Help! Somebody tell me how to make these support pieces

[rudy de haas]

Photo 2, attached (I hope!) shows the piece I need to make. The first photo shows where I plan to use them - if my wife approves of this design. (I have 197 feet of slantfin metal heater cover to replace).

The inuksuks are 8.5" long, about 2" wide with a 5.25" x 3/8th inset on one side. This has to be fairly precise because it's where the radiator cover fits. The other side fits what's left on the wall after I take the front cover and louvers off the radiators. (As it turns out I can't fully remove the metal work because this would require removing the top strip of cedar and it's so dry it cracks and breaks easily - plus they countersunk the nails holding these boards.)

I made these two out of scrap using a handsaw - they're just a proof of concept thing for my wife to look at.

However.. if I use this design, i will need to make about 60 of them - and they all have to be better than these two. So how? What's the right tool for this?

And.. is it worthwhile trying to cut them out of one solid piece? or would making them by gluing together rectangular pieces cut to shape on a saw work just as well?

[Art Mann]

I could probably cut 60 of those out fairly quickly on my CNC router unless there are some subtleties that I'm not seeing. That would be an expensive purchase for just this one job. You could create the profile by gluing up multiple equally wide pieces of various lengths with the grain all running in the same direction Then you could slice off multiple pieces from one glue-up using a band saw or table saw with a thin kerf blade. The problem is you are going to have to have a really efficient method to produce that many in a reasonable amount of time.

[Jamie Buxton]

You've made the prototypes from solid lumber. They have short crossgrain parts near the top that are planning to break off. Can you make the part from plywood? Or can you make the part taller, so the bits at the top are less likely to split off?

[Mike Schuch]

To make 60 of those use the one you have as a template. Screw (or double sided tape) it to a blank then use a router with a flush trim bit. They should all end up identical. You will have to cut each bevel individually on the table saw because a router won't copy that portion of the profile. It might be easier and quicker to use the router in a router table so that you are moving the stock over the router instead of the router over the stock. In a router table I would use a flush trim bit with the bearing on the bottom of the bit.

Alternate approach: Cut 60 blanks. Clamp 6 of them together at a time. Cut the recesses out using a dado blade on your table saw.

[Keith Weber]

I agree with Jamie. Those cross-grain tabs are probably going to break off. Is the narrow one (top right of your part in the 2nd pic necessary.) I can't see them in the first pic, so I'm unsure if it actually has a purpose. Maybe it just rests against the wall.

[Patrick McCarthy]

" - they're just a proof of concept thing for my wife to look "

I can't remember when I was last successful in proving anything to her, and particularly not when she was going thru the big M. I find it hurts less if I just bang my head against the wall.

[rudy de haas]

Thanks for the responses!

1) I don't have a CNC router - but I know someone who does and will call him later today to see whether his machine (fairly small) can do this.

2) Messrs Buxton and Weber point out a reliability issue. I know.. however: I'm using jatoba upstairs and hickory downstairs, so pretty strong - and it does just lean against the wall on one side while resting on a metal ledge. See photo.

I am thinking of driving a screw through the dead center of the thing into the wall - and that does seem likely to weaken it too much. Anyone have a better idea?

I can't get that slantfin metal top strip and the end pieces out without taking the wood above out first, so I'm leaving them in (in part so I could, if necessary, put the whole metal face back - after, maybe getting it powder coated)

[Jamie Buxton]

...I am thinking of driving a screw through the dead center of the thing into the wall - and that does seem likely to weaken it too much. Anyone have a better idea?...

No, a screw through the middle of the piece shouldn't weaken it at all.

[Jamie Buxton]

Back to the question of how to build it....

You have to tell us what tools you have. You apparently don't have a CNC router. Do you have a table saw? A router? A router table? A bandsaw? A jig saw?

[rudy de haas]

table saw, jointer, planer, jig saw, hand tools. I do not have a bandsaw but am considering getting a (probably korean) benchtop unit.

I have a table mounted router that is too light (Ryobi 1.75 HP in a ryobi table, bought used for $50 and over paid) and am looking for a better combo.

[Rick Potter]

I agree with Mike.

I would use good Baltic Birch plywood, to avoid the grain and breakage issue. I would cut blanks to size, gang them a half dozen at a time, tape them together, and use a dado set on your tablesaw to make the cuts. They look pretty straight foreword to me. If any of it will show when installed, you could just face it with strips of the matching wood....or paint them black to make them disappear.

[Anthony Whitesell]

table saw, jointer, planer, jig saw, hand tools. I do not have a bandsaw but am considering getting a (probably korean) benchtop unit.

I have a table mounted router that is too light (Ryobi 1.75 HP in a ryobi table, bought used for $50 and over paid) and am looking for a better combo.

Routers do the best at repeated pattern cutting. Without one, it will be a one-at-a-time trace and cut operation.

Tools:
Tablesaw with a dado blade and standard blades
Router with flush trim bit with a diameter equal to the notch in post #1 photo #2.


Here is how I would do it:

1) Based on the first photo, the top and bottom appear to be the same width. Thus rip a piece of stock (baltic ply or solid wood as is being debated in the other threads) the correct width and multiple pieces long.
2) Using a dado blade, chew out the front and back waste as much as possible, but leaving not more than half of the diameter of the flush trim bit. Additionally a would make a jig to key the top and bottom widths to be removed.
3) At this point you are left with a series of I shaped pieces attached top to bottom. Using a piece of 3/4" MDF make a pattern with a LONG tail (ie., cut the pattern in the end of the MDF, but do not cut to length). The idea will be to "adhere" (clamp, tape, screw) the template to the workbench, then clamp the stock on top of the template holding it by the end. Thus there are no extra holes in the workpiece and no tape to remove later. (removing 60 pieces of double sided tape isn't exciting me any)
4) Using a router with a flush trim bit, follow the pattern to mill the left and right sides.
5) After the routing is complete, return to the tablesaw and cut the routed piece loose, then cut to the bottom of the next piece and repeat step 4 and 5 sixty times.

[Sam Murdoch]

I'm not sure from your post what you are doing exactly. Are you making new or trying to repair? Sounds like you are still in the design phase.

Not to be complicating the issue (and admittedly not having a full understanding of your task) I offer a few other ideas -

Sorry that I no longer have photos - BUT - about 26 years ago I made a house full of baseboard covers. They were removable. Unlike your design however I made only end blocks that went to the floor and supported the spans of wood in between. On very long runs I added some stiffeners but for the most part only the end blocks carried the load. Can you redesign so that you don't need so many support pieces?

Then I wonder if it would simply be easier to buy some flat metal stock and bend up some pieces. You could make a form and then with a bench vise bend and hammer some light metal strap to the shape. Would be much faster than any woodwork option.

To your specific question - My first thought was that I would mill up some 1x stock for the middle sections of your pieces and then add a top and bottom connected with the long middle with finish screws and glue (or in my shop dominos). That still leaves some pattern making and so not all that reliable a method.

SO after all that I think I favor making one accurate template and then from that template (maybe make up 2 or 3 to account for wear and tear) and then make up your 60 pieces using 12mm baltic birch ply. Cut the basic shape with a jig saw and then with a router (preferably table mounted) with a bottom bearing bit attach your template holder (with handles) to your pieces. No reason not to use screws as the holes will never seen and you can ensure a secure attachment of the template to your working pieces. They need to be securely clamped as you run them through the router. This will be tedious but 60 pieces of anything that complex is tedious. Keep your wits about you and don't try short cuts or allow yourself to be distracted.

Bending metal strap is beginning to sound like a good plan.

[Jim Matthews]

I made something similar to this for a single radiator run in my bathroom remodel.

The slantfin radiator is just capped on top and in the front with 1/4" ply.
I cut basic slots in the top and bottom of the front (vertical) cover.

It has plywood standoffs, connected at the bottom, underneath the radiator run.

I wanted to have no dust collecting gaps at the bottom, to cover the fins.

There's a bead of simple construction adhesive, holding the ply to the metal 'cap'.
The rest of the parts are assembled with Titebond, only.

Your design is admirable, but any deviations from level will wreak havoc on your alignment.

[rudy de haas]

Thanks!

Art Mann, in he first response above, suggested using a CNC router. I don't have one, but a guy I know does and he has agreed to cut them
for me.

As it turns out.. I put in a 60" piece and discovered that I need a second kind of support - because the heat exchanger is 2" by 2" centered on the pipe and the basic support won't fit there so I'm making one that will go around it. Overall, it looks ok and. most importantly, boss lady likes it..