[WoodguyCO]

I need some help for a project for my wife, the project is a quilt hanger for her prize wining quilt that is 84"+/- wide. The hanger will be about 3" wide and out of 4/4 hard maple with one or two 1/4" through inlays running the full length of hanger much like the cutting boards featured in Fine Woodworking a year or so ago, only on a massive scale.
I'm thinking the safest and most efficient way to make the curved cut for the inlay is to make multiple passes with a spiral bit in a template bushing with a temple taped to the work piece.
I have seen several videos and articles that suggest routing a grove in the curve shape you want then band sawing down the middle of the grove and finishing the cut with a flush trim router bit. Tried that and split out several chucks as I got to different locations in curve ruining a nice piece of wood.
So here are my questions:
1) Can I reasonable make through cut in 4/4 hard maple in several passes using a spiral bit?
2) Which spiral bit should be used up, down, compression?
3) Any one tried doing curved inlay any other way?
I would greatly appreciate any help or ideas you provide.
Thanks guys

 

[sreilly]

I'm not sure I understand the question 100%. How deep a cut are you trying to make in a single pass? Any examples of what you wnat to do that we can see?

 

[mgmine]

I'm confused too. I can't follow the part about bandsawing the wood. Are you trying to cut a slot completely through a 4x4?

 

[WoodguyCO]

I need some help for a project for my wife, the project is a quilt hanger for her prize wining quilt that is 84"+/- wide. The hanger will be about 3" wide and out of 4/4 hard maple with one or two 1/4" through inlays running the full length of hanger much like the cutting boards featured in Fine Woodworking a year or so ago, only on a massive scale.
I'm thinking the safest and most efficient way to make the curved cut for the inlay is to make multiple passes with a spiral bit in a template bushing with a temple taped to the work piece.
I have seen several videos and articles that suggest routing a grove in the curve shape you want then band sawing down the middle of the grove and finishing the cut with a flush trim router bit. Tried that and split out several chucks as I got to different locations in curve ruining a nice piece of wood.
So here are my questions:
1) Can I reasonable make through cut in 4/4 hard maple in several passes using a spiral bit?
2) Which spiral bit should be used up, down, compression?
3) Any one tried doing curved inlay any other way?
I would greatly appreciate any help or ideas you provide.

Thanks guys

 

[WoodguyCO]

I need some help for a project for my wife, the project is a quilt hanger for her prize wining quilt that is 84"+/- wide. The hanger will be about 3" wide and out of 4/4 hard maple with one or two 1/4" through inlays running the full length of hanger much like the cutting boards featured in Fine Woodworking a year or so ago, only on a massive scale.
I'm thinking the safest and most efficient way to make the curved cut for the inlay is to make multiple passes with a spiral bit in a template bushing with a temple taped to the work piece.
I have seen several videos and articles that suggest routing a grove in the curve shape you want then band sawing down the middle of the grove and finishing the cut with a flush trim router bit. Tried that and split out several chucks as I got to different locations in curve ruining a nice piece of wood.
So here are my questions:
1) Can I reasonable make through cut in 4/4 hard maple in several passes using a spiral bit?
2) Which spiral bit should be used up, down, compression?
3) Any one tried doing curved inlay any other way?
I would greatly appreciate any help or ideas you provide. View attachment 398345
Thanks guys

 

[WoodguyCO]

I am not good at describing this process for which sorry. Let's see if I can explain what I want to do. I am making a quilt hanger that is 3" tall 84" long and 13/16" thick out of hard maple. I want to inlay a 1/4" wide by 84" cherry strip in the hard maple. I want the inlay to be curved as shown in the article from Fine Woodworking that is attached to my previous reply. In the article the author routes a grove using a bushing and template, then he cuts the cutting board in to two piece by cutting through the cutting board in the center of grove he routed on the band saw. The next step is to use a pattering bit to cut away the remaining wood on the curved sides that was left after cutting down the center of the grove. Then strips of contrasting wood are glued together and glued between the two halves of the cutting board.

I am trying to do the same type of inlay pattern on the quilt hanger. My first attempt resulted in the patterning bit chipping out large chunks of wood. This I believe to be my lack of experience using a router. I am thinking that using a 1/4" down cut spiral bit and making several passes of 3/32" to 1/8" deep until I cut the board into two pieces would be easier. Cutting multiple curves in an 84" board on the band saw is more difficult, I think, than making 4-5 passes with a handheld router using a template and bushing. Then glue the inlay material together and clamp it between the two halves of quilt hanger.

I hope this clarifies my questions. .

 

[Bob Bengal]

@WoodguyCO you are typing and inserting inside the quotes, makes it hard to read. Here is post #4:

I need some help for a project for my wife, the project is a quilt hanger for her prize wining quilt that is 84"+/- wide. The hanger will be about 3" wide and out of 4/4 hard maple with one or two 1/4" through inlays running the full length of hanger much like the cutting boards featured in Fine Woodworking a year or so ago, only on a massive scale.
I'm thinking the safest and most efficient way to make the curved cut for the inlay is to make multiple passes with a spiral bit in a template bushing with a temple taped to the work piece.
I have seen several videos and articles that suggest routing a grove in the curve shape you want then band sawing down the middle of the grove and finishing the cut with a flush trim router bit. Tried that and split out several chucks as I got to different locations in curve ruining a nice piece of wood.
So here are my questions:
1) Can I reasonable make through cut in 4/4 hard maple in several passes using a spiral bit?
2) Which spiral bit should be used up, down, compression?
3) Any one tried doing curved inlay any other way?
I would greatly appreciate any help or ideas you provide.

 

[Bob Bengal]

I'm not an expert, will be interesting to see what the more experienced members say.

Please post photos of what you have done so far, including examples of where it has gone wrong.

I'd say an up spiral bit, to remove chips from the cut. After making a pass remove the chips that are in the cut before making the next cut.

I think there is an issue of scale and proportions, 3" x 84" x 1" is a very different situation than a cutting board. Not much room for the curves, the wood outside of the inlay will be flexible, etc. Even if your shaping of the wood is perfect gluing could be a challenge, 10 or so clamps, cauls, etc. Do some practice projects first, a cutting board, then something 5" x 24", etc.

 

[Bob Bengal]

Maybe, instead of starting with a 3" wide board, use one 5 to 7 inches, put your inlays in the center 3", after gluing rip the sides off.

 

[arfarfarf]

I need some help for a project for my wife, the project is a quilt hanger for her prize wining quilt that is 84"+/- wide. The hanger will be about 3" wide and out of 4/4 hard maple with one or two 1/4" through inlays running the full length of hanger much like the cutting boards featured in Fine Woodworking a year or so ago, only on a massive scale.
I'm thinking the safest and most efficient way to make the curved cut for the inlay is to make multiple passes with a spiral bit in a template bushing with a temple taped to the work piece.
I have seen several videos and articles that suggest routing a grove in the curve shape you want then band sawing down the middle of the grove and finishing the cut with a flush trim router bit. Tried that and split out several chucks as I got to different locations in curve ruining a nice piece of wood.
So here are my questions:
1) Can I reasonable make through cut in 4/4 hard maple in several passes using a spiral bit?
2) Which spiral bit should be used up, down, compression?
3) Any one tried doing curved inlay any other way?
I would greatly appreciate any help or ideas you provide.
Thanks guys

Use a piece of plywood or hardboard as long as your project board to make a template. Cut the curve on the template. Sand the template pieces so they fit together smoothly. Use one of the template pieces to layout the curve on your project board. Cut the project board. Use the respective pieces of the template and a pattern bit to smooth the project boards.