Shaper cutters solid vs insert

[J.R. Rutter]

What's your method for coping those little guys? Tape them to a longer stick?

My cope sled has both top and side clamps, so it can hold them securely with some extra strips of scrap and using extra rails as spacers (no need to tape) to spread out the side pressure. I've done rails as small as 1 3/4" long for silly designers.

[Martin Wasner]

I've done rails as small as 1 3/4" long for silly designers.

Oi. ¾" gap between stiles is a little bizarre. I don't think I've been forced to go that small, close though.

What I've done in the past for little guys like that is do the stick cut first, then use the cope head to make a matching stick with a tongue then tape the two together. Then I'll do a couple of shallow passes to knock most of the material out, then a final pass. It's pretty stable

They're shady when they're that small. You are just waiting for the fahwack as it gets sucked into the head.

[Justin Ludwig]

They're shady when they're that small. You are just waiting for the fahwack as it gets sucked into the head.

My hand is ready for the red button and my butt so tight you couldn't slide a greased BB passed my crack when running those pieces. Last set of cabs I did that had some that small I ended up just ordering the pair and built the rest. I can't blame a designer. There are no designers or architects here. It's all on me.

[Mel Fulks]

That's one reason why I just get them out at least 5 and 1/2 inchs wide and cope with feeder. Certainly not the only wood
working operation that benefits from "wasting" ( the term used by someone who has "wasted " a finger or two) a bit of wood. Don't think many turners try to get by with a spur mark on top of an acorn bed post.
P.S.: I neglected an important safety point,sorry. The feeder use requires the use of rub collar instead of cutter in the center of stack. Otherwise the copes will be wavy , and the practice itself unsafe. Rub collar might have to be bought separately.

[Martin Wasner]

Belt feeder I assume?

[mreza Salav]

Not a pro but when I have to do a bunch of drawers with very small copes I make my glue up the width of all of them combined and cut to length. Then run that short (along grain) and very wide board using the feeder and then rip them to size. Here is the picture for the panels, same method.

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[Martin Wasner]

That's a panel. We're talking about coping the rails that go into the stiles

[Warren Lake]

and on a panel you can run down to whatever with even below what you need for the raise as there is a runner on the bottom below the cutter for support so it doesnt get sucked in, have a 3/16" metal runner panel end is always supported and the belt feeder gets around the space and uneven pressure wheels would put on it.

sure you could come up with something like those agner push block things that holds your part and your feeder goes over over it and runs your cope running on that thing and still face down? Wooden sled messes up all your cutter heights I guess.

[mreza Salav]

That's a panel. We're talking about coping the rails that go into the stiles

As I said, it's the same method. You cope the two sides of a large board (think of a 20" wide rail) using feeder, then rip it to size.

[Justin Ludwig]

As I said, it's the same method. You cope the two sides of a large board (think of a 20" wide rail) using feeder, then rip it to size.

That's a pretty slick approach too. /stored for future anti-butt puckering measures

[peter gagliardi]

Those are some pretty good options for getting around what I like to think of as poor kitchen design!
In my experience, if you need a door that small, you are doing something wrong, and you need to re-evaluate the layout.
It isn't really safe running parts that small, and it looks terrible in place.
Of course I do realize that designers and architects drive some of this, and we are at the mercy of what they propose to the client, but I think maybe they just haven't really taken the time to understand what they have drawn.
I have had to make ridiculously small parts like this, only a couple times over the years, and it is never from my design.
I do not have a problem talking to them, or the homeowner about it, or ways around it.
I have even just said no.
Of course I CAN do it, but I like to think I am smart enough to find a better way around it.

[jack forsberg]

Not all small short copes are involved in kitchen doors . Seen and made many a newel post with them . I box feed them. Now before all you go and tell me this is a panel it works the same for stile and rail. Warren a brake through fence adds support. You just don't want the part to rock and thats what the box feed does.

[Mel Fulks]

Coping wide rail material with a feeder (instead of sled) requires that the "rub collar" replace the center of stack cutter.
That is a safety thing. I apologize and have edited original post.

[Warren Lake]

thats good Jack the thing in my mind was like the Aigner thing ive seen guys use same principle but over the whole part so the feeder could feed it through. YOurs has an outside stop that way its boxed in so better for sure, I used to cut small parts angled on the table saw that way sometimes boxes sometimes on a piece of ply then just staple rips on around it that was a bit better for the saw. see you are using a feeder at the end but not shown running it that should work well. Says last post is from Mel when I look here then yours is the last one bizarre

[Joe Calhoon]

A carrier is good if doing a large quantity of small panels. I prefer the sliding table for one off's. Quick and easy. In the bar picture we used a rub collar for the curve making a few light passes. The last pass following the curve with light pressure on the clamp. My vintage Martin has a robust table that can be positioned close in to the cutter and its easier on that one for this type work. Short copes are no problem either. The Felder did Ok using the tenon plate.
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