# Help with church pew end panels



## angelboy (9 Nov 2019)

I posted this in the general woodworking forum so apologies if you've already read it, but, has anyone cut down old church pews before and made up new end panels?

I'm just looking for ideas as to the different options I might have. I was initially thinking of jointing 100x50mm pine, cutting the profile out then shaping the edges.

Is there a better way?

I have a 13ft & a 15ft and I want to make two 7ft pews out of them to keep and so it seems a shame to waste the leftovers. I thought I could knock up some simple end panels and then make at least another two smaller pews that I might give to family members.


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## AndyT (10 Nov 2019)

I think this really needs some pictures of the pews you have and some idea of your skill level.
Pew ends could be anything from a flat slab to something richly carved with poppy heads and the seat could be plain flat oak or deeply dished pitch pine.
If you look closely at the ends you have, can you work out how they were made?
I have noticed that quite a few Victorian pew ends used very thick boards with deep chamfers and mason's mitres - fine if you are a skilled carver but not something you could copy with a lightweight router.


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## angelboy (10 Nov 2019)

AndyT":2yj7z8xi said:


> I think this really needs some pictures of the pews you have and some idea of your skill level.
> Pew ends could be anything from a flat slab to something richly carved with poppy heads and the seat could be plain flat oak or deeply dished pitch pine.
> If you look closely at the ends you have, can you work out how they were made?
> I have noticed that quite a few Victorian pew ends used very thick boards with deep chamfers and mason's mitres - fine if you are a skilled carver but not something you could copy with a lightweight router.



I'm not going to be carving anything decorative - there's some amazing examples of what I'm not going to do right here - https://churchantiques.com/product-cate ... s-benches/

I have a pew that has a relatively simple end panel


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## angelboy (10 Nov 2019)

I don't know why the last post hasn't put the images the right way but if you click them then they appear the right way up.

The ones I want to cut down are these.













I also have a front pew panel that might be useful.


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