Template

Make a template in flat wood or ply. use double sided tape to stick it the piece and use a bearing guided flush trim bit.

If he is making a hole why not use a drill bit? I would drill the hole first then make the shape of the tong and cut it out.

Don't use a router for this. Set up a vertical JIG in front of a sanding belt or round sanding disk.

Drill a hole to establish the inside of the curve at the crotch of the server tongs. Now slide the wooden piece over the vertical jig.

The jig should rotate to bring the tongs into contact with the sanding surface. Rotate the tongs clockwise and counterclockwise on the vertical jig pin as you carefully rotate the jig's vertical pin closer to the sanding surface. At some point the jig should STOP rotating, presumably when the vertical pin is the correct distance from the sanding surface, and the sanding surface will only remove the wood that occupies the space in EXCESS of the desired thickness. The jig could have stops to force all of the tongs to rotate only so far in each direction. In that way, all of them will be sanded to the same thickness, and at the same extreme angles both left and right.

Joe


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Wow. The new Google Sketchup ONLINE version just SUCKS!

Joe

Not sure I know what he's making. Given that, I would cut and finish the shape in thick, quarter sawn hardwood, then I'd slice off pieces for the tongs. This is assuming the tongs won't be connected.

If they are to be connected, I'd use a pattern on a quarter sawn, thick piece. It would be the full length of each tong, plus an extra inch for the curve in the middle. Then I'd steam the wood and bend it in a jig. The long grain would help with strength.

How about posting a picture of a commercial set so we can see what your friend is trying to make. This post is a shot in t he dark.

Thanks for the replies gentlemen. Yes a photo or three would have made a world of difference I agree. It was a long shot to solving someone else's problem. I personally think marking each arm out and then just doing it on the linisher. However he was adamant the router table and a jig were the go .......

Thanks one and all

Here is jig that could be modified, although I don't see why a jig would be required to put a radius on a part that's only 3 mm thick (assuming that the 3 ml was a typo). A picture of the part may help with giving suggestions. The same concept would work on a belt sander.

tomp913 said:

Here is jig that could be modified, although I don't see why a jig would be required to put a radius on a part that's only 3 mm thick (assuming that the 3 ml was a typo). A picture of the part may help with giving suggestions. The same concept would work on a belt sander.

Click to expand...

I like that jig, Tom, thanks for posting.
Herb

I agree myself I'd simply do it by hand and sight......job done.

Thanks I'll pass this onto him tomorrow when we catch up. Thanks Tom