Making Bead and Butt MDF

[Doug71]

I have a wall panelling job coming up where I need to create a bead and butt look on about 9 sheets of 15mm MDF, the main reason I need to make it is the boards have to be random widths, this is for aesthetic reasons and also to make it easier for me to work in some doors etc.

I made a sample today using a router, it meant making a couple of cuts and sticking in a small bead, I was happy with the results, it's not the quickest method but I like how I could join boards where needed and then hide the joint with the bead.

I have seen Bradshaw joinery using a Festool saw and special block but won't be getting one of those!

I see Wealden tools do a bit to use in a tilting base trim router, has anyone tried this? I don't have a trim router never mind a tilting base for one but guess they can be picked up quite cheaply if it works. I did wonder how much dust this would make?

https://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Bead---Butt-MDF.html
Any other methods out there? It's long ways that I need to put the grooves in so 8ft long grooves.

My efforts today.

On a side note I presume everyone with an OF 1400 router also has a trashed dust shroud from un plunging bits that are too big to fit through the hole

 

[Noel]

I do panelling in a similar way although with no bead, just with a cove or V cutter and I think I last did even 100mm spacing. One thing I found handy was making a jig that would follow the last cut which meant once first cut was made there was no more measuring/positioning of the router. Slow work, unless you have a CNC or large overhead router.

Did you cut and machine the bead?

 

[mouldy plane]

I have a wall panelling job coming up where I need to create a bead and butt look on about 9 sheets of 15mm MDF, the main reason I need to make it is the boards have to be random widths, this is for aesthetic reasons and also to make it easier for me to work in some doors etc.

I made a sample today using a router, it meant making a couple of cuts and sticking in a small bead, I was happy with the results, it's not the quickest method but I like how I could join boards where needed and then hide the joint with the bead.

I have seen Bradshaw joinery using a Festool saw and special block but won't be getting one of those!

I see Wealden tools do a bit to use in a tilting base trim router, has anyone tried this? I don't have a trim router never mind a tilting base for one but guess they can be picked up quite cheaply if it works. I did wonder how much dust this would make?

https://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Bead---Butt-MDF.html
Any other methods out there? It's long ways that I need to put the grooves in so 8ft long grooves.

My efforts today.

View attachment 167403

View attachment 167404

View attachment 167405

On a side note I presume everyone with an OF 1400 router also has a trashed dust shroud from un plunging bits that are too big to fit through the hole

View attachment 167406

I have done it in the past with a centre bead moulding plane, but there hard to find, and probably not very efficient if you have a lot to do. Mind you, it's not very dusty!

 

[Ollie78]

I have seen a circular/track saw that had a sort of spindle moulder block that would fit in it. This would be a good method with the right knives except it might have been a Mafell !
The other way is to just make individual boards, old school style.

Ollie

 

[ChaiLatte]

I see Wealden tools do a bit to use in a tilting base trim router

On a side note I presume everyone with an OF 1400 router also has a trashed dust shroud from un plunging bits that are too big to fit through the hole.

With the Wealden one, watching the linked video would be a very good idea as you see its use involves an extended baseplate for the router as well as a hold-down guide*. Note also that it is 8mm shank, the trim router would need an 8mm collet.

You could sellotape the gap on the acute side of the cut and use a hoover as in the video on the obtuse side for dust management.

To prevent the dust shroud problem, is there a gadget you can make that clips over/around the depth adjuster that limits its rise when you let go the plunge lock. 3D printed in Festool green and an Etsy shop (artisan made, sustainable-sourced, organic) and you could be set for life.

Effectively you need to make the depth stop bi-directional - stopping it going up too much as well as the usual stopping it going down too much.

* afterthought after the 3DP idea above: you could make something that slides in the back (upwards-facing) T-slot of your tracksaw track and bolts to the router base that will do the same job as the piece of MDF shown in the Wealden video. You could sit a few tracksaws on the track to provide weight to hold it down/stop it lifting.

 

[Max Power]

I have seen a circular/track saw that had a sort of spindle moulder block that would fit in it. This would be a good method with the right knives except it might have been a Mafell !
The other way is to just make individual boards, old school style.

Ollie

I seem to remember the guy with the track saw having a sawblade made with the appropriate shaped teeth, great idea

 

[Doug71]

Did you cut and machine the bead?

Yes, I made them on the spindle moulder, I just mould the edge of a thin board, cut the mould off on the table saw then moulded the freshly cut edge and cut off again, rinse and repeat. It sounds quick and easy but I will need about 100 lengths making.

* afterthought after the 3DP idea above: you could make something that slides in the back (upwards-facing) T-slot of your tracksaw track and bolts to the router base that will do the same job as the piece of MDF shown in the Wealden video. You could sit a few tracksaws on the track to provide weight to hold it down/stop it lifting.

I found some adapters on ebay for about £20 which make the tilting trimmer bases fit the Festool track if I go down that route

I have seen a circular/track saw that had a sort of spindle moulder block that would fit in it. This would be a good method with the right knives except it might have been a Mafell !
The other way is to just make individual boards, old school style.

Ollie

I don't know if you've seen it but in one of Bradshaw Joinery videos he turns his Festool HK85 saw into a portable spindle moulder to mould some curved skirting board, actually turns out surprisingly well!

 

[The Bear]

I found some adapters on ebay for about £20 which make the tilting trimmer bases fit the Festool track if I go down that route

Can you post a link please?

Mark

 

[Noel]

Yes, I made them on the spindle moulder, I just mould the edge of a thin board, cut the mould off on the table saw then moulded the freshly cut edge and cut off again, rinse and repeat. It sounds quick and easy but I will need about 100 lengths making.



I found some adapters on ebay for about £20 which make the tilting trimmer bases fit the Festool track if I go down that route



I don't know if you've seen it but in one of Bradshaw Joinery videos he turns his Festool HK85 saw into a portable spindle moulder to mould some curved skirting board, actually turns out surprisingly well!

This type of thing?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284187639180

 

[The Bear]

Thanks Noel

 

[ChaiLatte]

I found some adapters on ebay for about £20 which make the tilting trimmer bases fit the Festool track if I go down that route

I do not think the one posted above by Noel would work well.

If you look at the Wealden video, the edge of the base is hooked under the guide and the router motor is tilted _away_ from the guide. The MDF guide is quite wide (and thus has some weight to it) and in addition is clamped down. The router base they use is also quite wide, both under the motor and in front of it.

The reason for this is that the router will always try to tip over in the direction the motor is tilted due to gravity. So the lipped/hooked guide is holding it down.

The other thing to consider is the direction of cut - in one direction, the cutter will try to climb out of the groove. In the other direction (the one Wealden use in the video), the cutter will pull itself into the groove.

In the router base above, the motor is tilted towards the guide, so there is nothing to stop the left hand side as pictured rising up. It is also very narrow. You would also need to check if you can achieve the required 45 degree angle with it. Tilt the machine too far and the motor clamp may hit the plastic.

I was thinking of something like below, which positively locates in the track. The router motor would tilt to the right in the image below. The weight of the track might be enough to keep it all anchored, but if not, you could clamp the ends and sit a weight on the middle of the track (e.g your TS55) for extra security.

 

[niemeyjt]

On a side note I presume everyone with an OF 1400 router also has a trashed dust shroud from un plunging bits that are too big to fit through the hole

Interesting timing . . .

 

[MikeJhn]

Does it really need to be near twenty three minutes long.