cut notches out of panel molding

[Dennis Jarchow]

I need to apply a cherry panel molding around a bar under the granite bar top. There are six 2.5" x .5" steel supports around the bar supporting the top, four in the front and two on the sides. I need to notch the panel molding for the steel supports. I could nibble out the notch with the chop saw and then chisel out the rest but would like this to be a fairly decent fit. Any suggestions on how to do this? Thanks!

[glenn bradley]

I think you are on target. Mark with a striking knife and remove the waste. I would prefer a tablesaw and a sled for the operation though. I suppose you could put a FTG blade on a sliding miter saw but blow out could be a concern. A sac-fence could help with the blowout and give you a cleaner result.

[Ken Combs]

I need to apply a cherry panel molding around a bar under the granite bar top. There are six 2.5" x .5" steel supports around the bar supporting the top, four in the front and two on the sides. I need to notch the panel molding for the steel supports. I could nibble out the notch with the chop saw and then chisel out the rest but would like this to be a fairly decent fit. Any suggestions on how to do this? Thanks!

It really depends on the molding shape and length. But if it is manageable on a router table I'd try cutting the ends of the notches with a back saw or chop saw and cleaning out the waste with a straight bit, carefully. Against a fence and correct depth setting of course. That should result in a flat bottomed, accurate length notch.

[Tom M King]

How wide and long is the molding, or piece you need to cut the notches out of. Since there are just a few, I'd probably just cut them by hand.

[Dennis Jarchow]

Thanks for all the replies. The molding is about 2" tall and the longest piece (front of the bar) is about 9 feet and will have 4 notches. The two side pieces are about 13" and get one notch each. I had thought about the tablesaw with either a sled or the miter fence but I have my saw packed away for the winter and wasn't crazy about rearranging the garage to get it out. My router table is small but would work.

[Tom M King]

I would get some help to hold it in place while you mark it, and cut it with some type of small handsaw and chisels. The Irwin Japanese type pull saws aren't too bad. You can buy them in Lowes. I have all sorts of different small hand saws I could use, but any of a number of different types would work fine.

I call these Made in England Japanese Pull Saws. I keep a couple in my truck. One old one for questionable use, and one new one for finish cuts. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say I have over a hundred varieties of hand operated saws, but these can be counted on when none of the others are at hand.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-Marpl...Saw/1003167702

[Lee Schierer]

I agree that a router table with an appropriate bit profile would be the cleanest and fastest way to make the required notches. Make some trial cuts in pieces of scrap to make your setup correct.

[Bill Dufour]

Bandsaw.
Bill D.

[Tom M King]

Are the corners of those steel pieces rounded? I'd probably just use a coping saw and jewelers saw, but since you were asking I didn't expect you to have those. I keep coping saws and jewelers saws with different blades and different blade orientations ready to go. I'd make the vertical cuts with the coping saw, then a jewelers saw blade could go down in the coping saw kerf sideways if needed. A jewelers saw with a no.6 blade might seem slow, but is very controllable and would probably make the 2-1/2" cut in less than 20 seconds. A 6 is the largest jewelers saw blade I have: https://widgetsupply.com/products/eurotool-saw-265-12 (not those specifically, but that shows you the size)

I'd have help to hold the molding in place and mark it with a combination square and sharp no. 4 pencil. That's just how I would do it, but I do this type of stuff all the time.

On the sides with multiple steel pieces, I'd cut the first one and let it go in place a little bit to make sure it could be held perfectly in place while marking the others. I would cut for all the braces before making the corner cuts and mark those with a preacher.

[Tom Bender]

Not having Tom's experience, I'd use chisels. I'd also follow his advice to cut one first and cut the ends last.