paul cottingham]

If you are referring to "moldings in practice" you can find it at lee valley or the lost art website for standard pricing of around 37.00 or so. Worth every penny.

[Jim Koepke]

Don't forget a rabbet plane.

It is useful to remove some of the excess wood so the hollows and rounds do not have to do all the work.

If you want to get really fancy you can use the H&Rs to make a basic shape and then come along with some gouges to make other designs.

There is a WoodWright's Shop episode "The Venerable Bead" about different beading planes and in the same year there is "Carving Away with Mary May."

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/w...2014-episodes/

I have seen another episode where they make egg and dart or bead and cove from basic beads.

jtk

[lee trevett]

I have a set of side beads and the smaller sizes I use on lots of projects. Very handy to have in my opinion.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Paul, thanks for the lead, that's a much better price.

I just watched a nice set sell on ebay, but they will have to wait until the budget is a bit bigger. Nobody has said they never use theirs, so I think that's unanimous.

Now I'm off to watch woodwright on youtube, thanks Jim!

[David Weaver]

Small beads are useful. Bigger architectural planes (like 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch beads and such) a little less so, and a lot of the beading planes around are bigger architectural types.

The difference between the small beads and the hollows and rounds is that you can scratch a small bead without too much issue, but if you're going to do H&R by hand, the only other thing I could think of is carving a moulding, and that assumes that you have the carving tools to do it and the skills to make it look handsome (I sure don't).

My first money would be on a decent rabbet plane, a few hollows and rounds, then snipes bills and then beads. If you get through the first two and need to make a bead, make a scratch beader.

[Andrae Covington]

Paul, thanks for the lead, that's a much better price.

I just watched a nice set sell on ebay, but they will have to wait until the budget is a bit bigger. Nobody has said they never use theirs, so I think that's unanimous.

Now I'm off to watch woodwright on youtube, thanks Jim!

The Woodright's Shop episode should give you some good ideas.

I recently used a 3/8" side bead on this six-board chest.

sixboard1.jpg

[Jeff Heath]

I use my 1/4" sidebead all the time......It's a great detail for furniture, as well as a nice accent for the bottom of a shelf.



The larger sizes, 1/2" and larger, are good if you're going to carve them, like egg and dart, or something similar, but are too large, in my opinion, to use as a detail. Unless, that is, you're making furniture for the jolly green giant.

There's something about using a well tuned, well made moulding plane like a simple sidebeader that is very satisfying......with no noise.